by H K Christie
I nodded and turned back toward my mother. "Mom, dinner smells delicious."
"I hope it is. It's a new recipe, and it's healthy too."
"Perfect. I did not have a healthy lunch today."
Zoey said, "I'll get you the phone, Kaylie, so you can call your mom. Grandma also made dessert."
"Cool," Kaylie exclaimed.
I leaned up against the refrigerator as my mother stirred the mashed potatoes in the pot. "So how was today?"
"Good. Kaylie came over after school. She is a delightful girl, and Zoey enjoys having her here."
"That she is. Those two are two peas in a pod. I tell you."
"I've noticed." My mother chuckled. "So, how's the case going?"
"It's got a lot of twists and turns."
"Tough day?"
"Nobody shot at me today, so I'd say it wasn't the worst. It seems like things may run deeper than we expected."
Before I could give my mom additional detail, I heard Zoey running down the hall screaming for me. "Mommy! Mommy!"
I turned to look at her. Zoey had a frantic look on her face. "What is it, honey?"
Her eyes were wide. "They can't find Heather."
I looked over at Kaylie, who had tears in her eyes. I pulled her close and gave her a hug. The little girl pulled back. "They can't find her."
"What do you mean they can't find Heather?" I asked.
"I talked to my mom, and she said they can't find Heather. Heather didn't come over last night like she said she would, and they can't find her." Kaylie was now beyond consoling. My mother rushed over to take over.
Zoey handed me the phone. "Kaylie's mom is still on the phone. Can you talk to her?"
"Of course." I grabbed the phone. "Hello, this is Martina."
"Hi, Martina, I don't know what to do. Heather didn't come over last night as planned, and her best friend and roommate hasn't heard from her since yesterday. Between Sharon, her best friend, and I, we've called all her friends and nobody's heard from her."
"Have you contacted the police yet?"
"No. Don't I have to wait until she's been missing forty-eight hours?"
"No, not if you believe something is wrong. I think you need to go to the police station and file a missing person's report immediately. Don't let them tell you it's too early to file. She didn't come home, and you can't get a hold of her. It's unlike her, right?"
"Yes, it's so unlike her. I don't know what I would do if something happened to Heather." Kaylie's mother was breaking down.
I glanced over at my mother. "I can go with you to the police station. I've handled a lot of these types of cases."
"Martina, you don't have to do that. Oh, no, what do I do with Kaylie?"
"I can ask my mother to stay with Kaylie and Zoey, okay?"
"Okay."
"I'll be there in five minutes."
"Okay."
"I'll see you soon."
I hung up the phone and waved my mother over to the side of the kitchen and explained everything to her. She agreed to stay with the girls without hesitation.
I returned and knelt down in front of Kaylie. "Honey. We're going to find your sister. I'm going to go to the police station with your mom and dad so we can find Heather. You are going to stay here with Zoey and Zoey's grandma, okay?"
Kaylie bobbed her head up and down as tears streamed down her face. My heart broke for little Kaylie and her mother.
I stood up and said, "I'll call you when I know something more." Before exiting, I squeezed Zoey tightly and planted a kiss on her cheek. It was time to help another family as their worst nightmare began.
33
Martina
Kaylie's parents, Bridget and Tom, were emphatic as they described to the police officer why they believed their daughter was in danger. The officer nodded as if concerned but not exactly panic stricken. Heather had been missing less than twenty-four hours. This was the time to go full force and make sure they left no stone unturned. As I had instructed Bridget, Heather's mom, to do, she handed over a list of Heather's known friends with phone numbers, where Heather said she was going and with whom, as well as when she was to return. The officer seemed a bit puzzled when she pushed the paper at him, and her husband completed the missing person's paperwork. "Ma'am, you're awfully prepared."
She turned over her shoulder and looked at me. "I had help."
