ordeal.
eleven
Mike found the county building and requested the proper paperwork to fill out for a missing persons report. He was sitting at a small table in the lobby, chewing on the plastic cap of a borrowed Bic pen. He couldn’t get past a question that inquired whether Sara’s dental records were available or not. Of course Sara had dental records, but Mike couldn’t bring himself to answer yes. If he did, then he would have to admit to himself that Sara may already be…gone. He scoffed to himself and felt inwardly embarrassed when he realized that he couldn’t even form the word dead in his own mind.
“Mike Haller,” a deputy called out from an open door. When Mike finally stood, the deputy asked again, “Mike Haller?”
“Yes,” Mike nodded.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the deputy said, eying Mike’s uniform suspiciously. “I thought you were one of us.”
Mike looked sheepishly at his rumpled outfit.
“I’m just a worried father today.”
The deputy opened the door wide for Mike to pass through.
“I am Deputy Ryan Watts. Do you prefer to be called Deputy, or Mr. Haller?”
Mike smiled at the young officer, “Mike, is fine.”
Deputy Watts led Mike through a series of hallways until they came to a small room with a table and two chairs.
“This should be private,” Watts said. “Have a seat.”
Mike tossed his paperwork and Bic pen on the table, and slid heavily into a wooden chair. Deputy Watts placed an Interview in Progress sign on the door and closed it quietly before sitting.
“How long have you been a deputy sheriff, Mike?” Watts asked.
Mike held eye contact with the officer.
“Six years now,” he said. “How about yourself?”
Deputy Watts blushed a little, “Only a year, sir. I spent six years as an MP in the Army.”
Mike smiled at the deputy, “Well, I guess that makes you the senior man in this room, Deputy Watts.”
Watts accepted the compliment with a nod and opened a thin manila folder he had placed on the table.
“We are going to fill out a missing persons report on your daughter, Mike, and hopefully, before all this paperwork is finished, she will turn up at a friend’s house or something.”
Mike pulled his small stack of papers closer and picked up his pen. His eyes swam for a second. “That would be good,” was all he could say.
Deputy Watts noted the solemn response and paused for a moment before proceeding.
“Mike, I’m sure you are aware that I have to ask you a series of questions that are going to seem insensitive and some that are just downright impolite. I’ll try to get through them quickly so we can get down to the serious business of finding your daughter.”
Mike tapped his incomplete form with his pen and nodded.
Watts continued, “Now, your daughter’s name is?”
Mike sat up straight, “Sara Jean Haller,” he said, then spelled her first name out loud for the deputy.
“And her date and place of birth, Mike?”
“She was born on July 6 th , 1992, in Wheatridge, Colorado.”
“Can you give me a brief description of Sara, including what she was wearing the last time you saw her?”
Mike took in a deep breath that shuttered a little.
“Sara is about five foot seven , and she weighs around a hundred and twenty-five pounds. She has blue eyes and shoulder length blonde
eleven
Mike found the county building and requested the proper paperwork to fill out for a missing persons report. He was sitting at a small table in the lobby, chewing on the plastic cap of a borrowed Bic pen. He couldn’t get past a question that inquired whether Sara’s dental records were available or not. Of course Sara had dental records, but Mike couldn’t bring himself to answer yes. If he did, then he would have to admit to himself that Sara may already be…gone. He scoffed to himself and felt inwardly embarrassed when he realized that he couldn’t even form the word dead in his own mind.
“Mike Haller,” a deputy called out from an open door. When Mike finally stood, the deputy asked again, “Mike Haller?”
“Yes,” Mike nodded.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the deputy said, eying Mike’s uniform suspiciously. “I thought you were one of us.”
Mike looked sheepishly at his rumpled outfit.
“I’m just a worried father today.”
The deputy opened the door wide for Mike to pass through.
“I am Deputy Ryan Watts. Do you prefer to be called Deputy, or Mr. Haller?”
Mike smiled at the young officer, “Mike, is fine.”
Deputy Watts led Mike through a series of hallways until they came to a small room with a table and two chairs.
“This should be private,” Watts said. “Have a seat.”
Mike tossed his paperwork and Bic pen on the table, and slid heavily into a wooden chair. Deputy Watts placed an Interview in Progress sign on the door and closed it quietly before sitting.
“How long have you been a deputy sheriff, Mike?” Watts asked.
Mike held eye contact with the officer.
“Six years now,” he said. “How about yourself?”
Deputy Watts blushed a little, “Only a year, sir. I spent six years as an MP in the Army.”
Mike smiled at the deputy, “Well, I guess that makes you the senior man in this room, Deputy Watts.”
Watts accepted the compliment with a nod and opened a thin manila folder he had placed on the table.
“We are going to fill out a missing persons report on your daughter, Mike, and hopefully, before all this paperwork is finished, she will turn up at a friend’s house or something.”
Mike pulled his small stack of papers closer and picked up his pen. His eyes swam for a second. “That would be good,” was all he could say.
Deputy Watts noted the solemn response and paused for a moment before proceeding.
“Mike, I’m sure you are aware that I have to ask you a series of questions that are going to seem insensitive and some that are just downright impolite. I’ll try to get through them quickly so we can get down to the serious business of finding your daughter.”
Mike tapped his incomplete form with his pen and nodded.
Watts continued, “Now, your daughter’s name is?”
Mike sat up straight, “Sara Jean Haller,” he said, then spelled her first name out loud for the deputy.
“And her date and place of birth, Mike?”
“She was born on July 6 th , 1992, in Wheatridge, Colorado.”
“Can you give me a brief description of Sara, including what she was wearing the last time you saw her?”
Mike took in a deep breath that shuttered a little.
“Sara is about five foot seven , and she weighs around a hundred and twenty-five pounds. She has blue eyes and shoulder length blonde
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