The Disappearance and Reappearance Of Mr. Kingsley

The Detectives

The first of many investigations of this case would do nothing but scratch the surface. Still, it is important to mention.

Two detectives were assigned to the Kingsley Case. May Salazar, a blossoming twenty-eight year old who, ironically, looked nothing like the spring her name spoke of. Deep, black hair brushed her shoulders and her eyes were an unspectacular brown.

Ethan Price, an arrogant city boy who would make many terrible mistakes. His blonde hair had an undertone of an almond brown, and his eyes were the green of kryptonite.

The first skim over the case was done by them. Whether they did it correctly or incorrectly is an opinion. I'm sure you can gather your own once you know the full story.

"Forty seconds after six sixteen was when he stepped foot off of the premises." May read aloud, rereading and rereading, her notes. She knew something was missing. Someone was lying. But who?

"Then he walked off into the night to never return." Ethan finished, rolling his eyes. He looked over at May, reminiscently. He just wanted to feel her skin again.

"May, about that night—"

"He walked past the principal's office at six fourteen." She continued, purposely talking over Ethan.

Focus, May. She told herself. Guilt ate away at her like a flesh-eating disease.

"Just let me talk!" He slammed his hand on the desk she was so furiously trying to read on. She jumped, feeling a pang of fear. She didn't even look up at him.

"I want you. I want you so badly, May." His voice was still harsh.

She wanted none of it.

"Get over it." She started reading again. His hands practically trembled with anger. Anger directed towards the one girl he couldn't have. The girl who was married. The girl who slipped up one time. But that one time would cost her, dearly.

"May.... don't make me....."

"Don't make you what? Charm me? Right." She scoffed, getting up and pushing past him. The tension in the air put a weight on her shoulders. This whole situation put a weight on her shoulders. She couldn't bear the thought of what happened that night.

What needs to be known about May, is that her conscience is never clear. Whether it be forgetting to hold the door open for someone, to sleeping with your colleague on a stressful, drunken night, it killed her inside. Every second of living with it was ruining her.

Ethan, on the other hand (more correctly, the other side of the entire galaxy), wanted nothing more than to do it again. It didn't bother him that she was married. It didn't faze him whatsoever that she was utterly against the idea. It didn't once cross his mind that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't just about what he wanted. This included two people. One of which, didn't even want the other to exist.

"Don't test me." He said, almost too calmly. His calmness came out of the blue; just like Kingsley's disappearance. It bothered her.

"Stop acting like a raging teenage boy who thinks he runs the whole damn world," she walked towards him again, quickening her pace, "It was one night, one time. It meant nothing, and neither do you. We need to put this aside so we can actually work on trying to find out where this guy vanished to. And why."

Although May did everything right, it would take too long for him to get the picture. She handled the situation, told him off, and directly confronted him about the issue. Still, she didn't know who she was dealing with.

"I'm going to talk to his fiancé. If you're coming, leave your stupidity here."

Her ultimatum wouldn't shake Ethan's pride for a minute.

The drive was silent, a bearable silent. She shot down every chance he got of even opening his mouth. He couldn't speak his fruitless words even if he thought they would mean something. She saw right through his little facade. She wasn't about to play "Duck, Duck, Goose" with her love life.

Their car makes a slow stop at an array of empty parking spaces. They both unbuckle their seatbelts and get off, staring silently at the apartment complex. May looked at her files, getting her room number. After an awkward elevator ride and even more awkward walk to the room, they stand in front of her door.

May hated this part of the job. She loathed being the one to ask questions about someone to a loved one who's obviously distraught. And that was what Mrs. Kingsley-to-be was.

Distraught.