Meet Aurora River, the newest member of the prestigious Law and Order SVU team. Despite her youth, Aurora possesses an exceptional intellect and a keen understanding of human nature. Dive into her journey as she confronts the harsh realities of crim...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The precinct was already humming with activity when I arrived the next day, coffee in hand. Joe was nowhere to be seen, but I caught Olivia Benson in her office, deep in conversation with Carisi. I wasn't sure if it was nerves or anticipation fueling my steps, but I was ready to dive headfirst into the case.
As I settled at my desk, flipping open my notepad, Joe appeared as if out of thin air, his usual calm presence sending a flicker of relief through me. He dropped a folder onto my desk and slid into the chair across from me, his dark eyes glancing over my notes.
"Got her phone records," he said simply.
I raised an eyebrow. "Anything interesting?"
"She was in contact with someone—a burner phone. Calls, texts, a lot of them."
"Do we know who it belongs to?"
He shook his head. "Not yet. I asked the tech guys to run it through their system. Could take a while."
I leaned back in my chair, chewing on the inside of my cheek. "So we're stuck until then?"
"Not exactly," Joe said, flipping the folder open. "We can go talk to the girl's ex-boyfriend. He's the last person she called before she disappeared."
"Think he knows something?" I asked, grabbing my jacket off the back of my chair.
"We'll find out," Joe replied, already on his feet.
The ex-boyfriend, a wiry seventeen-year-old named Alex, lived in a cramped apartment on the east side of the city. When he answered the door, his bloodshot eyes told me everything I needed to know—this kid was hiding something.
"We just have a few questions," I said, keeping my voice gentle as I flashed my badge. "About Jane Connors."
Alex swallowed hard, his gaze flicking nervously to Joe, who stood silently by my side, arms crossed.
"I already told the other cops everything," Alex muttered, shifting from foot to foot.
"Then this won't take long," Joe said, his voice steady but laced with authority. "When was the last time you talked to her?"
"A couple of days ago," Alex admitted. "She called me, but... I didn't answer."
"Why not?" I asked.
He hesitated, chewing on his lip. "She was acting weird, okay? I didn't want to get involved."
"What do you mean, 'weird'?" Joe pressed, taking a step closer.
Alex looked down, guilt creeping across his face. "She said she needed help... but I thought she was just being dramatic."
My heart sank. "What kind of help?"
Alex's voice dropped to a whisper. "She said she was in trouble. That someone was after her."
Joe and I exchanged a look—one that said everything without saying a word.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" I asked, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
Alex shrugged helplessly. "I didn't think it was serious."
Joe exhaled sharply through his nose, clearly trying to rein in his irritation. "If you hear from her, you call us. Understand?"
Alex nodded, looking more scared of Joe than the situation at hand.
"We're done here," Joe said, turning on his heel.
Back in the car, the tension between us was palpable. I could feel Joe's frustration simmering beneath the surface, and I couldn't blame him—I felt it too.
"You think the kid's telling the whole truth?" I asked as Joe navigated through the city streets.
"No," he said flatly. "But we'll get to the bottom of it."
I studied his profile for a moment—the sharp angles of his jaw, the dark eyes focused on the road ahead. There was something about him, something steady and unshakeable, that I found... reassuring.
"You always this calm?" I asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.
He glanced at me, the faintest flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Comes with the job."
"Must be nice," I murmured, more to myself than to him.
His lips twitched, almost a smile, but not quite. "You'll get there."
We spent the rest of the day chasing leads, following breadcrumbs that seemed to lead nowhere. By the time we made it back to the precinct, exhaustion was weighing heavy on my shoulders.
Joe slumped into the chair beside me, flipping through the pages of his notebook. "We're missing something," he muttered, more to himself than to me.
"We'll find it," I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.
He gave me a sideways glance, and for a moment, something unspoken passed between us—a silent acknowledgment that we were in this together, no matter how frustrating the case got.
"I'm ordering takeout," Joe announced suddenly, pulling out his phone. "You want anything?"
The offer caught me off guard, a small but unexpected gesture. "Sure. Surprise me."
He nodded, already scrolling through the menu.
As I leaned back in my chair, watching him, I realized something: working with Joe Velasco wasn't going to be easy. But it wasn't going to be boring, either.
And maybe—just maybe—it was going to be something more.
