Felicio

Missing Girls

Alan

Life could still surprise me, even after all these years. I had gotten used to the idea that I would grow old alone. After my family left me I didn't think I would ever find someone to care about in that way again, and then Mary had come along. The whole thing had blindsided me, and it was still in its early days. Part of me still thought I was being a delusion old man, but she seemed to really care about me. I had made a few comments questioning her judgment, but she quickly scolded me and asked me if I really wanted her to leave. I had to admit that I didn't. After all this time it was good to be reminded about the pleasure that being close to someone could bring. Her skin was so soft, her lips so sensual...it awakened in me something I had thought I lost many moons ago.

We decided to keep things on the down low, not least because it was frowned upon. I didn't want to be the subject of gossip either. Mary understood. She was smart. That was my mistake before; being with someone who didn't understand the cop life. Mary had it in her blood. She was young and ambitious. In fact she reminded me a lot of how I used to be, although I didn't like to focus on the age difference too much. It only served to remind me how many years I had under my belt. I preferred to focus on all the things we had in common.

She strode into the precinct and slapped a paper down on my desk. “Did you see this?” she asked. I looked down at the front page. Felicio had given an interview. I scowled and ignored the paper.

“I'm not interested in anything he has to say.”

“I don't know, it's quite revealing,” Mary said. She liked to tease me. The unfortunate thing about our relationship is that now, whenever I saw her, I wanted to pull her onto my lap, but I couldn't do so when there were other cops around. Goddammit, but I think I might have been in love again.

“I'm sure it is, but he wouldn't be the first person to make a PR push.”

“You think that's all it is?”

“What else could it be?”

“I don't know, maybe he wants people to actually understand him. Maybe he wants to turn over a new leaf.”

“Until he comes into this precinct and has a conversation with us he's operating outside the law. Actions will speak louder than words ever could,” I said grimly. Mary changed the subject quickly, not wanting to put me in a bad mood, although that tended to be my default mood, especially these days.

“Have you made any progress on Shaw?” she asked.

“No, and I don't think I'm going to. I can't get at anything. The only information on him is everything that everyone already knows. The only things that remain a mystery are his travels. He went to the deepest, darkest parts of the world, and left no trace. There's nobody we can talk to about it apart from Shaw himself, and he's made it clear he's not going to be forthcoming.”

“Maybe it's time to let it go. Maybe there isn't anything behind Emma's death and it was just a suicide.”

“Maybe, I hate even the chance that Shaw is getting away with something though. I really thought I'd be able to pin something on him this time. I really do feel for this town sometimes Mary, the future I mean. I don't like where it's heading.”

“There's not much we can do about it, other than stick to our jobs,” she said. She was right. Keep doing our jobs, that's all cops could do. I'd wanted to leave this city in a better place than when I found it, but it seemed as though it was only getting worse. And it was all because of Shaw.

“I've been trying to do this job for a long time now, and nobody has been able to pin anything on Shaw. I was there when the building first opened. There was something sketchy about it from the beginning, but everyone told us that it was going to be good for the city. There were times when dead bodies surfaced with no way to identify them. I'd tied them to that building, but nobody could prove anything. I don't know what they've been doing in there all these years, but it's something foul, and I don't want to rest until I uncover their secrets.”

“Focus on what you can do, on helping people that really need your help.”

“If someone doesn't do something about that corporation soon I think it's going to prove the death of us all.”

“Ever the optimist,” she replied dryly. I looked at her apologetically. Maybe I was getting cynical in my old age, but over the years, with the things I'd seen, how could anyone blame me? There were many crimes I felt Shaw was responsible for, but a part of me didn't want to believe he could be responsible for harming his own daughter. That was reprehensible. He was up to something though, and I had to find out what.

“I think I might try getting in there again.”

“Even though you've been warned off? You've done some reckless things in your life Alan, but this is the most stupid one yet.”

I was about to answer when I was pulled over. I told all the officers to let me know if there was anything to do with the Shaw corporation. I read the note I had been handed.

“Two missing girls, teenagers.”

“You going to go after them?”

“Damn right I am. Guess where they were doing an internship?”

“You're kidding,” Mary said, her face ashen. I didn't have to say anymore. I grabbed my jacket and drove towards the building. Mary was with me, chewing her bottom lip.

“Nervous?” I asked.

“More for you than myself. Shaw didn't want you coming back.”

“He didn't want me coming back about Emma. This is different.”

“What have you got on the girl?”

“Both of them were accepted onto an internship. Their parents say that they didn't return one day. Apparently they always got dropped off home by someone from the building. It figures that the corporation wouldn't let anyone they didn't trust out of their sights.”

“That doesn't mean they have the girls though.”

