"Where is she? I bet you guys knew where she was this entire time! Is this some kind of sick joke?! Because I have been through way too much for you guys to be playing some kind of cruel joke on me," I screeched, doubt filling my mind. I took a deep breath. "What, exactly, did you find?" I said in an eerily calm voice.
"I told you. Just some prints. Nothing to get your hopes sky high and your nerves on edge like you are now." My stomach plummeted to the floor.
"Is there any hope of finding her?" I whispered, suddenly devoid of all hope.
"Of course there is, Scar. Always has been. Now there's just a slightly bigger chance of finding her. Now, I have some bad news too." Oh God. I slowly inhaled, then exhaled, my nerves still not very calm.
"Well, get on with it then."
"The car's plates were ripped off. Pretty nicely done too. Whoever did it must've been quite the professional in all things thug." She cracked a smile at me, trying to lighten the mood. I ignored it.
"So you can't trace the car? You've got to have some lead on it though. Something to go off of, right?" I questioned, my voice raising to an unnatural octave.
"That's the thing. No plate, no address. I had some detectives search every nook and cranny of the piece of crap car. Found a couple nice mix tapes, you know I might actually keep them they--" I shot her a look and she sighed. "Look, bottom line is they didn't find anything."
I studied her face. Hard, brown eyes that when you looked into them you knew meant business. An angular face with straight brown hair to frame it. Everything about her screamed serious. She wasn't messing around. And maybe that's why I liked her so much.
Nodding slowly, I pushed myself to a standing position from the chair. "I want to see the car."
"Absolutely not. It's crucial confidential evidence." The tone of finality in her voice almost made me leave it alone. Keyword: almost.
"Confidential? I'm her daughter for heaven's sake! Nothing about her should ever be confidential to me," I felt the anger bubbling up inside of me as I tried my best to suppress it. "I'll stay out of your hair for the next week if you just let me see the car. Just ten minutes. Please."
"Alright but ten minutes is all you get. You know what, make it nine just because you're annoying me. Now follow me and try not to break anything." Detective Paddler shook her head and led the way to the back lot.
Once outside, I spotted the old beat-up car immediately. I bolted towards it and immediately sat in the drivers seat. Just less that 48 hours ago, my mom could've been sitting in this same exact seat.
"Are you sure your men checked everything?" Paddler nodded, glaring at me. I simply smiled sweetly at her and continued my search of the car. "Even the little center console thingy?" I asked.
"There isn't one."
"Either I'm hallucinating or I'm opening a center console right now." I snapped back. I always argued with Detective Paddler. Our minds are too similar, she likes to say.
As I lifted the black console, that sickening sweet rose smell overtook my senses and immediately knew what I was going to find.
There, lying in the center of the compartment, was a blood red rose. And on the stem, fingerprints matching the flower's color exactly.
