Good Intentions

LILY’S POV

I watch as Will walks into the kitchen and discreetly hands me an envelope. It has been sealed as I knew he would.
I place it on top of the refrigerator until I can privately place a letter I have written in it.
I see the men out and go to the bedroom and read over the letter making sure I have said enough but not too much.


To whom it may concern
I have in my possession someone who has gone missing. How he came to me is of no importance right now.
Inside you will find a letter to his mother. Please make sure she gets it.
Thank you.
Lily


Short,sweet and to the point.
I say a quick prayer over it before I send Meghan down to the box with it.
I have no idea how long it will take to get to the local authorities or how long from then until someone will show up at the door.




LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT


Deputy Millhof

I come into the office as with any other day. Go back to the coffee, pick it up and look at it, trying to judge by its color how long it has been sitting there and decide to make a new pot. I stand and wait on it and listen to some co-workers discuss their favorite teams rankings of the week. I hear the coffee stop dripping and pour a cup, black, and head back to my desk, ready to take it head on.

I sit down and on my desk is a padded yellow envelope addressed to the precinct why its on my desk is beyond me, I open it anyway.
I open it to find a letter and another white envelope addressed to Mum.
It strikes me as odd to see a letter addressed like that and I almost get a head of myself, but my brain sees the larger picture and slows me down.

I open the paper and read the short somewhat eery letter. I sit back and take it in and take the letter opener and slide the white envelope open to read its contents.
Taken back by what I have just read, I call the state police and tell them of what has come across my desk.

I am told not to touch anything, leave it as it is and do not let it leave my sight, the FBI is on its way.
I slide my chair back and take a deep breath in and look up as my boss takes a call, he’s looking directly at me as he talks to someone apparently about what has now made it to our lap.
I watch him as he hangs up and makes his way to my desk. He stop, looks down at it and turns it over using the tip of his ink pen.

For starters our precinct is tiny. It’s a one room building with cubicles, our “jail” rarely has anyone in it. The most we will have is a drunken dispute, so to actually have a missing person case is unheard of and to top it off, one of this magnitude, unprecedented.

No words are exchanged between us as he turns on his heals and heads back to his desk, picking up a receiver and making a call.

I sit and wonder how long I will have to sit and watch. My questions are answered when I am told the FBI will be arriving by jet in Bismark then, weather permitting, by helicopter, though I am not given an actual time line or ETA.
I call my wife and tell her I don’t know when I will be home, a large case has come to us and it came across my desk. I make sure she is safe with the kids and to call if she needs me or call the neighbors.

I don’t know what time it was but I heard the thumping of the helicopter blades in the field behind the station signaling their arrival.
I watched as my superior went out the back door to greet them. Shortly they return with a team of people followed by others carrying equipment we don’t have access to.
I stand up as two,wearing gloves, come to my desk and place the envelopes and letters in clear bags and head to the back where a makeshift lab is being set up.
The whole office stops and watches as tests are preformed and phone calls made. On our side its deathly quiet, their side, pandemonium. We watch as they communicate through the computers with others in Virginia, confirming the results of each test.

Everyone is at attention as a man heads to the front of the building and motions for me to follow. I get up from my chair and follow.
In step inside the office and I’m asked a few questions having to do with my morning and the steps taken in opening the letters. I tell them giving as much detail as I can, down to taking my coffee black. The man extends his hand and shakes mine telling me I’ve done a good job. I’ve yet to be told exactly what I’ve done.
I am dismissed to go back to my desk and see another team come in with two postal workers, one who picked it up and the one who delivered it. After they are questioned they are allowed to leave. I start wishing I could go home and go to bed.

“Millhof, do you want to be in on this or do wish to observe?”
I jump as if I had been shot, I’ve never gotten used to my superiors voice. “I’d like to be included sir.”
“Get your coat then, were headed to Bismark. Got some people to meet.”



LONDON –

I roll over and slap at my phone, wishing it would stop making that dreadful noise. I hear it so much during the day that at night, on personal time, it might as well be fingernails on a chalk board.
“Hello”
I hear a woman crying, I forgot to check the caller ID so I pull the phone away from my face and check it, It’s Anne.
“Anne, is everything all right?”
“They think they found him. I’m leaving now. He’s in North Dakota, or somewhere near there, or thats where they think he is.”
“Are you sure? Send me your flight info and I’ll meet up with you somewhere.”

I disconnect the call and get dressed while trying to text the boys to let the know they have a lead in the case. I don’t want to get their hopes up in case it doesn’t go as planned, so I tell them I will keep them informed.
I make the calls to the board and call the pilot, meeting him at the airport.

Notes