Globe Tracers 1: The Case of Thomas Crain

Chapter 17: I Won't Let you Give Up

Kyle:

I walked to the Portland police station. Before I hadn't realized how long the walk from the tower to the station was, maybe that's because I was chasing Jess... or maybe because when she's around stuff like that just doesn't matter to me. I told Jessica I could deliver the note by myself. It was odd that she didn't object.

I walked into the station and looked around seeing several desks. I looked over at the wanted board. A new picture of Thomas up making me shake my head. I walked over to the board and spoke quietly, but as if the picture could hear me, "Don't know what the big deal about you is. I guess this is the end of the line for us, too bad we never met ya know? Wish you the best kid." Looking around, seeing that no one was watching, I quickly took my folded note and pushed it into the tack holding up the picture. I then turned for the door.

(***)

I got off the elevator into the clock part of our tower. I looked around the wooden room not seeing Jessica as I got off. I half expected her to jump up out of nowhere as she often did, but nothing happened... Yeah, that figure, but I had hoped otherwise. I looked at the door to the landing outside the clock and moved over to it knowing exactly where she was.

I found her holding the railing and looking out over the city of Portland. She looked like she was praying, even pleading with God about something. Jessica was a Christian and had been for some time before I even met her. I didn't understand how it worked, but when she was in trouble that she didn't know how to get out of, I would often find her like this. I sensed the prayer had finished and walked over to her.

She noticed me but quickly looked away. I walked over to her slowly, speaking my mind, but trying to be gentle. "C'mon Jess... we didn't even know him."

"So that means we should just give up?" she asked.

"Jessica we did everything we could."

"Did we? Did you check the time on the scanner? When the boy flew out we were already on the case. If we had been faster maybe we could have saved him."

"It's not our job Jess. Why do you want to find this one boy so bad? What do we even know about him?"

"What do we know?" she asked. "He went to school, he had a mother that would do anything for him, he's got half a city if not more looking for him. Sure doesn't sound like just anyone does he?" She didn't look at me. I wished she would look at me. I knew she wasn't blaming me, but it felt like looking at me would make her feel worse and I had no idea why.

"He's a child of their city, that's why he means so much to them. Why does he mean so much to you?"

"I- I don't know Kyle, he just does. The idea of finding him makes me feel like I can do anything you know? No one else can, and even if they can no one else can do it as fast or as well."

I smiled, maybe there was a way to put her mind at ease. "Oh come, come now. I'm sure there's someone else out there that could do it better." Okay so maybe there was a better way to say it.

"No, there can't be."

"Why not, why does it matter?" I asked.

"I don't know Kyle. It was just a passing fancy. I just wanted to do it on a whim. I saw a picture and I decided I wanted to take the job," she replied.

I paused, having to think. Things were starting to click. I knew why she wouldn't look at me. "Jess... this isn't a job... you're not just talking about Thomas, are you? I... when you applied to protect me, I was a passing fancy wasn't I? You just randomly became interested."