The entry opened into the foyer which was dominated by a grand staircase in the center and a mirrored chandelier which reflected the light from the other room the family was gathered in. The officer lead them to the kitchen, there was a tired looking man with short greyed hair leaning against the counter, he was looking at his wife, a clearly frazzled and distraught blonde woman who was sitting at the table with an untouched cup of coffee in front of her, she was tapping on the table anxiously. A few seats down a preteen boy was also at the table, he was staring blankly ahead while an officer, presumably the partner of the patrol officer who had answered the door for them, was asking him routine questions.
“These are Julia’s parents. Roger and Lynn Charles, and her brother, Sean.” Naya bowed her head in greeting as she made their acquaintance. She opened her mouth to introduce herself, but Atlas spoke first.
“I’m detective Atlas, and this is Detective Largusa, we will be the lead detectives in charge of finding your daughter.” Roger ventured forward and shook both of their hands. The officer who had answered the door filled two cups with coffee from a pot on the counter and handed them each one.
“We were just discussing if their daughter has any reason she would leave home without calling, to say, go to a friend’s house,.” The officer at the table shared.
“And like I told them, that Julia isn’t like that. She’s a good kid, committed to her grades and cross country, so much so she doesn’t even have a boyfriend. She would have no reason not to tell us where she was going!” Lynn sobbed.
Naya glanced at Atlas. They hadn’t known each other more than a day, but she could tell he was having the same thought as her. Just because a teenager said she didn’t have a boyfriend, didn’t necessarily mean it was true.
“What about friends, does she have any she may spend the night with?” Naya prodded, as she jotted notes on her phone.
“Yes. She has her best friend Becca, but we know her parents and we called there earlier. Becca was already in bed. I mean, it’s a school night, neither of the girls would try to have a sleep over on a school night!”
“Not to be disrespectful, but did Becca’s parents actually check the room to ensure Becca was sleeping? Just to make sure there wasn’t a mix up of some sort and maybe she is there?” Atlas asked.
Lynn nodded frantically. “They even woke Becca up! They’re worried too.”
“Okay, can you go over your daughters running route with me?” Naya slid in the chair next to Lynn and pulled up a map on her phone.
“That’s the thing,” Lynn lamented. “Roger and I are both runners ourselves, and it isn’t safe to run the same path every night, so we’ve always instilled that knowledge in her. So other than her starting and ending here, Julia was instructed to always switch up her routine. She could have been running any route, there’s endless possibilities.”
They were certainly right about that if that was the case, they would have to formulate a plan. “Does she have any favorite routes, maybe?” Naya asked.
Atlas was listening to the exchange from behind Naya and Lynn.
“Well, she would run on busier streets at night, they’re more well-lit and safer. During the day she would often run by the creek, but because she left so late tonight since she had a lot of homework, I can’t imagine she would run out that way where it would be empty, or on any unlit roads.”
Naya turned her head and she and Atlas locked eyes, Atlas swiftly stepped from the room to make some calls and see what they could do about getting an Amber alert out. Julia was technically eighteen, but because she was still in high school and lived with her parents, they might be able to push the envelope on the timelines.
“Does Julia have a car?” Naya inquired as she turned back to Lynn.
For the first time, Roger spoke up before his wife could “Yes, she has a black Jetta. It’s in the driveway.”
“Does she use the car to go out often?” Naya continued taking notes.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Challenged Lynn.
“I’m sorry, let me clarify . Would Julia often use the car to meet up with friends? Or do they usually pick her up?”
“Oh , well, most of kids in this neighborhood have cars by Julia’s age, so I suppose both? But I’ve been trying to tell you detective, my daughter doesn’t go out much. She’s really focused on trying to get a scholarship for college for cross country. When she does go out, it’s on Saturdays and it’s usually with Becca. They usually go to the mall.”
Naya conceded, she wished Atlas wasn’t on the phone as he would know more about the area than she did to ask more about the possible routes the girl would have taken. “Can you show me your daughters’ room?”
Lynn assented and grabbing another tissue she stood from her chair and lead Naya to the stairs. “Do you think someone… grabbed her?”
Naya took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and broached the subject delicately. “Well first, Mrs. Charles, we must evaluate all possibilities, such as that your daughter simply forgot to communicate with you that she is with a friend or at some sort of event. Then there is also the possibility that she simply fell and twisted her ankle or something of that nature and her phone is dead ---”
“That would never happen! Julia was addicted to her phone. She never let the battery get below twenty percent. And she certainly wouldn’t go running with it below half! She wouldn’t be able to listen to her music then...”
Naya smiled, keeping her tone understanding she continued. “Yes, I understand that, but we still have to make sure. And then yes, we will also look at the possibility that perhaps someone picked her up.” Lynn looked at her with terrified eyes and Naya quickly tried to reassure her. “That doesn’t have to be anything malicious, there’s a possibility that someone she knew saw her running and maybe they offered her a ride or something.” She knew it was a stretch, but she was trying to not scare the poor woman, she was already a wreck.
