Page 18 of Dad's Cop Buddy

“I don’t live there anymore.”

“And, conveniently, your new home doesn’t have a place for your own offspring. I get it. You might not want to but you will call her and check on her. That’s not a request. It’s an order.”

“Or what?”

“Do you really want to go there with me, Tom? Call your fucking daughter!” I raise my voice and end the call.

I don’t care who he is. Nobody mistreats my girl without having to face my wrath. He will call her and act like he gives a damn about her or I’ll be paying him a visit. This might be the end of our friendship but I don’t care. Any man who could discard his child for a woman isn’t a friend I’ll miss.

10

THE SINISTER MR. SANDERS

KENT

My meeting with the Mayor and City Council starts out as a real yawn session. Nothing ever happens in this town so I don’t have very much input.

“All’s relatively quiet, Your Honor.”

“Crime is at an all-time low this year and still trending down.”

All that’s left is to open the floor to the few residents in attendance. They generally come up to complain about tax rates and to resolve disputes over property lines, but this time, a middle-aged couple catches my eye. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them before, and they have a deep, agonizing sorrow in their eyes.

The man holds his wife tightly by the waist and walks her to the microphone where he begins, “Mr. Mayor, as you already know, my daughter disappeared from your college campus nearly three years ago. To date, she hasn’t been found and no suspects have been arrested. We drove six hours to be here today because we heard that you had a new police chief. Tell me, has he been made aware of our case and is it still active?”

I look at the mayor and await his answer. This is the first time I’ve heard anything about this missing girl. Why wouldn’t he have told me?

“As you know, Mr. Miller, your daughter's case was turned over to the FBI six months after her disappearance. Our local force has not been actively working on the case. I’m sorry, but this is a matter between you and the Federal liaison that was assigned to you.”

“I understand,” the man’s voice shakes as he tries to remain poised and polite, “but respectfully, don’t you think that your force, being closer to the matter, might have more luck…”

Yes, sir. I agree completely. What the hell is wrong with this mayor? This department wastes taxpayer dollars on funding a force that helps old ladies cross the street and writes parking tickets. Why wouldn’t he have us pursuing this case?

“The law is the law, Mr. Miller, and we have to follow policy and protocol,” the Mayor replies but I bust in.

“Excuse me, sir. I’m Chief Kendrickson. I’ll be happy to speak with you once we adjourn.”

The man smiles and pulls his wife tighter to his hip, “Thank you, Sir. Thank you.”

My comment is met with a sour look from the mayor, but I wink and nod my head at him. As the meeting adjourns, he corners me before I can get off the stage.

“What’s that about, Kent? You can’t put your nose in an FBI investigation.”

“Are they even investigating? I’ve had no agents in my office. I’ve had no calls to detain or question suspects. Did they bury it?”

“I don’t know because it’s not my problem. It’s theirs. Frankly, the quieter they are, the happier I am. We don’t need enrollments dropping because parents are afraid for their children’s safety.”

“So, screw this missing girl and her parents?”

“That’s not what I said. I said the FBI has the case.”

“Are you aware that I’m currently investigating a stalking case? A female student is being harassed and stalked by a former campus police officer. He’s disappeared. If I knew about this other case, I could have shared this information with the FBI, and maybe, just maybe, we’d find out that we were looking for the same guy!”

“I didn’t know because you didn’t mention it. Why didn’t it come up at the meeting?”

“You’re the one who wants to keep these things hush-hush. Should I have announced it at a town council meeting?”

“Well, no, but I don’t want you mentioning it to those parents, either. They can’t leave here thinking that we’ve allowed a kidnapper to stroll around campus for three years.”

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