The Detective

"Detective Sanchez!" a young bright faced rookie officer called out with a file held tightly in his hand as he entered the room and walked to the front of the detectives desk. "I found more missing persons cases from this month!" He said almost too enthusiastically considering the context, but anything that could make him the tiniest bit more useful couldn't help but excite him. Especially in regards to Detective Sanchez who he admired so greatly.

The detective looked to the kid with his face grinning ear to ear and the innocent light in his pale blue eyes as she lightly grabbed the files from the officer.

"Great work." she told the boy, who sat there awkwardly after the exchange, almost like he wanted more. But the Detective was too focused on the files already opened before her. Twelve files. Twelve missing. Ranging in ages from 15 to 24, gender unrelated as men and women were both gone alike and neither person related on circumstance, relationship or physical appearance. All completely random. All completely, useless, at least when it came to finding a lead. The detective bit the end of her pen, a habit of hers from most her life, lost in thought as the pen touched her rosy pink lips. Almost like his presence left some weight to her or covered the light from her files she looked up to the young Officer. "Anything else?" she asked.

The young Officer hesitated. Paused in his stance as he looked into the detectives stern but delicate Brown eyes. "I've noticed—" the boy spoke in stutters and unease with each word. "The file I gave you marked the thirteenth person that's gone missing—" the boys posture began to fix itself as newfound sense of purpose has filled him, "I was curious if you needed me— to do anything that is, to help in the case." The boy gave an awkward light chuckle though his forehead was wet in sweat.

The Detective studied the boy before responding, seeing his badge and his name. "Robinson," — the name on the badge— "have you ever dealt with a missing persons case before?"

"No ma'am." Robinson said bluntly, "I just got commissioned here a couple weeks ago, mostly been doing paper work and street duty."

The detective studied him again, "Do you have any connections to any of the victims?" —the boy shook his head— "Well, without experience or a lead I think what you're doing now is plenty of help. But let me ask you this." —The boy stood straighter at the thought of being quizzed— "You're walking through the city and you hear a scream in an alleyway. what do you do?"

The boy hesitated like he didn't quite understand the question. "I'd do my best to help any way I can and conserve the peace. if there's a chance anyone needs help I'll do my best." He looked to the detective to see a hint of whether she liked his answers her or not but her face didn't change. Just a pleasant smile pen still kept tucked between her lips.

"And that," — she started to say— "is why you're better off out there than cooped up in here." Her smile grew wider flashing white teeth. "Keeping one more person from being one of these files is already more work than I could ask for. You're a good man. And a vital one. You can make more difference out in the field than you can in here." Her words seemed to touch the boy as he couldn't stop flashing a stupidly happy grin, but every word the detective meant with full confidence. The station had a handful of the good mixed with the bad when it came to it's officers. Usually the older ones gave up on the idea of helping others and are more so just making ends meet, and some were motivated by the status the badge gave, greed, power whatever the badge could supply. Those people made her sick to her stomach. Some officers were even known to have close connections with the surrounding gangs but always think they're untouchable. Robinson though was neither of them. He was one of the good ones.