Chapter Text
Detective Ilya Rozanov would definitely be considered one of Montreal’s finest. It was a title that he had earned. It, like most things in his life, had not been given to him. He was born and raised in Russia, but when the opportunity to study and live in Canada presented itself, the young man seized it… and did not look back. While he had been very close to his mother, Detective Rozanov had not enjoyed the same relationship with his father. His father was a hard man who was not kind to his wife and viewed the son she was closest to as weak. In her efforts to shield her son from the cruelty of his father, she bore his suffering. And she did it willingly… until she no longer could. Once she was gone, young Ilya had to become cold and hard to survive life with his father in Russia. And he did just that, allowing himself the chance at an adult life away from what had ceased being a true home to him once his mother died. While his father was alive, Ilya would spend any vacation time visiting him. Despite how his father had treated her, Ilya felt that his mother would want him to do that- to be the “good boy” she raised and tried her best to protect. But the part of Ilya Rozanov that was open, good, kind, and loving was the part that he had closed off and showed no one, with the exception of his childhood friend, Svetlana. To everyone else, he was someone different, someone they’d probably never really know.
The Detective Ilya Rozanov that was known to all others was no-nonsense and by the book. His arrogance was only tolerated because he was just that good at what he did on the force. It was that high level of competency and unrelenting need to never stop until a case, or possibly a suspect, was cracked that allowed him to rise through the ranks quickly. He had lasted with a partner for only a few weeks, declaring that he worked best alone. And who was anyone to question or challenge that? It was him who had been the officer who had managed to take down a notorious group of bank robbers by figuring out the pattern they had implemented in planning their heists. All of that, coupled with the fact that the identities of the culprits and their MO had been undetected by senior staff, resulted in Ilya being deemed as the “wonder kid” of the department- ending with him receiving his latest promotion to detective.
While Ilya’s chief might sometimes have hoped that his newly promoted detective worked better with others on the job, he could not argue against his brilliance in solving cases. In addition to that brilliance and his competency, Chief Wiebe knew of other qualities that made Detective Ilya Rozanov perfect for any case. He knew, without a doubt, that he could be trusted. He could be trusted in handling delicate matters that required both his brilliance and his discretion. And that is why when the matter that wasn’t yet quite a case came to his attention, Chief Wiebe knew that Detective Rozanov was the obvious choice to take the lead.
So, Ilya’s chief made it a point to call him in for a talk about the matter that he and those above him hoped they could keep from being a true case. Because they knew that if the matter was not handled properly and quickly, it could end up being a most sensational case with all the crazy, rumor-filled gossip and chaos that such a matter would ignite.
“Good morning, Rozanov. Please sit,” Chief Wiebe said as he gestured for Ilya to sit in the chair across from his desk.
“Good morning, chief,” Ilya replied as he nodded and took his seat, sitting up as straight as he could. With his hands steady in his lap and his eyes laser-focused on the chief, Ilya was all set to give him his undivided attention.
“At ease, Rozanov. You can pay attention, without sitting at attention,” Chief Wiebe joked, trying to get his new detective to relax just a bit.
While he didn’t laugh or acknowledge the attempted levity of the chief’s statement with even a small grin, Ilya did relax his shoulders and sat back just slightly before Chief Wiebe continued.
“First and foremost, I need you to hear me clearly. And I really can’t stress this enough, Rozanov. This “matter”, he continued as he used actual air quotes, “is quite delicate in its nature. If you aren’t able to solve the “matter” within possibly the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours, it will end up blowing up in the press with most of the eyes of Montreal on us. The alleged “victim” is a hometown, as well as a national celebrity. The exact nature of the “matter” is unclear, which may be your biggest hindrance. And if it remains that way and becomes a full-fledged “case”, the public speculation and scrutiny from the higher-ups in the department could reach high levels.”
Ilya nodded, understanding and hopeful that the chief’s overuse of air quotes would soon end. For his part, Chief Wiebe seemed to pause for any questions or interjections.
Ilya’s lack of a verbal response wasn’t unexpected. The chief knew him to be a man of few, but meaningful, words- words he’d use once he’d heard everything the chief had to say.
“As I’m sure you saw from the file, you and whoever you decide to bring on with you, have quite the task ahead. And I have faith, based on what you’ve done before, that you’ll be able to get ahead of this and tie it all up… before the public picks it up. You won’t have much time, and it likely won’t be easy, but you are skilled and have the force’s resources to use. I just need you to keep me informed and to give this “matter” your very best.” Finished with his directive, Chief Wiebe paused, as if he was letting the enormity of the case sink in for Ilya. Once he thought an appropriate amount of time had passed, he ended with a question.
