Missing Persons

Maxine focused on Kelly as he took the jacket from Chaney's hand. She tried her best not to gape. But when he turned, he glanced down at the folder, then stole a quick peek at her. Their eyes met, and she felt the excitement in the answered prayer of her assignment.

As she sat down, Gary Fessenden clenched his jaw,creating tension and an uncomfortable silence. His knuckles grew pale as he clasped his hands, a sign of the disapproval he was feeling.

"So, I guess you're going to ignore my warning," he whispered through gritted teeth. "Pride deafens us to the advice or warnings of those around us. Remember that, Maxie."

She didn't take her eyes off Chaney for fear of getting into trouble. With a slight head tilt, she leaned over and whispered from the corner of her mouth.

"It's not my fault they assigned me to him. What am I supposed to do?"

Maxine's understanding only went so far. Despite her deep affection for Gary, she couldn't understand his unwarranted hostility towards Kelly. She wanted to comfort him but knew it would be futile. She said nothing further, having reached a point where she needed to tune him out. Plus, she noticed Garry's possessiveness towards her as of late, making her uneasy.

"Meet with your FTOs after roll call," said Chaney. "Starting tomorrow, you'll begin your training with them."

He flipped through the papers in his folder until he reached the middle, finding the photo he was looking for. The photograph was a standard eight by ten size, with an identification card stapled in the corner.

"In line with the recent Amber Alerts, homicide has identified this weekend's victim. She was last seen at the Fighting eighty-eighth Baseball Complex in the Park."

He hung her picture before the podium, propping himself with his elbows.

"In your packet is her last photograph. Show it around to your CIs and street contacts. Let's see if we can get more info to pass on to Homicide."

Max sorted through the papers and found the photo. Her fingers grazed the glossy surface of Casey's picture, bringing back memories of their gruesome first and last meeting.

She was beautiful. Her fiery red hair cascaded down her shoulders, drawing attention to the soft contours of her face.

She parted her hair on the side, with a long braid cascading down her back, blending with her chest-length hair. Her pale blue eyes had a hint of a shimmer, with two small white dots ascending towards the center of her pupils. She was a sight to behold, but now she was gone, leaving only memories behind.

And I smelled her and saw her foot, covered in dirt and decomposing, protruding from the makeshift grave.

Chaney nodded to Staff Sergeant Guldbrandsen, who straightened up from the table he'd been leaning on.

"Next on the list," said Guldbrandsen. He pushed up his glasses and shook his head.

"The Citadel forwarded us another Amber Alert from last week. Jasmine Barrere, seventeen, from twenty-six Bridge Court." He removed his glasses and put them on the table behind him. "Barrere was last seen on Tuesday, March thirteenth, five days before the discovery of DeLorre's body."

Maxine wasn't sure how to act, questioning whether this was the precinct's norm.

The sight of Casey's discarded corpse, lying among the pine needles and sand, haunted her. And now this?

"That was a hell of a first day, wasn't it? A DB straight out of the box?" said Gary. "Poor kid. Well, at least we know who she was."

Lieutenant Chaney stepped back to the podium and sighed.

"Jasmine Barrere was last seen with Casey DeLorre at the same location. Detectives have also been to see a third family whose daughter was with both girls before their disappearance."

Chaney looked to Guldbrandsen as the two worked in tandem.

"Hillary Durkin, eighteen. She's a student at Saint Gabriel's. She's Casey DeLorre's cousin, and she's not saying much. In fact, her parents had her admitted to Peck Memorial's psychiatric intake unit."

Max covered the photo with the cover sheet and tried to concentrate.

"Oh, Christ," someone said. The loudness startled everyone, forcing them to turn around.

Maxine rolled her eyes and looked back at the podium.

I think I'm going to vomit.

Guldbrandsen threw his arms out at his side, his jaw flexing.

"Well, you know how to enter a room, don't you?" he snapped.

Detective Sal Bongiovanni walked down the aisle. His arrogant strut reminded her of their first encounter.

