Hidden Truth: Missing in a Small Town

Chapter 2: Part 2

PW: After meeting Mrs. Milner at her home, what did you do next?

RH: We decided to bring Mrs. Milner with us back to the station.

PW: Why is that?

RH: Although Erica Milner was 18 years old, and therefore a legal adult at the time of her disappearance, we had reason to believe that she may be in imminent danger or missing against her will, so we-

PW: Why did you have reason to believe she was in imminent danger or missing against her will?

RH: Well, first of all, she didn't possess a vehicle and didn't have more than twenty dollars on her person, according to her mother. None of her closest friends had seen or spoken to her during the time she had been missing, and her phone was going straight to voicemail. Another concerning factor was that she was last seen in emotional distress, on foot, and alone in the dark. In light of all of this information, we decided it would be best to take immediate action.

PW: I see, so what is the normal protocol in those types of scenarios?

RH: Officer Decker escorted Mrs. Milner back to the station in his cruiser, and I followed behind in my own vehicle. After arriving at the station, Officer Decker took care of the formalities with Mrs. Milner, while I prepared for an early morning press conference.

PW: What do you mean by formalities?

RH: Police report, written statement, just making things official...

----

I was dead on my feet. The last 24 hours had melded into a blur. After my evening shift the day before, covering the night shift, and this "last call" that had turned into an all day event, my mind felt hazy. Three cups of cheap coffee later, and the caffeine buzz was the only thing keeping me upright.

My fingers twitched against the surface of my desk, itching to reach for the bottom drawer. Don't do it, don't do it... Without a thought, my hand reached out on its own and pulled the drawer open. The pack of Marlboros stared up at me, accusing, mocking.

I thought you were going to quit.

Yeah, well, today was a hell of a day.

The smoke curled up the back up my throat, pure ecstasy. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the feeling. Within seconds, I could feel the nicotine spike in my blood. For the first time in hours, I didn't feel buried under the weight of what most likely lay ahead - a lengthy investigation leading to nothing but misery.

Shit.

A knock on the door jerked me to my senses. "Uh yeah, come in," I called as I snuffed out the cigarette in the ashtray hidden in my desk.

"Detective Hoffman?" My administrative assistant, Alyssa Simmons, poked her head through the doorway. "We just got the information for the press conference, if you're ready for it."

I glanced at the clock on the wall; only 7:12 PM and I was nowhere close to finished. Sighing, I beckoned Alyssa into the room. "I'm ready, come in and sit down."

Alyssa slipped through the doorway and sat down in the seat across from my desk, a manila folder in her hand. "Mrs. Milner's sister brought in some photographs of Erica and we have a written description for the media. Jack wants you to speak at the conference," Alyssa said as she spread the contents of the manila folder across my cluttered desk.

Damn, the hits just keep on coming.

"Fine."

Hearing the frustration in my voice, Alyssa glanced up and met my eyes. "I tried to talk him out of it..."

I waved her comment away, "Don't worry about it. You're good." Alyssa had been the more formidable member of our little team for the last two years, but even she couldn't sway Jack Schmidt, chief of police, when he had his mind set on something. If Alyssa couldn't get me out of it, I didn't have a chance on my own. The woman was a force of nature.

"I already started on your speech, so when you're done here, head home and get some sleep. I'll have it for you first thing in the morning," Alyssa said, grabbing the empty coffee cups and Doritos bags from my desk and thriftily them away.

"Alyssa, what would I do without you?"

She turned to me, a warm smile transforming her face. "Fall apart at the seams, probably. I thought you were going to quit?"

"Tomorrow."

"That's what they all say." She closed the door behind her.

All right, time to get to work.

I looked down at the photographs on my desk, and my heart stopped.

Holy shit.

Author's Note:

I'm trying to keep the chapters shorter by splitting them into parts. :) I feel like this will make it easier to read and update! 

Thank you so much for reading! <3