Chapter 6
6
A lex
As I make my way to Opal’s apartment, the unease from my dream still lingers in the back of my mind, but I push it aside, focusing on the task at hand. Opal is not just a colleague; she’s a friend, and I can’t shake the feeling that something is seriously wrong.
I arrive at her apartment building and park my car, my heart pounding with anticipation. The building is quiet, the morning sun casting long shadows across the parking lot. I make my way up the stairs to her floor and knock on her door, waiting for any sign of movement inside.
“Opal? It’s Alex,” I call out, my voice echoing in the empty hallway. “Are you in there?”
There’s no response, and a sense of dread settles over me. I knock again, harder this time, but still no answer. I decide to check with her neighbors, hoping that someone might have seen or heard something.
After a few knocks on neighboring doors, I finally get a response from an elderly woman named Mrs. Thompson. She peers out from behind her door, her expression wary.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Thompson,” I say politely. “I’m looking for Opal. Have you seen her recently?”
The old woman shakes her head, her brow furrowing. “No, dear, I haven’t seen her since the day before yesterday. She usually leaves early in the morning, but I didn’t hear her leave yesterday.”
I thank Mrs. Thompson and return to Opal’s door, my mind racing with worry. I decide to call the landlord again and explain the situation, asking for permission to enter the apartment. After a few minutes of persuasion, the landlord agrees to meet me with a spare key.
When the landlord arrives and unlocks the door, we step inside cautiously. The apartment is eerily quiet, everything seemingly in its place. I call out for Opal again, but there’s no response. My eyes scan the room, looking for any clues or signs of a struggle.
As I move further into the apartment, a sense of foreboding settles over me. Something is definitely wrong, and I can’t shake the feeling that my investigation is about to take a dark turn. I need to find Opal, and I need to do it fast.
There’s nothing in here that points to where she might’ve gone, and I’m starting to get really worried. At least I have today off so I can investigate, but what if I can’t find her?
An hour later, Kathy and I meet up in front of a quaint little coffee shop, one of Opal’s favorite hangouts. The worry etched on Kathy’s face mirrors my own, and I can feel the weight of the situation pressing down on both of us. Opal’s disappearance is unsettling, and the longer we go without finding her, the more anxious I become.
“Let’s start here,” I suggest, nodding toward the coffee shop. “Maybe someone has seen her.”
We step inside, the familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods wafting through the air. The barista, a friendly woman with a bright smile, looks up as we approach the counter.
“Hi, can I help you?” she asks, her cheerful demeanor a stark contrast to our worried expressions.
“We’re looking for a friend of ours,” I say, showing her a photo of Opal on my phone. “Her name’s Opal Zall. She comes here often. Have you seen her recently?”
The barista studies the photo for a moment, her smile fading slightly. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen her in the past couple of days. She usually comes in around the same time every morning, but she hasn’t been here.”
Kathy and I exchange a worried glance, but we thank the barista and step back outside.
“Where to next?” Kathy asks, her voice tinged with frustration.
“We’ll try the park,” I suggest. “She likes to go there to clear her head. Maybe someone there has seen her.”
We make our way to the park, a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city. The sun is shining, and people are out enjoying the day, but all I can think about is finding Opal. We split up, asking anyone we see if they’ve seen her, but no one has any information.
As we regroup near a bench, Kathy runs a hand through her hair, clearly frustrated. “This is hopeless, Alex. She’s just… vanished.”
I refuse to give up. “We’ll find her, Kathy. We have to. Let’s check the library. She goes there to do research sometimes.”
The library is quiet and cool, a stark contrast to the bustling park. We approach the front desk, where a librarian looks up with a polite smile.
“Excuse me,” I say, showing her the photo of Opal. “We’re looking for our friend, Opal Zall. Have you seen her?”
The librarian frowns, adjusting her glasses as she looks at the photo. “I believe I saw her a few days ago, but she hasn’t been in since then. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”
Kathy and I thank her and step outside once more, the weight of the situation growing heavier with each passing hour.
“We’ve checked everywhere she usually goes,” Kathy says, her voice breaking slightly. “What do we do now?”
I take a deep breath, trying to stay calm. We’ve exhausted all of Opal’s usual hangouts with no luck, so…
“I think we need to talk to the police,” I say.
Kathy makes a face but nods.
Going to the police is a last resort, but we’re desperate for any kind of lead.
The station is busy, officers moving about with purpose, but our situation feels all the more urgent amidst the controlled chaos.
We approach the front desk, where a tired-looking officer glances up from his paperwork. “Can I help you?” he asks, his tone weary but polite.
“Yes,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “We’re here to report a missing person. Our friend, Opal Zall, hasn’t been seen or heard from since the day before yesterday.”
The officer sighs and nods, motioning for us to take a seat. “All right, let’s get some details. Have you filed a missing person’s report yet?”
“No, not yet,” Kathy replies, her voice tinged with frustration. “We were hoping you could help us with that.”
He grabs a form and starts asking for information about Opal—her age, physical description, last known whereabouts, and any potential reasons she might have for disappearing. We answer as best we can, providing as much detail as possible.
After what feels like an eternity, the officer finally looks up from his notes. “We’ll file the report and keep an eye out, but you should know that adults have the right to disappear if they want to. Unless we have evidence of foul play, there’s only so much we can do.”
Kathy’s frustration boils over. “But she wouldn’t just disappear! This is completely out of character for her. Something must have happened!”
The officer’s expression softens slightly, but his tone remains professional. “I understand your concern, but we have protocols we have to follow. We’ll do our best to locate her, but it might take some time.”
“Is there anything else we can do?” I ask, feeling a sense of helplessness wash over me.
The officer thinks for a moment before replying. “Continue to check with her friends and family. Sometimes missing persons will reach out to someone they trust. If you find out anything new, let us know immediately.”
We thank him and leave the station, the weight of the situation pressing down on us even more heavily. As we step out into the bright afternoon sun, Kathy turns to me, her eyes filled with worry.
“What now?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my own nerves. “We keep looking. We won’t stop until we find her.”
Kathy nods, her determination matching my own. “Let’s check her apartment again. Maybe we missed something the first time.”
We head back to Opal’s apartment, hoping against hope that we’ll find some clue, some piece of evidence that will lead us to her. As we walk, my mind races with possibilities, each one more troubling than the last.
When we arrive, we knock on her door again, calling out her name, but there’s still no response. Frustrated, we decide to take a closer look around the apartment complex, hoping that something might stand out.
As we search the area, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re running out of time. Opal is out there somewhere, and she needs us. We have to find her, no matter what it takes.