The officer looked at me. "I'm Martina Monroe. I'm a family friend and a private investigator. Heather's been missing less than twenty-four hours. This is the time to go full force in the investigation to have the best chance of finding her safe and sound, wouldn't you agree?"
"I do. So, this is the address where she said she was going and this is the photo of the person she was meeting? Do you only have a first name?" The officer asked.
"That's right," I said.
"And who was this person she was meeting?"
"His name is Harry—like Prince Harry. They met on a dating website," I explained.
"And you have a photo of this Harry?"
"Yes, she sent it to her best friend before she left for the date."
"She was cautious," the officer commented.
"Yes, she was," I said.
My gut said Heather's disappearance was somehow linked to the missing girls' case. Yet, Heather didn't seem to have any similarities to the other missing women, other than her physical appearance. I had known Heather for a few years and knew she didn't have an eating disorder, and she wasn't an aspiring actress. She was a good student studying English at the local university. She wasn't an at-risk kid.
Hirsch could handle being the lead on the missing person's case for a day or two while I tried to find Heather. Kaylie and Zoey were practically sisters from another mother. I couldn't let Heather's case go cold. I could only imagine what that would do to Kaylie's family and to Kaylie. Losing a sister at that age would break her heart and likely destroy her family.
I added, "We don't have a login to the dating site, but maybe her best friend does. But even without the login, we could still check the site for anybody named Harry in the area. We also know where she was meeting him. We could go to the restaurant and question the staff and find out if Heather or Harry ever showed up."
"All right, let me talk to my boss and see what we can do. You guys wait here."
Facing Heather's parents, I said, "We will find Heather. I promise you."
Bridget frowned. "I just can't believe this happened to our Heather. What else can we do? I feel so helpless."
"Between the police and myself, we will find Heather." I wouldn't let Heather fade into history like what had happened to too many missing women, specifically Daniela, Aria, Iris, Raquel, Willow, and Layla.
The officer returned with whom I guessed was his lieutenant or superior officer. "Hello, my name is Lieutenant Orgeat. Officer Fay was telling me we have a missing person. Is that correct?"
Bridget and Tom nodded.
"Come back to my office and we can talk this through," Lieutenant Orgeat said.
Bridget shook her head. "But we've already talked everything through with Officer Fay. What else can we say? Here's all the details." She took the list of information from the counter and handed it to Lieutenant Orgeat.
Although I understood her frustration, I also knew they would ask her the same questions several times over the coming hours and days. It was no fun, but the questioning was important. "Bridget, it's okay. It's frustrating, but it's normal. You may have several people asking the same questions over and over until we find her, but we will find her." I glanced over at Lieutenant Orgeat and Officer Fay. They didn't look like they liked that I was making promises on their behalf.
"We will do everything we can. Now please follow me back to my office. And, ma'am, who are you?" Lieutenant Orgeat asked.
"I'm a family friend and private investigator. I'm here to help the family in any way I can to make sure we bring Heather home."
"All right. Follow me, please."
We followed him back to his office. Bridget and Tom sat while I leaned up against the wall. "According to your notes, ma'am, it says that your daughter, Heather, was meeting a boy last night, someone named, Harry, at Vargas Pizzeria in Concord. Is that right?"
"Yes, that's what her best friend and roommate, Sharon, said. Sharon called us when she didn't come home after the date, and she couldn't get a hold of Heather on her cell phone. This isn't like Heather. Not at all. "
Skepticism spread across Lieutenant Orgeat's face. "She's never done anything like this before?"
"Never," Bridget proclaimed.
"Okay. We'll go down to Vargas Pizzeria and try to find any witnesses that may have seen Heather or Harry last night. We'll also put out a BOLO on her vehicle. What was she driving?"
"It's on the paper. She was driving a silver Toyota Corolla," Bridget said.
Lieutenant Orgeat pointed to the sheet of paper. "Is that correct?"
"Yes, and that's the license plate number."