Lynn opened the first door in the hallway to reveal a lavender walled room. Clothes littered the floor and the walls were covered with band posters and several pictures of two teenage girls, who Naya assumed was Julia and her friend Becca.
Naya slipped on a pair of vinyl gloves she took from her pocket and began to search for anything that might give her an idea where Julia was.
Nothing seemed out of place. The room was a mess, but the normal type of messy that came with being a teenager. A laptop was plugged in and sitting on the nightstand, a phone charger sat empty next to it. A bookbag was tossed across the bed. It certainly looked like Julia had planned to come back.
“What are you looking for exactly?” Lynn protested, a note of suspicion in her tone.
Naya shrugged. “Just making sure everything is in order.” She slid open the top drawer on the nightstand and combed through a hodgepodge of nail polish, hair ties, and notepads. There was nothing of interest. “What did your daughter normally take running with her?”
“Her phone and headphones, she for sure wouldn’t leave without those. And she would slip her ID and credit card in her fanny pack. Yeah, she ran with a fanny pack to carry her water bottles and gels.”
“Do you see any of those items here?” Naya motioned to the room.
Lynn glanced around, clearly looking in a few places where those items could usually be found. “No, I don’t see them. And she was definitely wearing her running clothes when she left.”
Naya agreed and turned to leave the room. “I don’t think there anything more I need from here.” Lynn’s whole body relaxed as the words left Naya’s mouth. It was clear that she was uncomfortable with Naya in her daughter’s room.
As they were going down the stairs, Atlas was on his way up. Their eyes met and Naya shook her head.
“Alright Mrs. Charles, thank you for your cooperation, the two officers here are going to stay with you in case she comes back. Please do your best to stay off the phone lines that your daughter would be the most likely to call in case she tries to
get through. Detective Largusa and I are going to start searching and we will check in later today, alright?”
Lynn nodded and yawned. She was visibly tired but probably wouldn’t sleep, a fear of missing something and nerves to be sure. Naya just hoped this case would be a classic case where the teen girl shows up in the morning and was just goofing off, but something about it didn’t feel right.
After agreeing to meet back at the station Naya and Atlas headed to their respective cars. She yawned as she slid behind the wheel, she was going to need to stop for a coffee on her way, because at this rate it was going to be a long night.
CHAPTER 5
NAYA
Naya startled awake as her phone buzzed on the bunk beside her. She grabbed it as she sat up and tried her best to straighten her work clothes while letting her eyes gradually focus on the screen. “Hello?” she sighed.
“Hello, Ms. Largusa? This is Home Health Care and my name is Mary. I am just calling to let you know we have found a placement for you. Would it be possible for you to meet him sometime this evening?”
Naya glanced at her watch, it was only eleven, but she had been at the precinct since before three in the morning. She was sure she would be permitted to go home for at least an hour at some point. “Yes, would five work?”
There was silence where the representative clearly muted Naya to consult with someone. “Yes, it does. His name is Derek, he will be at the address you gave us at five then?”
“Perfect. Thank you, have a good day.” Naya started to pull the phone away from her ear to hang up.
“Oh and Ms. Largusa?” interjected Mary.
“Yes?” She put the phone back to her ear.
“Keep in mind that we want him to be a good fit for you. If you don’t think he will work out please let us know, and we can try someone else.”
“Of course, thank you.” Naya replied as they both said their goodbyes and she finally got to hang up. Vance had always been an easy-going guy and Naya doubted he would put up much of a fight, just about anyone would be fine.
She smoothed her hair, pulled it back and glanced in the mirror by the door. She was a wreck, but when she had gone to take a nap an hour ago, the young Julia Charles had still been missing.
When she opened the sleep room door she was greeted by mass chaos in the precinct. People were darting every which way shouting and gesturing. Naya scanned the room for Atlas. She didn’t have to look hard because he was making a beeline for her, she met him halfway and they headed towards their desks.
“Good, you’re up. I was coming to get you.”
“What happened?” She quickly turned and grabbed her jacket from her chair. She would kill for a coffee right now but doubted there would be time. And the look on Atlas’ face told her he did not have good news.
“They found a body.”
Naya felt her shoulders drop. “Crap.”
Atlas nodded. “My thoughts exactly.”
They pulled up behind the coroner’s van on the side of a dirt road. They were in the eastern part of the state, almost an hour drive from Denver. The area was mostly farm land and consisted almost entirely of open fields and you could go miles without seeing a person. Definitely an easy place to dump a body without being seen. She could see several police cruisers on the other side of the road. Clouds covered the glittering sun, giving the entire scene a somber feel as Naya stepped from the passenger seat and took in her surroundings.
There was a ditch running along one side of the road and an embankment on the other, the embankment was covered with grass and held a fence marking the property line of whoever’s land it was. About twenty feet ahead of them a man was standing next to a red pickup truck, Naya was willing to bet that this was his property. She and Atlas walked a little ways into the field to where the crime scene techs were huddled. She pulled up Julia’s picture on her phone and held it up, for herself and Atlas. Unfortunately there was a strong resemblance.
