Choice

Chapter 13

I make my way up to the large house and eye the picture of the girl. I pound on the door and yell “POLICE!” the door opens and an older woman nods to me “yes?” I hold up the picture “do you know this girl?” The woman nods “my granddaughter?” I nod “may I come in?” She nods moving away and I enter the home. I look around “is your granddaughter home?” She shakes her head “no, she’s out with her boyfriend tonight.” I glance around the house at the large living room and turn back to the woman “can I see her room?” The older woman crosses her arms “what’s this about?”

I look down eyeing the picture “the Marbourne ripper.” I hear the woman “is, is my granddaughter okay?” I shake my head “I don’t know, I need to see her room.” The older woman leads me up the large stairs to a large bedroom. She looks around and turns to me and I nod “can I have a few minutes?” She nods “please take your time.” 

I walk into the room and stop hearing a familiar song begin to play. I walk towards the music opening the closed over laptop and eye the video in front of me as the black asterisk blinks on a white surface and the words My Boyfriends back blinks. As the song ends the words “wrong choice” appear and I curse to myself as I close over the laptop and pick up my radio “23.” I hear the dispatcher “go ahead 23.” I sigh “10-65 of one Sophia Atkins in progress please advise. Victim is 15 years old light brown hair, blue eyes possible next victim of the marbourne ripper.” The dispatcher responds “23, 10-4 all units keep eyes open for one Sophia Atkins, picture will follow.”

* * * 

I walk into the precinct eyeing my partner shaking his head as he stares over the wall of victims. I walk up next to him and eye the new hung picture and hear my partner “he got her.” He shakes his head “son of bitch, did it again.” My partner turns to me “what did Talmon say?” I shake my head “I haven’t heard from him, he just disappeared. I’m giving him a few more hours than may put out a missing persons on him.” My partner shakes his head laughing “its Talmon, isn't it?” I shake my head “we can’t be sure.” He laughs “it makes perfect sense he’s been playing us the whole time. He has no family left. I had the guys run a check it should be back any minute, someone adopted Talmon and his sister after his parents death.”

I feel my hand jilt slightly and turn back to the board trying not to show my nervousness to my partner. I hear a voice interrupt “we go it.” I watch my partner take the file, opening it as he leans back reading it. He nods reading out loud “his parents died when he was 16, he was adopted a month later by-” He closes the file not saying the rest out loud “Amanda?” I glance up and he motions to one of the empty offices and I follow behind him. He shuts the door over “I need to know everything, right now!” I shake my head “there’s nothing to know.” He shakes his head “don’t bullshit me if the captain sees this.” He holds up the file and throws it down on the desk “you will be off the case Amanda.” I shake my head “the captain wouldn't do that.” He turns to me “how can you be so sure?” I lean back against the desk “the captain knows.”

My partner crosses his arms “you sure?” I nod “yes, he had to do a whole background check before he hired me, he knows.” I watch my partner grip the file “you said you weren't close with Talmon?” I nod “I wasn't around when my parents adopted him. I was already gone for college. I only found out much later that it was Talmon who they adopted. I never even spoke to him not until my parent’s death and it was brief and not in person.”  My partner nods “what was it about?” I cross my arms “it was about my parents, about what happened, the fire, everything.” My partner raises an eyebrow “everything?” I look down “Talmon’s dad was a real winner a rich drunk he could get away with anything. He beat Talmon pretty bad and after a while Talmon stopped coming home. He would sleep over my parents place and after his parents death my family just took him in.”