Two officers stood at the entrance. One older, with a calm demeanor and the other younger, his face full of eagerness. The older officer introduced himself as Officer Collins, while the younger one was Officer Kirk.
They flashed their badges and Officer Collins said, "Aren't you going to invite us in?"
I quickly opened the door wide. "Of course, come in. I’m sorry, the place is a bit messy."
Officer Collins said nothing, his eyes scanning the room. He moved with slow precision, every corner falling under his sharp gaze.
I stood by the door, fists clenched, unsure of what to do with my hands.
Officer Kirk broke the silence, his voice light but tinged with judgment. “Sir, this Charlie Lowe must be a scumbag. He probably ran off with his mistress.”
My chest tightened at his words. They had likely spoken to the neighbors before coming here. Charlie’s reputation was not good to begin with. He was often seen bringing home different women while I was out, something that had sparked many whispered warnings from my neighbors.
Although they meant well, I had long hoped that one of those women would finally take him away for good. I had even imagined myself thanking her for that.
Officer Collins’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Was there anything unusual before he disappeared?”
In the face of his sharp and probing gaze, I swallowed hard, struggling to keep my composure. "No, not really,” I stammered, “But he did take a call the night before he left. He seemed happy, though I didn’t know who he was speaking to.”
Officer Collins nodded slowly, his eyes drifting away from me.
His gaze landed the old freezer in the corner of the kitchen. It didn’t match the rest of the room, standing out like a relic of time.
"This freezer,” Officer Collins muttered, stepping toward it, “looks a little out of place.”
I cleared my throat, fighting the panic rising in me. “It’s just an old appliance. I was going to throw it out, but with the price of meat being so cheap recently, I thought I’d keep it to store more food.”
Officer Collins glanced at me, then reached out to open the door of the freezer.
My heart raced in my chest, but I stood frozen in place, not daring to stop him.