“Not necessarily, but they're our best bet to get some information. They have to know something,” I said. It didn't seem to settle Mary's nerves. Truth was, it didn't settle mine either. Being around that building set me on edge, but in my line of work I had to accept that feeling and use it. I'd dealt with the worst of humanity, and I could deal with this. The building loomed towards us, framed by a forest. Its smooth black surface looked like oil, and it seemed to absorb the light rather than reflect it, as though it was some dark pit on the earth, a taint, a stain, a festering abscess that refused to be healed. I wondered how Emma though, being the child of a man like Albert Shaw. What secrets had she uncovered? What length would Albert go to protect them? I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but it seemed likely to me that these girls, Gina and Stephanie, may have stumbled onto something they shouldn't have. I glanced over at Mary. I didn't want to tell her that over the years the mysterious bodies stopped turning up. I'd always thought it was because the corporation developed a better method for disposing of them.

A chill ran down my spine.

I wound down my window at the gates and flashed my badge. The guard leaned forward and peered at it. “I'm afraid that you're not allowed in sir,” he said. I knew this would happen.

“I'm not here to see Shaw. I need to talk to someone who may have information about a pair of missing girls. They were interns here.”

“I'm sorry sir, but we're not at liberty to discuss any of the operations around her. If girls have gone missing then it must have happened outside of working hours.”

“That may well be, but the only place we know both girls had in common was this place, so it seemed like the natural way to start. Now, if you want me to go to the press and tell them that I haven't been able to find these girls because Shaw's people won't talk to us, then I'm happy to do that. All publicity is good publicity, right?” The guard shifted position, and his eyes darted from side to side. Threatening them with the wrath of their own boss always worked.

“I'll see what I can do,” he said. Moments later, the barrier was lifted and we were allowed through. I was in the building again, and hoped that this visit would go better than my last.

“This place feels odd,” Mary said as we walked into the lobby. The walls were almost barren. The air was stale. A single receptionist was sitting at her desk and told us to take a seat. You'd never think that mysterious experiments and government-level research went on in this building. We were only waiting for a few moments when an elevator opened and a man walked out. He was a slender man, with thin lips, and cold eyes. He took my hand in a firm grip. I noticed how he didn't offer to take us to an office. It appeared as though he only wanted a brief chat.

“My name is Michael Pitt. What can I help you with today officers?”

“Detectives, actually,” I said bluntly, “and we're here about two missing girls. They're interns here,” I said, showing him the pictures and the names.

“Can you tell us anything about them?” Mary asked.

“Not anything particular. I don't tend to mingle with the employees here, but I'm sure if they were accepted as interns they must be incredibly bright,” he said, his thin lips twitching. Over the years I'd developed a good sense about people, and I knew I definitely did not trust this man.

“Well, anything would be helpful. The last time people knew they were together was here, so anything you can tell us...”

Michael tapped his fingers against his lips for a few moments. “You do understand that we don't monitor our employees after they leave the premises. I'm afraid we simply do not know what happened to them after they left here.”

“But you do have proof of them leaving?” I said.

“Excuse me?”

“Could we see proof that they left the building?”

Michael exhaled sharply. “Are you insinuating that we kidnapped these girls? What would be the point detective. They were interns here. They came of their own free will. I'm sorry that this happened to them, but I will not tolerate you coming in here to make wild accusations.”

“Well, perhaps we could speak to some of the other interns to see if they know anything?” Mary asked.

“I'm afraid that won't be possible,” he said, remaining tight-lipped.

“By doing this you are obstructing a police investigation,” I said. The corners of his lips curled into a smile.

“I'm sure you would rather be trying to help these poor girls than file some of that paperwork against us, but if you do have a problem we will always look to work with the police. I believe Mr. Shaw is seeing the chief of police this weekend. Perhaps they shall discuss this matter then,” Michael Pitt said, and made it clear the meeting was over. Before I could say anything else, the wiry man spun on his heels and turned away, nodding to the receptionist.

“Come on Mary,” I said, and marched her out, back to our car. I slammed the door behind us and clapped my hands, rubbing them with glee.”

“What are you so happy about? He just brushed us off and gave us nothing.”

“Oh no, he gave us something alright. He gave us everything.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you really think this corporation, with all its secrets and processes, would actually be surprised that two of their interns went missing. If the girls had gone missing and hadn't shown up for work I'm pretty sure this company wouldn't have looked kindly upon it. They know that the girls are missing, they probably have them in some dark room somewhere, not that we're going to be able to prove it,” I said, gnashing my teeth.

“It wasn't like he was forthcoming about the footage of them leaving either.”

“Exactly,” I said as I drove away from the building, but it would be difficult to prove anything. I hated the way Shaw was so close to the mayor and the chief of police. They were like a secret society, pulling the strings. Well, this puppet was going to cut his strings.