Detective Rockford: Part Three
Where was she?
The trio headed for the car, each holding their breath in absolute terror that Mia would be injured (or worse) inside the car. About 6 feet from the door Rockford held his hands out in a way that would signify “wait,” and everyone stopped.
“You two stay here,” he instructed. They both nodded in agreement, happy to leave the dark task of investigating to Rockford.
As he grew closer, he felt a creeping chill he didn’t normally experience with his everyday work. This one was personal, and the idea of seeing Mia harmed unlocked a type of fear he wasn’t familiar with.
The sigh was audible when he reached the car, a black yoga mat slumped beside the seat and propped the driver’s side door open. It wasn’t a leg or an arm, it was a rolled-up piece of plastic. Rockford smiled to himself, bending over with his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.
Reaching in his pockets for latex gloves, he placed one over each hand and slowly opened the door. No keys in sight, but the car was ransacked. The glove box opened and emptied, middle console flipped up and tossed. Someone was in a great hurry, so much so that they didn’t even notice the door didn’t close behind them. Or they didn’t care. Interesting.
Rockford waved Anders and Stella over, meeting them near the trunk of the car.
“It’s a yoga mat,” he smiled.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Stella exhaled.
“Someone broke into her car?” Anders asked.
“It appears so,” Rockford replied. “Why don’t you two wait for me inside and I’ll give this a quick glance before I call forensics out.”
The two walked off together, Anders slinging his arm over Stella’s shoulder in a consoling manner. The detective wondered if there was anything significant to this exchange, but decided it was unimportant at this moment.
Glancing around the car, he sought significant details. Anything that could point to where Mia was or what may have happened to her. There was no sign of forced entry, and no keys either. He knew one set of keys was in her purse, according to Anders, but he hadn’t seen them with his own eyes yet.
Just as he was about to head inside to grab his team, he noticed a paper soda cup in the cupholder. Tito’s Tacos.
Rockford pulled his phone from his pocket and opened up his message exchange with Mia - the last time they “talked” she typed, “One of these days we will have to grab Tito’s and sit on the beach.”
He was transported back to the night he first kissed her, the way she giggled afterward and it made him blush. Flashes of her smile, her mass of curls blowing in the breeze, and the way she liked to have a piece of him touching her at all times. A hand, a foot, a cheek.
The part of him that loved had disappeared when she left, but with one line of text, the cavern was cracked open and reignited.
This cup was left for him to find.