Chapter 27: Chapter 27: The Missing Girl (1)

“Yeah, I’m heading there right now. Any idea on what I should do?”

“Just talk to her, if she didn’t come to me or her parent’s it’s probably something she’s too afraid or ashamed to talk about with someone she knows. Whoever they are, they seem pretty important to her, I’d help out but I’m busy.”

“Yeah, look. I’m almost at the place, I’ll call you back when I learn more.”

Walking up to a cafe, John looks around. It’s in a relatively upscale area, marble instead of concrete with an aesthetic that can be described as German or French. Reminiscent of the Second Empire Style or Napoleon.

John whistles as he looks at it.

“Been a while since I’ve been at a place like this.”

He heads inside, the Cafe itself is a relatively relaxed environment, nice decoratives and calm atmosphere, people are sitting together as they seem to be grabbing drinks and lunch. John looks around as it’s predominantly filled with a richer clientele.

Wearing athletic wear, John seems out of place as a barista looks over at him.

“I’ll be with you in a bit.” A female says.

A few point at him, as his eyes stop at a darker skinned individual who’s wearing shades as she looks over at him, for trying to be inconspicuous, she stands out in the room. Cringing to himself, John makes his way over as he sees her wave towards him to approach.

Not saying anything, he sighs as he sits down beside her.

She weirdly looks around as it attracts attention.

A barista walks over carrying two sandwiches and a coffee towards them.

“Two club sandwiches and a black venti coffee.”

She places them in front of them as Destiny looks over at John. John notices her glances as he looks up at the barista who puts down the items onto the table.

“Thank you, could I get a cup of water?” John asks as she looks over.

“Sure.” The barista says walking away.

Destiny looks at him as she takes a sip from her cup.

John pretends to ignore it as more people look over at them. He grabs the sandwich and begins to eat it as the others around him begin to speak.

“Think it’s his mistress?” A voice whispers.

Destiny leans onto the table.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” Destiny asks.

“I don’t know. Is there?” He replies back.

The barista makes her way back with a glass of water as John looks over at her with a smile, the people around them look away as they mind their own business.

“Thank you.” John says.

He sighs as he continues to enjoy his meal while Destiny just watches.

“Isn’t it a little hot in here?” John asks.

Destiny looks around and sees as people are looking over at her.

“I get it.” Destiny replies, taking off her strange disguise.

“So, how’s your day been? Uneventful?” John asks. Destiny looks back around to see that the others around them are slowly beginning to lose interest in them.

“Are you going to help me or not?” She says.

“Depends.”

“I’ve got the money if that isn’t clear.”

John shakes his head at her.

“Don’t want it, just want to ask a few questions before we go any further.”

Destiny thinks to herself.

“If it’s why I haven’t asked Jamar, it’s private and doesn’t need to involve him.” Destiny says while looking away.

“You realize that he’s my best friend, right?”

Destiny looks back as she turns to John, who smiles when he sees her face.

“I’d prefer it, if you did it without him.”

“Alright, let’s say I agree, still have a few more questions to ask you.”

“Go ahead.” Destiny says.

“Staying out of trouble? I can’t help but notice what you were wearing.” John asks. Destiny hides her face as if not wanting to say anything.

“It’s complicated.”

“Hmm… For someone from the right part of town, it’s interesting to see.”

She looks up at him.

“Are you saying there’s a wrong part of town?”

“Can’t say. But I don’t know many places that sell Club Sandwiches.”

Destiny pauses as she looks back at John.

“Yeah, it’s got to do with that. My past mistakes, alright? What do you want my entire life story?”

John doesn’t reply, finishing his sandwich he takes a moment to drink some water.

“I’m assuming whoever they are, you two were close?”

“Like a sister to me.”

John laughs.

“Does a sister-”

“No, it’s not like that. I met her after I started working for the club.”

John thinks to himself as he looks at his drink, setting it down, he turns his attention towards Destiny who looks away from him. Thinking for a bit, he sighs.

“Alright, tell me more about her.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything. Anything. I guess… A name to start would help.”

Destiny pulls out her phone as she begins to scroll through it, John looks over as he waits. She begins to type something into it as she moves the phone to show him a picture. On it, we see Destiny in a hostess outfit with a Latina woman who seems to be in her early to mid 20s.