“It looks to be her.” He said solemnly.
“I agree.” Naya whispered.
The techs looked busy, she didn’t want to disrupt them. She glanced back at the farmer a few paces ahead of them, on the road. “I’m going to go talk to him, we can get the details from these guys later.” She nudged Atlas.
He nodded and followed her.
“Hello!” Naya called once they were back on the road, the man turned towards them and waved as they approached. They quickly made introductions and it turned out that the man was a farmer as she had suspected most in the area would be. He had a local plot on which he raised wheat and had been the one to find the body. Atlas began asking him questions about how and when he discovered Julia’s body.
“I saw some hawks circling. And sometimes they do that you know? Especially when they see a large snake or rabbit. But there were several of them circling, at one point there were three. And hawks are solitary predators, so I knew something big had died, and I was a bit worried it was one of the cats I have on property to keep the mice at bay or someone’s livestock, ya know? So I drove out here, and the minute I saw it was a person I called the police.”
Atlas nodded. “Ok. And was she covered with anything when you found her?”
The farmer shook his head. “No, she was just as you see her now. She wasn’t covered or buried or anything, so I dialed 911 immediately.”
Naya was jotting down notes in her phone. “Did you check for a pulse or anything?”
“No. Didn’t need to, I’ve been around a long time, and the moment I saw her I knew she was dead. Didn’t look to have a drop of blood left in her.”
She made a note of that and figured she could check with forensics later. “Did you see anything else, any cars? People wandering around? Anything out of the ordinary?”
“No. But I’m a farmer, so although I’ve been up since the crack of dawn, I’ve been out in the fields working, not standing and watching the road.”
Naya nodded, pulled her card out of her pocket and handed it to the man. “Let me check with my associates, but I believe you’re good to go back to your work. Just call me if you think of anything else or notice anything else unusual.” The farmer nodded his agreement.
Naya turned to go back to the scene, when he suddenly cleared his throat. “The girl…she’s quite young?”
She knew immediately what the man was hinting at, she took a measured breath before turning around and putting on her most professional façade. “Yes sir. We still have to tell her family. But. If you would like more information you can certainly watch the news tonight.”
He nodded again, a scolded look on his face.
Naya resumed walking towards the body and the crime scene techs, Atlas keeping up with her every stride. When they were out of ear shot but still a few paces away from the huddle around the body he opened his mouth. “You were very efficient about deflecting that.”
She smiled, “You forget, I used to be sheriff. I had to give press conferences.”
“You said you didn’t move for career reasons?” He was prying but Naya wasn’t ready to share that part of her life with him yet.
“Yes, that’s correct.” Luckily they joined the group at the body with perfect timing, giving her the opportunity to drop the subject without being suspicious..
Atlas began talking to one of the techs who he seemed to have built a rapport with on past cases. “Cause of death?”
She shrugged. “Hard to tell. One thing I can say for sure is there’s hardly any blood.”
“As in it was a clean crime scene?”
“No, as in most of it is missing. Not all of it, but enough that the girl is as white as a sheet and I don’t see any dried blood at the scene. .She’s been so drained of blood, that had she been cut after I don’t think the wound would have bled.”
Atlas sent Naya a stunned glance which she mirrored before he continued his inquiry with the young tech. “Any other observations you can tell us?”
The coroner chose this moment to speak. �
��Well, I can tell you the time of death was between ten and eleven last night.”
“Damn.” Naya murmured. It didn’t matter how they worked the case. They were already too late by the time they had gotten to the Charles’ household.
They exchanged a few more words with the coroner and tech before turning away from the scene and walked back towards the car.
“What do you think?” She asked Atlas, scanning the horizon and contemplating the information they had gathered.
“I don’t like it. Not one bit. He only had her for a few hours. This was a cold, calculated murder. This wasn’t an opportunistic kill. I think he is going to kill again.”
Naya opened the door and slid into the passenger side, checking the time on her phone. She figured she could still make it in time for the Home Health Care meeting if she left directly from the station. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Hey, listen, I know this case is just getting rolling, but I really need a shower. Mind if I head home for a couple hours to freshen up and come back after?”
Atlas started the car. “Yeah, that’s no problem. I mean, the girl is already dead and I doubt our murderer will strike again so soon.”
“I agree, I just feel bad asking for a personal favor already.”
Atlas shook his head. “Don’t even worry about it. You forget, this isn’t the three man La Junta show anymore. There’s a whole team of detectives and assistants I can have help me build a board. Then you can take a look and we can adjust it when you get back.”
She felt a half smile brush her lips. He was right, she hadn’t considered that. “I guess I’m just so used to being on the clock all the time.”
“I noticed. But listen, I like to get to know my partner a bit if we are gonna work together and we got tossed on this before we could blink. So, mind if I ask you a few questions while we are stuck in the car anyway?”
“Sure.” The half-smile instantly disappeared from her face. “But nothing too personal.”
“Not too personal, okay, I can do that. One, how do you like your coffee?”
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