Short Stories

>3< The case

I sat in my desk, tapping my foot against the floor. Case file #0155962 sat next to my coffee that has gone cold. I rubbed my eyes as the light in the cramped office was bothering me. I have been here for a few days, only going back to the feed my dogs, and come back to spend the last few hours reviewing the file over and over again. Four people have gone missing in the last 2 weeks, the recent victim a few nights ago. The only leads I have right now is three people, but I can't charge any of them if I can't prove they've committed a crime.

I slammed my fist against the desk, making the coffee spill a bit. The frustration of all of this mess is getting to me. To make it worse, I've gotten very little rest.

Maybe this is a lost cause.

"Sargent Smith, can I have a word?" One of the detectives of my squad knocked on the open door, I gave him a nod as he started pulling a few papers out of a folder.

"Yes Luke? Do you need something?" I asked leaning against the chair. He got closer to me and the desk, the excitement in the rookie's eyes was something you don't see every day. This job takes the hope out of you and brakes it, but the look on his eyes is the look that everyone in this department once had when they first started too.

"Sir I have looked into Michael Millers. It seems he owns a dark blue, low-top explorer like the one seen driving around the victim's neighborhoods"

"Something else?" I questioned as he placed the photo of the blue van in front of me. It was a car selling site on the internet. Luke smiled at my question, as if he was waiting for me to ask him.

"He also hasn't been to work in 2 weeks, right before the disappearance started." he looked satisfied with what he said. I chuckled at his enthusiasm and nodded acknowledging him

"Good job detective, find Millers and bring him in for questioning"

I sighed as I grabbed the case file again and with some napkins cleaned the coffee. The photos of the victims were inside, the dates and locations of where they were last seen written on the bottom. No bodies have been found and the whole department has been on the case as more young women have been disappearing.

I grabbed the folder that my detective left for me to see. Michael Millers had various charges of sexual harassment and assault against a work colleague. He was fired from his previous job about a month ago and has a blue van like the eyewitness reports. Maybe we found our guy. He fits the criteria and the time line when the disappearance started happening.

Hours passed and the detectives started to dig dipper into this man's life. Everyone they spoke to only said negative things about Miller and how they can see him doing this kinds of things. He had no family members and the few friends he had despised him because of how much money he owed them. He was our guy in everyone's eyes. The only thing left is to find him and question him, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Sargent, you should go home and rest" one of my detectives said, she had two paper cups in her hand and gave one to me. It was almost three in the morning and half of the department was here working on the case. "You've been here longer than the rest of us, go home. If we find something we'll call you" she added. I gave her a small smile and sighed as I felt defeated. Everyone in the department had been telling me the same thing over and over again.

"Okay just let me grab my keys" I replied but was told that she would take me as she knew how tired I was.

We were on the road back to my house, the headlights of the car was the only thing illuminating the dirt path back to my home that was on the east far of town. It was a secluded piece of land that I manage to get my hands on ten years ago. In my lap rested the case files that I was taking home to keep studying. I started to replay the contents of the folder, the description of the victims. Young women on their late-twenties to early-thirties, silky brown-hair, beautiful big brown wood color eyes that melt the heart...

The car pulled into a stop as the front of the house was visible. "Thank you Emily, tomorrow I will need a ride back to the station"

"Got it, just call and someone will pick you up" she smiled and few strands of dark hazelnut hair fell on her face covering her deep brown eyes. I gave her a smile as I stepped out of the car. As I went to close the door I stopped and bent down to look at her again, I smiled as said my goobye"Good night Emily. Thank you for driving me home" She shook her head, saying that it wasn't a problem. I gripped the frame of the car window where I was holding onto for support even harder. I need to calm down... "You should be careful on your way back, you fit the description for the perpetrator's type, and we don't want our best detective gone." I mentioned in a joking way making her laugh.

"Come on sargent, you know me. When have I ever gotten myself into trouble like that" She replied and I smiled as I gave a small nod, closing the car's door.

I stood in the porch as I watched the car pull away until total darkness surrounded me. I close the door behind me, the silence of my home only making me more tired. I was going straight to bed, of course after I say good night to my dogs.

I made my way to the basement door and calmly started to unlock it. As soon as the door was oppen the muffled screams and metal chains rattling made its way to my ears. The smile I had been trying to cover this past few days suddenly emerge as I walked down the steps and heard screams of terror that echoed as I stood in the room.

One, two, three, and four...I glanced at the last girl I got a few nights ago. Her beutiful brown eyes stared at me with so much fear, that I had to held back the urge to ripped them out. I wanted to hold them right there and then... but not right now. Right now I have to deal with something else.

I threw the police folder on the floor, the photos of the victims spilling all over, each one matching the screaming women who sat in the room and the ones before them. To the far corner, far away from my girls I stared at Millers who was also chained up to my wall.

Who knew that this piece of shit would have seen me when I was out looking for a girl. I was clumsy I do have to admit, but the first time isnt always the greatest. Thirty years of a break can make anyone make a mistake. Still, luckily I got him in time, but who would have ever knew that he was so much trouble. That he would fit the role of the perpretretor... Now everything is falling according to plan.

I just have to keep my secret, and well its not that hard as nobody suspect the seargent. And for the time being, nobody will...