“So, do you have any questions for me? Is there anything that I can do before you get started?”
Ilya looked at Chief Wiebe, took a deep breath, and exhaled, as he sat up further in his seat.
“No sir. I appreciate your support of my abilities, and I will work my hardest to justify it by finding out exactly what happened to Shane Hollander.”
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Shane Hollander, like Detective Ilya Rozanov, would also be considered one of Montreal’s finest. It was a title that he had also earned. But Shane Hollander had made his mark in the sports world as an elite hockey player. While born and raised in nearby Ottawa, Shane was a hockey superstar and captain of the Montreal Metros. He was easily a household name to most citizens in Montreal where hockey was treated with the same amount of fanfare as football in Canada’s neighbor to the south. He was the “face” of several television, magazine, and online ad campaigns. He was the literal darling of the city and easily claimed as one of their own. Bringing the Cup to Montreal, not once but twice, had practically cemented Shane’s status as hockey royalty. All of that, plus being close to his parents, only helped to solidify him even more as “Canada’s golden boy”.
While he was widely known for his great hockey acumen as reported on online, in newspapers, articles, and on sports talk television, there was one aspect of Shane Hollander’s life that remained unknown, possibly hidden, from the public at large. Throughout his entire career, Shane had managed to keep his personal life just that- personal. There were no whispers of any secret romances or hookups. There were no paparazzi pics exposing any private moments of Shane with any Montreal natives or high-profile celebrities. Everything about Shane Hollander, the man, had always been kept under wraps. And he had liked it that way. At least he apparently did, until he met Rose Landry.
Once Shane met the actress while she was filming in Montreal, rumors of the possibility of a new romance began. The rumors gained more and more traction once the two began being spotted out around Montreal. The actress had even been seen at a home game in support of a certain Number 24. That appearance almost acted as a silent announcement that the actress and hockey star were, if not a pair, definitely “something”. While they never provided any comments or soundbites when approached, the celebrity duo didn’t shy away from cameras or phones all capturing their date days and nights. It had only been about two months or so, but because their moments had been well-documented in the press, rumors of a new kind had recently begun to circulate. And they were based around a singular question: Is Shane Hollander ready to confirm that he is officially in a committed relationship with Rose Landry?
While that was currently the question on the minds of many in Montreal, it was nowhere on Detective Ilya Rozanov’s radar. He needed to know what happened to Shane Hollander. And in order to begin to figure that out, he would need to talk to the woman who was now so closely linked to the hockey star- Rose Landry.
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Rose Landry had made a name for herself in the movie industry. While not yet at the highest level of celebrity, she was definitely making moves in that direction. When she arrived for a production being filmed in Montreal, she was hopeful that it would be the film to take her there. She certainly hadn’t expected to meet a hockey superstar and to become so quickly linked to him. But that’s exactly what had happened when she met Shane Hollander at a restaurant where she and some of the cast had congregated after a long shooting day. He sat down, struck up a conversation, and became her frequent companion when they were both available and in town. Because he traveled for work, those times were infrequent. But it was enough time for them to become friends… and from her calculations, maybe more.
In fact, Rose had anticipated that at some point during Shane’s upcoming break week, the two of them would take things beyond the close friend zone they’d been operating in much longer than she ever had with any other potential boyfriend. There was something so special about Shane that she had been more than ok with that. She was hopeful that things would soon be clarified and elevated, in terms of who and what they were to each other. The plan was for her to come to his apartment in Montreal, where they would talk and then presumably take that next step. But when she went there that night, things were not as she had expected. And because Shane was absolutely not the type of person to cancel or change plans without a text or a call, Rose was understandably concerned.
Shane’s parents were out of the country taking some time for themselves. His teammate and closest friend, Hayden Pike, hadn’t heard from him since they came back from that away game. That was just a little odd, since they were quite close. But when Rose had spoken to him, Hayden had just chalked it up to Shane needing time to rest. That would have been logical to Rose had they not made plans for that first night back. So, because of that, Rose Landry needed help. And she went looking for it at the police station with a special request and a caveat: “Handle it… unofficially, with no leaks and no press.”
And that’s why Detective Ilya Rozanov had gotten that 24–48-hour deadline. Shane Hollander was missing, but his possible, soon to be official girlfriend wanted him found before the whole of Montreal knew anything about it.