"Perfect. We'll put out the BOLO on the license plate number and an APB for any woman matching your daughter's description."
Bridget shook her head. "I don't know what that means."
"That means that we're doing everything we can to locate the car and your daughter. Like Ms. Monroe said, we'll do everything we can to find her, and fast. You're right to come down as quickly as you did. It looks like you're very prepared. That helps a lot. Now, I'll assemble my team and get all this information inputted. In the meantime, it's best for you to go home and wait by the phone and hope she calls or comes home."
"Will you give us updates?" Bridget asked.
"Yes, we'll call as soon as we find anything."
Lieutenant Orgeat impressed me. Was it because Heather's family was well-to-do and white, or was he simply an outstanding police officer? For now, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt that he was good police.
Lieutenant Orgeat looked over at Officer Fay and started commanding the actions he’d detailed to Heather's family.
He knew exactly what to do to find a missing person. I felt slightly better about the situation, but there was still something in my gut that wouldn't settle.
"Do you have any questions?" Lieutenant Orgeat asked.
Bridget and Tom mumbled, "No."
"Okay then, we have some additional questions and paperwork. Officer Fay will take you into an office to get it completed."
They nodded and followed Officer Fay out of the office.
I stayed back with Lieutenant Orgeat. "Is there anything I can do to help? Finding missing persons is one of my specialties. I'm currently working a missing person's case with the CoCo County Sheriff's department—you might have seen it on the news."
"Are you the one working with Hirsch on the cold case of the three missing women?"
"Yep, that's me."
"I thought so. I think my team can handle it and it’s our jurisdiction not the CoCo Country Sheriff’s Department, but if there's any input you want to give us, we're more than open to your feedback. You have quite a reputation, Ms. Monroe."
"Thank you. Heather is the older sister of my daughter's best friend. I can only imagine what this will do to their family if we can't find her..."
"I have an excellent group of detectives. I'm putting this as a top priority for my team. I think the best thing you can do right now is to be with the family. Try to keep them calm and walk them through the process like you've been doing. It's been a big help so far."
I agreed. "All right."
"I didn't want to ask in front of the parents, but is there any way this is related to your case—considering there's a personal connection to you and your daughter?"
I shook my head. "There doesn't seem to be any similarities other than her appearance. She looks an awful lot like the other missing women, but the circumstances couldn't be more different. She doesn't match any of the other criteria that connects the other women. But..."
"I sense hesitation."
"It's just a feeling, nothing logical, but I can't shake that it is related."
"If you don't mind sharing details, what are the other similarities with the missing women?"
"Well, they're all aspiring actresses and had the same talent agent. You may have seen in the news that the agent, Jordan Starr, died recently. Also, they were all treated at Delta Hospital's eating disorder clinic. But Heather was an English major at Holy Names University. She was always an excellent student, not an aspiring actress. From what I recall, she's always been a little on the quiet side and doesn't like to be in the spotlight. And I certainly don't think she ran away. Kaylie, Heather's sister, is eight years old. She wouldn't have left Kaylie. Despite their age difference, they are very close. I think it's the reason Heather went to college close to home. Without traffic, HNU is only a twenty-five-minute drive from her parents’ house to her college."
"Maybe we shouldn't close out the possibility it's related. Maybe somebody is giving you a warning."
That was what I feared most. At times, my job was dangerous not just for me, but for those near me too. But for them to go after Heather, they had to have been watching my house. I certainly hoped not, and it didn't seem likely, but I couldn't rule out the possibility. "I hope that isn't the case, but I'll meet up with Hirsch and let him know what's going on with Heather's case."
"Please know we're open to sharing information with you and Hirsch. More eyes are always better."
"I appreciate that, sir, and know we'll do the same."
"Godspeed," he said.
I waved to Lieutenant Orgeat and met up with Heather's parents. As they continued to answer questions, I coached them through it and hopefully calmed their nerves. They were literally amid their worst fears. A missing a child was the worst thing you could ever experience as a parent. The not knowing where your child was and if they were safe or hungry, or buried underground, it was more than most could take. I needed to find Heather, and fast.
