Found Obsession

Chapter 26: The Children's Case II

A pedophile.

The realization hit Rose like a punch to the gut. She felt her stomach churn violently as the weight of the truth crashed down on her. Without a second thought, she hurried to the bathroom, barely making it in time before she doubled over, retching violently into the toilet. Astonishment and disgust mingled in her mind as she heaved, the horror of the situation overwhelming her senses.

As she wiped her mouth with trembling hands, Rose stared at her reflection in the mirror, feeling a wave of nausea wash over her again. How could someone be capable of such monstrous acts? The thought made her heart race, and she fought to regain her composure.

When she turned back, she found Raven scrutinizing her.

“How can someone do something so horrible and disgusting?” Rose’s voice trembled as she held back tears.

“They deserve the worst,” Raven replied in a deathly tone, his hatred evident in his eyes. He was visibly shaken by the gravity of the situation.

Hours passed, and Rose had yet to hear from her colleagues. She paced around the room, her gaze darting between the whiteboards filled with information, desperately trying to find additional clues that might lead them closer to the truth.

Meanwhile, Raven sat quietly, his focus fixed on the whiteboards, absorbing every detail as if it could unlock the mystery of the twisted mind behind the crimes.

Both Raven and Rose struggled to find sleep, discussing every detail and possible theory late into the night. As they spoke, Rose realized she had never seen this side of Raven—his determination and anger were palpable, revealing a deeper layer of his character.

Tempted to call her colleagues, Rose hesitated, deciding against it. She figured they were with Riley, probably exhausted from the investigation.

June 20, 2004

By 9 a.m., a sharp knock on the door jolted them from their thoughts. When they opened it, they found their colleagues standing there with hollow eyes, their expressions heavy with dread.

Rose’s heart sank. They sat down, the atmosphere thick with tension.

Mira broke first, bursting into tears as Henry shook his head, unable to find the words.

“We managed to investigate the church and interrogate everyone,” Richard said, his voice trembling. “Here’s everything we found, including details of what the children could have gone through during their captivity. Riley called we couldn’t come back here, had us focus on Sonny since time was running out.” His voice broke.

Rose held Mira into her arms as she cried.

“The parents received a call with the location,” Javier continued, his voice strained. “We arrived by 7 a.m., and—”

Rose squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for what was coming next.

“The kid was gone.”

______

Rose held herself together as she grabbed the notes, her hands trembling slightly. She turned to Raven, sharing the details of what had possibly occurred to the children during their hostage.

Raven remained quiet, his expression unreadable, but she could sense the turmoil boiling beneath the surface—she felt the same way.

“Okay, the children are connected to this church,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. “It states that the church runs several programs.”

“We need time to investigate their programs and find out which ones these kids were involved in, yesterday we could not get all the information.” Javier added, his brow furrowed with concern.