With a nonchalant gesture, he draped his overcoat over his arm, revealing a glimpse of his Rolex watch. The burgundy silk shirt he wore boasted white cuffs complemented by a thick black tie. His pants and shoes were the same as she remembered but weren't full of dirt and mud.

The weight of his stare bore down on Maxine as she listened to his approaching footsteps.

And, as if her worst nightmare unfolded before her eyes, he stopped beside her, tapping her shoulder. She forced a smile to be cordial but cringed at the sensation of his touch.

Commotion erupted at the back of the room, and Kelly's voice reached her ears.

She turned and watched as Johnny Keegan pushed by him and made his way to the door. And whatever he said, the contagious laughter spread like wildfire to everyone within earshot.

Bongiovanni handed his coat to Jeremy Hwang, who stood up to receive it. The sounds of kisses and tsking echoed around the room.

Bongiovanni strode to the podium, where he opened an accordion file and took out several photos. He turned to the whiteboard, careful to align them in order of discovery.

"Casey DeLorre is the third girl murdered in the last month. The other two,Stephanie Laskowski, nineteen, and Ashley Liloia, seventeen." 

He wrote their names beneath them with a red marker, capped it, and tossed it on the podium.

"The M.O. remains consistent across all the victims. The base of the neck showed multiple stab wounds, while the neck, torso, and hips displayed extensive bruising. We have no indications of sexual abuse, with no traces of semen or other related evidence—."

"From here on out," said Chaney. "Major Case will automatically elevate all female Missing Persons, from thirteen to twenty, to immediate Amber Alerts. But, we will still do the initial contact and investigation."

Lieutenant Chaney glanced at his watch to assuage Bongiovanni's anguish at the interruption. Guldbrandsen stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"Homicide is taking the lead on this, at least for now. Detective Sergeant Bongiovanni will be the point man. All information goes directly to him and his team."

He looked at Kelly, holding his stare for a moment. Guldbrandsen's eyes widened, his look obtrusive and conspicuous. Maxine noticed and turned to look at Kelly, who stared back with narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

"This comes directly from the Citadel," said Guldbrandsen. "So no screwing around. Do your job so Detective Bongiovanni can do his." He paused for a quick second and looked toward the back of the room. "Kelly, you're the point man on the street. Any leads on missing persons or potential connections to these killings go to you as the primary patrol contact."

The Citadel was withholding information, only revealing a limited amount for now. If the Heights were the target of a serial killer, then they needed to maintain secrecy until involving the State Police and, heaven forbid, the Federal authorities.

With roll call concluding and chatter escalating in volume and frequency, Chaney elevated his voice for the last time.

"Hey," he said. "FTOs, get with your boots. Take thirty minutes to acclimate them for their first day with you...And Kelly, see me right after. You can catch up with Officer McMenamin later on."

Jeremy and Garry pushed their chairs back and hurried to their FTOs. Maxine took her time, feigning composure, unsure what to do next. She searched for Kelly and watched him conversing with Officer Marcelo before he shook his hand and proceeded toward the front of the room.

"Woah," shouted Chaney. "Check your call logs, please. We're getting several unfounded noise complaints from Two-Zero-Six, Fifth Avenue. If you respond, please tell the neighbor to stop calling."

Kelly shook his head and laughed.

"Noise complaints, really?"

But then he locked eyes with Max, a smirk playing on his lips. She walked into the aisle as he moved towards her. This was the closest they had been in each other's presence. As the spark touched each of them, its impact manifested differently.

Max sensed Kelly's brokenness, yet she felt an unwavering strength to overcome it, driven by love.

Kelly felt her strength, confidence, and the beauty of a strong woman who tried to hide her vulnerabilities and the fear of being loved for the wrong reasons.

"Hey," he said. "I'll catch up with you across the street at 7-11? I think you'll be with Staff Sergeant Guldbrandsen."

His reputation, at least from what Gary and Jeremy told me, could be destructive. I'm still uncertain about law school. But would Kelly ruin the opportunity if I went through with it?  

Maxine nodded and smiled. "I'll see you when I see you." And Kelly left her at the mercy of Guldbrandsen and a room full of people she didn't know.