34
Detective Hirsch
Parked at the bottom of the driveway, I stepped out of my vehicle and glanced back at the small country road and then up at the farm directly above. In front of me was a gray ranch-style home and to the right was a red barn. It was quiet. The only sounds were of the rustling leaves and chirping of birds. The landscape included plenty of mature oak and walnut trees. There weren't any animals in sight, but I thought maybe they were in the barn or somewhere else on the farm. The property was beautiful, and I could immediately understand why Kinsey had retired to his family's farmhouse. It was peaceful, like the kind of life that you imagine when you're a police officer but can't quite picture it because the day-to-day job was full of such chaos and darkness.
I continued up the steep gravel driveway and made my way to the front door of the home and knocked. I hadn't called ahead, intending to have the element of surprise, so I wasn't sure that Kinsey was home or if there was anyone else living with him on the property.
I definitely thought he was hiding something. I just wasn't sure what it was. Making the trek out to Byron, I hoped to catch him off guard so he wouldn't have a prepared statement ready. Although if Kinsey was slick enough, he would always have an answer for whatever he was trying to cover up.
No footsteps approached the door. Maybe nobody was home. I leaned over to peer into the windows, but the shades were drawn. I continued walking around the house, trying to find any signs of life. Maybe Kinsey was sleeping? It was 10:00 AM, but maybe now that he was retired, he slept as late as he wanted. That would explain why the shades were drawn.
If this was my home, I would have the windows wide open, letting the sunshine beam into the house, letting the outdoor scenery become my artwork. Continuing around to the garage, I found it to be closed up as well. Bummer. The ninety-minute drive would be in vain. It was a long way to drive to return empty-handed. But that was the job.
I turned around and trekked toward the barn. If nobody was home, nobody would mind, right? The barn was
crimson and, from the looks of it, freshly painted. It was quite idyllic, like a painting. Ten yards from the barn, I froze when I heard the crack of a branch. I turned toward where the noise was emanating from. A man stood there with short, dark hair, blue eyes, and a well-built physique. "Can I help you with something?" The man asked before stepping closer.
My hand instinctively went to my hip, where my service weapon sat. "My name is Detective Hirsch. I'm looking for Sergeant Jeff Kinsey. Is he home?"
"No, he's not home."
"Do you live here too?"
"Yes."
"And you are?"
"I'm his son."
"Oh, okay. I work at the Coco County Sheriff's Department where your father retired from."
"Is this a social call?"
"Kind of. I'm working on one of his old cases and had a few questions for him. He knows me. We had lunch just yesterday."
"Well, he's not home right now. I'll let him know you stopped by."
"Do you mind if I look around, since I'm here?"
"Do you have a search warrant?"
"No, I was just curious. I've never been on a working farm before. Do you have animals here?"
"We don't have any animals. I mostly grow vegetables, that kind of thing."
Why couldn't I look around? Maybe his father had always warned him to let nobody in your house without a warrant? Maybe. "Well, I'm sorry to disturb you. Maybe I'll try again later."
"All right, I'll let my dad know you were here."
"Thanks. I didn't catch your name?"
"Rhett."
"All right, well, Rhett, it was nice meeting you. Have a nice day now." I turned and walked back toward the main house and driveway.
The original vibes I had about the property were that it was peaceful and serene. Now, some other less natural feelings were flooding through me. Something wasn't right at the farm.
Slowing my steps to buy time, halfway to the driveway, I glanced around and watched as Rhett entered the main house. I waved, trying to appear friendly and not suspicious. I'm not sure it worked. I continued down the driveway and heard the motorized sound of a garage door lifting open. Out of instinct, I looked over and saw Rhett Kinsey standing at a tool bench next to a blue Ford Bronco.
