A Danger That Lurks In The Darkness | A TPQ AU |

IV | Hanging Onto Hope

a/n: i return! 

tw: alcohol consumption

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RUDY
The line at the DMV was painfully slow. Rudy whistled, softly. "Imagine working here,"

Mini shrugged, and jabbed her thumb at the DMV workers. "They don't need to imagine,"

He leaned back, staring at the floor, before saying, abruptly, "Do you think we'll find her?"

"Hm?" she asked, turning her attention to him.

He lifted his shoulder, and said, uncertainly, "I used to be in the Embezzlement squad back in New York, but... most of the time, cases didn't have a life hanging in the balance. I'd just feel better if there was... any hope of finding her."

She exhaled, and said, "To be honest, I don't know. But we can hang onto hope."

"We can hang onto hope," he echoed, blandly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

They reached the counter, approaching a young, dark-haired woman: probably in her early thirties.

"Hi," she said, her distracted gaze flitting from the computer screen to their faces. "One of our senior workers hasn't come today, and I'm kinda new, so— the system is flooding," she laughed nervously.

Mini smiled, and, he noticed, momentarily, there was a dimple in her cheek. He decided to stop noticing, and focus on what the lady at the desk was saying.

He tuned back in, just as Mini said, "...worker of yours named Patricia Lawtons?"

The lady at the desk—whose name tag read, 'Sara', said, slightly startled, "Yes... how did you know?"

Mini lifted her badge, and said, "We're from the Houston PD, ma'am, and we have a few questions regarding Patricia Lawtons' disappearance,"

She immediately blanched. "Patricia's... gone?" Terror flitted across her face. "I thought she'd fallen ill, and sent her a 'How are you?' message."

Mini's usual cool, professional face, crumpled into a look of sympathy, before she rearranged her features into her usual expression.

"I assume you knew her well?"

Sara shifted in her seat, looking at the line forming behind them. "I'll take my five-minute break now, then. C'mon. Let's talk in the break room,"

————

"Well..." she hedged, before looking at Mini. "I didn't know her well. I, uh, just kinda had a crush on her. She was very pretty."

Mini nodded, seriously, and said, "Do you know if she was seeing anyone? If she had a boyfriend, or a girlfriend? Or a partner?"

Sara frowned, and said, "Shouldn't you have asked her family that?"

Rudy said, "We have our other detectives who are asking them that, but, sometimes, people hide things from their family, and their co-workers, or friends know."

"Well..." Sara tilted her head, and said, "I don't think so. She didn't seem to be interested in dating, though."

"Is there anything else you knew about her? Anything important?"

Sara shrugged. "I've told you all I can,"

"Is there anybody she's worked with that knows her?" Mini asked.

"...Our supervisor, Mr. Daniels," she said, frowning. "...But he's kinda... strange,"

"Strange? What do you mean?"