Newly Old Crime

“Could you pass me those documents?” I say to my mom beside me, ruffling through some papers on the desk. She picks up a paper with smudges and hands it to me. It reads, “Donavan Price: Suspect”. This Donavan guy was the main suspect of an unsolved murder case in 2012. And yet, here we are. We haven’t found much information on him yet, but I have been researching with my mom for a while. Going through these countless crimes has been exhausting. Fortunately this is the last one we’ll have to take care of for a while. “Viera, did you find anything?”. “Not yet.” I said, whilst scanning through the paper in front of me. I continue going down the paper, following with my finger and notice something marked. “Suspect was last seen November 12th 2024.” That was last month. Finally, something helpful. I check the clock and realize it’s nearly 1 AM. I really need to sleep. Being a detective isn’t exactly fun and games.

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I wake up in my office and check the time. Nearly 7. I normally wouldn’t have to start this early but I had a late start yesterday and still have a lot of work to do. I quickly get dressed and grab my coat from my closet. I head downstairs where my mother greets me. “Good morning, how did you sleep?”. She asked me, mid yawn. “Decently.” She hands me a cereal bar and says “You have a lot to do today. See you later.” I wave on my way out and start walking to the market. My mom works almost nonstop, which leaves me with the shopping list. It doesn’t really bother me anymore, as I’ve grown used to it. I’ve also decided to grab a present for my grandparents. Their 38th anniversary is this week. The bell on the door chimes as I walk into the market. The owner, Mrs. Raymond, waves me over for a hug. I’ve been going to this market since I was around 8 years old. “How have you been Viera?”. She said, with a big smile plastered on her face. I respond with “Good, thank you!” I tell her I have to hurry and she lets me go. I pick up some fruits and vegetables and head over to the dairy aisle. I take a few yogurts and a carton of milk. I say goodbye to Mrs. Raymond and head down the street. As I cross, I see caution tape and quickly stop. Was that there last week? I decide to shrug it off and drop some packages at the post office. The employee looks at me with a worried look on his face. “What’s wrong?” I asked, while he picks up a newspaper. “That caution tape outside is new, but it isn’t the first time I’ve seen some.” He then hands the newspaper to me and points to an article. It reads, “A twelve year old child by the name of Angelina has been missing since Friday morning. If you have seen her, please contact the local police department.” I sat in disbelief. Again? That’s the fourth missing case this month. Something has to be going on.

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I head back to my house briefly to grab my bike. I then grab a coat. I hop on and ride for about 5 minutes or so and spot a sign. I stop for a second and check it out. It read, “Garfields Gifts and Trinkets”. I don’t think I’ve seen this before. I decide it might be interesting to check out. As I walk in I am greeted by a tall, around middle-aged man. I walk around a little and inspect some of the whimsical paintings and jewelry. Noticing a newspaper the man was reading, I walked over to the counter. “How can I help you?” he said with a smile. “I’m just curious about the newspaper you’re reading.” He looked puzzled at first but caught my drift and said “The latest issue is quite disturbing isn’t it? Kind of worrying, actually.” I nodded and told him about some of the newest crimes in the area and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Fourth this month? That’s a lot considering how small this area is.” I shrugged. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on. Luckily my mother is one of the best detectives around.” He chuckled and said, “I’m sure she is!”. He tells me his name is Carl and I give him mine and say goodbye. I wave and exit the shop getting back on my bike.