Mirror Me

30: Mystery at the Police Station- MARCUS

Sunday had finally arrived. Hope had been missing for nearly four days. Free from his after school duties, Marcus was determined to find his lost friend. He had two things on his mind to do that day, first was to put up signs and, second was to report to the police of the information he overheard regarding Nancy Meyers.

The police station was just a short walk of three blocks from his home. In his hands he held a stack of papers and a rather large industrial stapler. With each wooden telephone pole he passed, Marcus found a nice empty place between the missing dog posters and phone numbers for maid services and car repair to staple his own handmade sign to it. On it in big black letters read:

Missing since November 10, 2016: Hope Martinez, Height: 5'6", Age: 16, Description: Brown hair, blue eyes, last seen leaving Preston High School carrying a green backpack, wearing red glasses, a yellow school coat and jeans. If found or know any information please report it to the police.

Following the description was a black and white photo of Hope. Marcus believed if he could do anything for Hope it was this. Perhaps someone like Nancy Meyers but with a greater sense of justice would turn up with information. He stapled the last remaining poster to the telephone pole outside the county police station before entering.

Opening the glass doors he was met with the same uncomfortable silence one feels at hospitals. A lady in uniform sat inattentively behind her counter playing games on her social media account. When Marcus approached the counter, she minimized her gaming screen to give him a glaring distasteful look.

"What do you want, boy," said the uniformed woman. Marcus remained silent unsure how to begin. "What's wrong with you? Gonna tell me or not. Here to turn yourself in? Make a report? What have you?"

"That one!" said Marcus finally.

"Which one, boy?"

"I would like to make a report." Marcus was surprised by how nervous he had suddenly become. The whole situation made him uneasy.

"And what is the report? Come on, I ain't got all day."

"My friend went missing a few days ago," said Marcus handing over a photo of Hope. He never imagined how hard finding a photo of Hope was. "I have some new developments about her disappearance."

The female cop turned the photo over in her hands. "Does she have a case file?"

"Yes."

"What was her name?"

"Hope Martinez."

"Ah. Yes. Her." The female cop picked up the office phone and spoke into the receiver while staring at the photo. "Sir, a boy is here about that missing Mexican girl."

"She is not Mexican," corrected Marcus. The police officer sneered and continued talking.

"He says he knows some stuff about her disappearance. You said report anything about her to you immediately." She paused for a moment. "Alight. I'll send him in." She hung up the receiver and looked unemotionally at Marcus. "I hate to say it, but seems you're a little late, boy. We caught the guy responsible this morning. Just notified the girl's parents. We are interrogating him as we speak, but Sergeant Becker asked for you to answer some questions. There seems to be something strange about our kidnapper's statement." The officer walked out from behind her desk and opened the secure lock on the door. "Just take a left and it will be the first door on your right."

"Sure," said Marcus as the door closed behind him. The brightly lit hallway had gray short fibered carpet and drab white walls. There were no paintings or anything colorful hanging to counteract the dull void that accompanies serious places. Arriving at the first door on his right, Marcus tapped the glass.