“That’s her, her name is Lucia.”

Moving his head forward to get a better look, John stares at her phone.

“Lucia, huh.”

“Does she have a last name?”

“Rodrigeuz.”

“Mmm… Well, that narrows it a lot.” John says.

“Really?”

“No. So, tell me if you can. What happened to Lucia?” John asks.

“I- I don’t know. We- Were texting and then suddenly she just didn’t text back.” John raises his eyebrows as he looks at her.

“Have you tried contacting people that know her?”

She nods.

“They don’t know where she went, it’s like she just disappeared.”

On the verge of tears, John raises his hand.

“It’s okay.” John says.

“We tried going to her place, but she didn’t answer.”

“Alright, I get the picture now. I’ll go check out her place and see if I can find anything before that. Is there anything else I need to know? Did she owe money to anyone or is there anyone that didn’t like or did?”

“She had a few regulars but they were mostly harmless.”

“Mostly?”

 

---

 

“Looks like this is the place.”

Walking up to a shoddy apartment complex, John looks over at Ben who looks around.

“Looks like a crack den.” Ben comments.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I used to come across these when I’d go exploring around the city as a kid.”

“No, shit?”

“It’s just what it is.”

“Ah, sorry. Forgot you don’t understand sarcasm.”

John walks forward as Ben looks over at him. He follows behind as they enter into the complex, looking over at the various floors, John makes his way towards the stairs.

“I get the feeling you don’t really like me.” Ben says.

“Well, you’re here aren’t you?”

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“Mmm…” Ben says.

They walk up the stairs together as John looks at the floors as he does, the hallways are a mess as at times random stains of blood and piss can be seen on walls and on the floor, sometimes doors are crossed out as others have bags of trash just thrown outside.

“Quite the place isn’t it?” John says.

“I’ve seen worse.”

John sighs.

“What’s wrong?” Ben asks.

“Nothing. Just nothing at all.” He replies.

Reaching the 11th floor, John stops as he looks down two hallways, he reads the numbers as he begins to walk down one of them, Ben follows closely behind him as he makes his way towards a door, gesturing at Ben, he looks over at him.

“Think you can get this open?” John asks.

Ben walks forward as he looks at the lock.

“Seems easy enough.” Talking out a basic lockpick, he sets it in and almost instantaneously wiggles it around as a click can be heard on the other end.

“Every time I see it. I’m impressed.” John says.

“Thanks, we- we’re doing this to find somebody right? Not just breaking and entering into some random person’s home, right?” Ben looks at John looking for affirmation.

“Yeah, a missing girl. This should be her place.”

John begins to open the door.

“Maybe I can help, if you give me her name I’ll look around my cyberdeck for her.”

“That’s a good idea. Name’s Lucia Rodriguez.”

“There’s like a couple million people with that name alone in this place.” John says.

“That’s not a problem.”

John looks around the apartment as Ben opens up his cyberdeck. The lights are off as he steps inside, Ben follows behind him as John finds a switch, he flicks it on.

Right next to them, there are several fur coats in the closet as John walks deeper inside, it’s another studio apartment, the kitchen is a complete mess as things are just scattered around the ground as well. Ben stays by the entrance as he closes the door.

“Looks like somebody searched through this place.” John comments.

He sighs as he walks towards the kitchen.

A pile of mail is laying on the table as John picks a couple up as he searches through them, nothing but junk mail. Throwing them aside, he continues to walk around.

John walks towards her bed, it’s a relatively cheap and plain looking bed.

Looking around it, his eyes stop next to a metallic night stand. Seeing a faint light come out from it, John walks over. Opening it up, he takes out a smartphone that’s next to a stack of condoms, on it, a low battery warning. As he takes it out, several messages begin to rapidly beep and vibrate. Ben looks over as John looks at it.

“What the-” John says.

“The night stand probably acts like a faraday cage.” Ben comments.

“A what?”

“No signal.” Ben finishes.

“Oh.” John looks at the phone as he sighs.

“Looks like she didn’t take it with her, wherever she went.” John says.

John takes out his phone, as he begins to dial someone, it’s Jamar.

“Yo, what’s up?” Jamar answers.

