A Mystery Novel

~ČĤÁPŤĔŔ 21~

"What?!" The Alexs yell and the woman starts laughing.

"Cooper, that's not funny," Jones glares at his partner, "we've talked about this."

"Sorry," Dectetive Cooper stares at the floor, looking like a child being scolded, "I thought a joke would break the tense atmosphere."

"So my brother's not really getting arrested?" Xandra asks.

"No, my partner is just really annoying. If you don't mind, we'd like to speak to Xander alone."

"I do mind actually," Xandra says.

"Leave," Cooper says sternly, she looks scary when serious.

Xandra doesn't waste time in exiting the living room.

"Do you know Jacqueline?" Jones asks Xander while Cooper readies a notepad.

"Yes, she's my neighbor."

"And girlfriend," Xandra says from the kitchen, "he asked her to be his girlfriend last week."

"Alex!"

"I'm going to my room now," she runs up the stairs, Cooper's glare burning a hole in her back.

"Sorry, about that. Yeah, Jacqueline's my girlfriend."

"When was the last time you saw her."

"About two days ago at McDonald's. Why?"

"You haven't seen her since then?" Cooper asks, dodging the question, "she's your neighbor."

"We were supposed to go on a date yesterday but she didn't show and she hasn't been answering my calls and texts. I think something Savannah said scared her."

"Who's Savannah?" Jones asks

"He's ex-girlfriend," Xandra yells from the top of the stairs.

"She was never my girlfriend!" Xander yells back, frustrated. "We were dating but I never asked her to be my girlfriend," he says to the detectives.

"Why didn't you?" Cooper asks.

"Why exactly are you guys here? And why are you asking so many questions about Jacqueline? Is she okay?"

The detectives look at each other and return their gaze to him.

"Uh, we know why Jacqueline hasn't been answering your calls," Jones starts.

"This morning, Mr. and Mrs. Russo came to the station. Mrs. Russo was worried because Jacqueline hadn't picked her calls," Cooper continues.

"Thats impossible, Jacqueline never misses her mom's calls."

"Exactly, they were worried that something had happened to her."

"But I saw her leave McDonald's on Friday, she had to go home because her mom wanted her to receive a package."

"The package is still on the front porch which means that Jacqueline never made it back home that day," Jones explains

"Oh my God," Xandra says, "are....are you saying Jacqueline's... gone?"

"We don't know that yet," Xander says immediately, "she's still alive, maybe she just got lost or she just didn't feel like going home and decided to sleep over at a friends house. It doesn't make sense but it could've happened."

"Yeah, we haven't found a body yet so there's a possibility that she's still alive." Cooper says, trying to make Xander feel better

"You said something about Savannah scaring Jacqueline," Jones says.