I awaken abruptly. A sheet of paper clings to the side of my mouth from the drool. I swat it away in a slight panic before gaining my composure. “Fuck…” I let out, exasperated, as I bury my face in my hands. It happened again… That dream… That damn dream… It’s not always the same memories but it is always as visceral, always as suffocating.

I hear the sound of a door lock being rustled. Damn it, Benny’s gonna give me shit for falling asleep at my desk again. I quickly try to hide the drool stained page, untwist my clothes and look busy. The door closes as I hear the heavy steps of his dress shoes on the wood floors of our office. The spare room’s door opens and quickly shuts back with a sigh. Benny spins around into the doorway of my office and leans against the door frame. The dark pinstripe suit, perfectly cleaned and ironed, sits comfortably on his mobster-like frame. “Ya know… You keep that spare room for a reason Kay.” He says with a shit eating grin on his face.

“What? Oh? I’m just up early. Workin on that Sanders cold case.” I keep my eyes down, looking at the evidence… or lack thereof… before me. “Yeah?! You know we’re both private detectives right? You could at least try to give me a better warm up than that, if that’s what you’re goin for.” He scoffs as he takes a few steps in and takes a seat in one of the two chairs before me. “I don’t even know why you have your own apartment. You spend so much time here-”

~=BBZZZZZTTT-~

We both look down at my phone as it starts to vibrate.

~=BBZZZZZTTT-~

“Ah, and the universe answers my question.”

~=BBZZZZZTTT-~

I sigh and sit back in my chair as he looks up at me.

~=BBZZZZZTTT-~

“Was she cute?”

~=BBZZZZZTTT-~

I nod with a sheepish smile, “And sweet.”

~=BBZZZZZTTT-~

“Too sweet” I sigh 

~=BBZZZZZTTT-~

He shakes his head as the phone stops vibrating. “I never understand why they always try to call you.” He leans forward, with a chuckle of disbelief. I raise a knowing eyebrow at him. “Ok Ok. That’s fair, but still… I’ve been to the bar with you. You’re very forward about your intentions. I remember one time you flat out told a girl ‘This will be a one night stand, no exceptions.’ And she STILL tried to call you the next day. Makes no goddamn sense if you ask me.”

He shakes his head again as he stands up and leaves a white paper bag on my desk. “For me? You shouldn’t have.” I give a small thankful smile before he retorts “Yeah, Fresh Donuts.” I narrow my eyes and my expression goes cold. Benny raises his hands in surrender “I’m jokin, I’m jokin! It’s sausage rolls, you don’t think I don’t know my business partner?” He chuckles a bit as he walks out of the room “Sometimes I wish I didn’t know you so well.”

I’m left alone for the moment to snack on his gift of sausage rolls and try to piece together what I was doing before I passed out. The cold murder case of Amelia Sanders. Age 19, about 5’3, green eyes, shoulder length brown hair, cute, happy… or at least that’s what I inferred from all the information her parents gave me. Which was everything, photos, clothes, friends’ phone numbers, her laptop, everything. They were tired… a nice couple… but they looked like this ordeal has aged them significantly.

I know how they feel though, losing someone close, family. Then not being given answers, useless cops. Taking matters into your own hands… and getting next to nowhere. They’re desperate for an answer. Something other than “We think your daughter was murdered and her body dumped in the river… We do not have any suspects.” I’ll get them something… I have to, or all this work will feel wasted.

I’ll go to the crime scene today. I know it was over 5 years ago but they had to have missed something, they always do. The only evidence they found at the scene was blood… a lot of blood… way too much blood if you ask me… her blood, along with like 5 other people’s that they seem to chalk up to a coincidence, and her necklace. CCTV footage put her near the crime scene that night but didn't see anyone else in the area for hours around her presumed death. There’s a lot of mystery here, 5 years of mystery. I have my work cut out for me.

I stand up and shovel the case file into my bag and the last sausage roll into my mouth. I step over to the door and grab my leather jacket and helmet off the coat rack. “Benny!? I’m headed to the Sanders crime scene to see what ghosts I can find! Be back in a few-”

“No! Hold on!” I hear his chair slide out from under him in a panic before he appears in his office doorway. “I got a couple of appointments for new clients today.” He walks toward me and motions me back into my office. “You got a hot date with a desperate housewife looking to catch her husband cheating.”

I drag my feet back into my office and flop my jacket and helmet on the coat rack. “Aaauuuuggghhh” I groan like a child “I fucking hate the cheating cases, what did you get?”

He looks down at his feet “Missing person”

I narrow my eyes at him, “How old?”

“17”

“BENNY! You know our deal!”

“Yeah yeah! I know but I just wanted one! You know, one win… one feel good story.”

“No! You know our deal, I get any missing persons under 21. We made that deal when we founded this place together!”

“Oh come on Kay! I know I made that deal but now we have that cabinet that’s just a blackmail waiting to happen!” He points over at my file cabinet in the corner… The special one, the “unsolved” missing persons cases. “I don’t understand why you keep all that around, it’s gonna come back to bite you someday.”

“I don’t really expect you to understand, Benny. I keep them in case the kids need them, or if I need to help the kids.”

“Yeah but you always tell the parents, ‘To the best of my knowledge they aren’t in this city.’ Why not tell them their children are ok?”

“Cause I don’t want them to search here again… Those kids deserve peace… The peace I never got.”

Benny shuffles his feet a bit, then reluctantly hands me a piece of paper. “Fine. I can see in your eyes how important this is to you. Just… “ He waves his hand dismissively “ah whatever” He turns to leave and I feel the need to lighten the mood, at least a bit. “Isn’t one of the reasons you became a PI was to ‘Be there for the desperate women who’s useless husbands cheated. Cause maybe they’ll need a rebound’?” I smile mischievously. Benny shakes his head “Low blow Berry… Low blow.” He turns to walk away before spinning back around. “I know you got the whole ‘biker chick’ thing going on, but please… take a shower and change. You’re all…” He gestures wildly “bleh.”

I give a small smile and nod before putting my things away and heading into the spare room. Benny was right, this place is more my apartment than my own apartment. I open the closet, greeted by a rack full of my own clothes with a single men’s suit at one end. I grab the first outfit I see and head to the bathroom. Amelia Sanders has waited 5 years already… I guess she can wait a little bit longer.