“Hey, I’m at the missing girl’s place with Ben. It doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in a while. Found her phone in the nightstand but that’s it. Place is a mess though, like someone was looking for something in a hurry.”

“Huh, any signs of forced entry?” Jamar asks.

John looks over in Ben’s direction as Ben awkwardly looks back as he looks over.

“No, it was locked when we got here, doesn’t look like they went through much though, mail wasn’t touched or anything.”

“Mmm… Try seeing who she’s been in contact with.”

“Good idea, thanks.”

“No problem, gotta go.” Jamar replies.

“See you later.”

“You too.”

John hangs up the phone as he looks down at it then towards Ben who’s searching away.

“Well, you were right. Going by name alone, there’s literally thousands of people named that in the city alone.” Ben says, sighing. John walks over to him and pats him on the shoulder. He checks the phone as he looks at the time.

“You hungry? I know a shop around here where we can get something to eat.”

“Sure.” Ben replies.

“Right, here. Take this, it’s the girl’s phone. You’d probably be better than me at finding any clues on the thing. Not really tech savvy like you are.” John says.

“Yeah, I took a few computer forensics classes in college.”

“Really? What was that like?”

“A bunch of fun scenarios, things like geolocation and date time.”

“Uh, huh.” John says as he pushes Ben along as they walk out of the apartment, John gives it one last look back as he closes the door.

 

---

 

Sitting in front of a traditional ramen shop, John and Ben sit next to booths beside each other. The sun is setting as the shop is relatively busy, one of the many vendors on the street serving a variety of foods from various cultures, yet seemingly all following the same structure as the ramen shop in design but not aesthetic.

Raising a modular wall, John looks over at Ben who’s at the other end.

“You’re gonna love it here, it’s a bit pricier than most places but the food quality is something else.” John says.

“I hear in Japan they have free food for anybody who needs it.” Ben says.

“Guess it’s just one of the perks of being part of one of the largest empires in the world. Anyways, when you’re ready to order, just press on the screen up there. I already know what I want so I’ll wait until you’re ready.” John says.

“Thanks.” Ben says as he begins to look at the menu.

“Oh, and pick whatever you want, it’s my treat.”

John rests his arms on the table as he waits, around them, people on electric bikes and scooters can be seen moving about as people walk around, looking at brightly lit up shops that try their best to showcase their foods, some people stop to stare at wax sculptures as others walk into other venues.

People speak various languages as they pass by, others try and point at what they want. John looks over at Ben who’s still deciding to himself as he stares at a menu that’s mainly numbers and pictures. He looks over at John.

“You ready?” John asks.

“Yeah.”

“Alright, I’ll put it in for you, which one?”

“I’ll have a number 3 combo.”

“Shrimp Tempura and Shoyu Ramen? Not bad.” John says inputting it.

“As for me, I prefer Takoyaki and Miso Ramen.”

John swipes a card to pay as a chime plays. Then a robotic voice speaks in Japanese.

“Thank you for your order.” It says. As a visual of a person bowing can be seen.

“Never had this before.”

John looks over at Ben as he scoffs in surprise.

“Really? Lived your whole life here and never had ramen before?”

“I mean the cheap stuff, but not like this.

John nods.

“Yeah, I get it. Personally. Never even tasted any of the good stuff until I joined the military, hah. I remember what they called it, our last meal. After that, I’ve been chasing after it.”

“After what?” Ben asks.

John looks over as he smiles.

“It’s nothing.” He replies.

A Japanese chef appears with their food as he begins to open up the hatch in front of them as they look over at him. The chef begins to put the dishes in front of them as they move their arms out of the way for him.

“Thanks.” John says.

Without saying a word, the chef closes the hatch as they look over at their food.

Grabbing their eating utensils they begin to eat.

Sitting beside each other, they silently eat together as John looks over at Ben who’s on his cyberdeck while he eats. Looking over at it, he sees Ben going over various maps and routes along with pictures and texts with others.

“Find anything?” John asks.

Ben looks over as he finishes a shrimp tempura.

“Yeah, a lot actually.” He replies.

“Great, we can check it out when we’re done eating.” John says.

Continuing to eat, John looks over again.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“You did good.” John says, patting him on the shoulder.

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