Geoffrey Collins, the last case. ~

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    Chapter 1

Aristotle once said:  "Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy."  Let's just say, that has never quite been my strongsuit.  I've always been angry with the right person, and for the right purpose, and most of the time to the right degree, but all of the others I've often struggled with.  For instance, when I was about twenty-three, I found out that an influential politician was guilty of murder.  At the time that I learned this however, Him, myself, and about forty others were at a dinner party in his home.  I began to yell at him very bitterly about what he had done to the victim, to the victim's family,  when I probably should have waited until after the party was over.  Definitely not at the right time, and not exactly in the right way.  I almost lost my job over that incident.  A better quote to describe me was said by Nicole Kidman.  She said:  "I would describe myself as emotional and highly strung. If something upsets me, it really upsets me. If something makes me angry, I get really angry. But it's all very upfront. I can't hide it. I'm also loyal."  Now, I have many stories that I could tell you, but the one I've chosen today was my final case working as an official police detective for the N.Y.P.D.  It was by far the most hair raising, the most unpredictable, the most heart wrenching case that I had ever worked on.  This is the story of Samantha Cox.

 I was sitting at my desk when my boss, chief Hendricks, told me and my partner that a girl had been kidnapped from a movie set here in Brooklyn while getting her hair cut.   I went to talk to the hairdresser, she looked to be about twenty-five years old, she chewed gum and twirled her hair.  I asked her what had happened to the girl.                                                                                                 "Well"  She said.  "I like ... Went back to get more conditioner for her hair, and she was like - gone when I got back."  She said.                                                                                                                                   "Okay.  Did you see anyone that looked suspicious?  Anyone that didn't belong?"  I asked.                   "Well, like - I was way in the back getting more conditioner, so I didn't see anything."  She replied.      " I mean before you went in the back.  Any other people hanging around that didn't look quite right?" I asked her.  "No." She said.                                                                                                                       "Thank you.  You've been very helpful."  I said.  She walked away looking satisfied and happy.     "How was she helpful at all?"  Asked my partner, Detective Carpik.                                                      "She wasn't"  I said while sighing.  "But, hey, I'm a nice guy."  I said with a chuckle.  To be honest, I suspected that  the girl had just run away, but this case was much -- much more than that.  Suddenly I saw a man walking towards me, he was a slightly overweight man who walked quickly.  "Hello, my name is Matthew Daffer"  He said to us in his fast, nasally voice.                                     "Well, hello Matthew."  I said to him.                                                                                                                      "I'm Samantha's boss here." He said.  He seemed to be a nice man.  "Yes, all I have on my mind is her safe return."  He said.  "Just one qestion though."  He began.                                                   "Shoot." I said.                                                                                                                                                     "Well, do you think this will effect the production of the movie much?"                                                         The man that I had looked at as a decent person just a moment ago, I now looked at with such disgust.  "Why would you even ask that question?"  I said.                                                                             "Every minute that she's gone I'm losing money!"  He shouted.  I looked at him and said:  "Why do people like you - exploiters of our young - even exist?"  I said angrily.                                                            "I thought it was an appropriate question."  He said.                                                                                       "Where were you when Samantha disappeared?"  I asked suspiciously.                                                     "I was with my wife." He said.                                                                                                                        "Not exactly an airtight alibi."  I replied.                                                                                                                "Well, I'm afraid that's it, my wife will confirm."  He said, sounding somewhat smug.  I was now very suspicious of this man, something about him rubbed me the wrong way.  I started to feel like maybe this was more than a run-away kid.  Maybe this Matthew Daffer was involved in this heinous crime.