Jundidn''''tsleepthatnight.Instead,hespentthehoursbingthroughthefilesofthetwomissinggirls.
OhemhadworkedatRedLanternforhalfayearbeforeshevanished—simplyfailedtoshowuponem.Herroommate,alsoanundotedimmigrant,wastooscaredtoreportit.
Theonlyreasonthecaseeveintothesystemwasbecauseamansheowedmoogotnervousshe''''dskippedtownandcalledthepolicehimself.
Whenthepolicequestioherestaurantowner—oldHessel—aboutwhyhehadn''''treportedhisemployeemissing,he''''dshruggeditoff.Saidthepcewasbusy,hedidn''''thavetimetochaseafterfkyworkers.pihatcash-paidstaffswereunreliable—thisonehadevenstolenfromhisregisterandrunoff,orsohecimed.
Thenthecopsaskedwhyhehadn''''treportedthetheft.
Hesseljustugheditoff."Notmuey,"he''''dsaid."Fetit."
Junknewwhatthatmeant.Theoldmandidn''''twantanyonelookingtoocloselyathisbooks.
ThefilealsotaiatementsfromHessel''''swifeandtheirdeliveryboy.Theirstoriesmatchedalmostwordforword.ThatwaswhenJunfirstnoticedadetail—Hessel''''swifehadgotteizenshipthroughmarriage.Andthedeliveryboy,Kurt,wastheirson.
Theseissinggirlhadstedonlytwoweeks.Sheclockedoutasusualonenight,andbym,shewasgohistime,Hesseldidn''''tevenbothertosoundsurprised.Saidhewasusedtoit.Cimedhehadn''''tletherhecashregister,soatleastnothimissing.
Therestofthereportwasthesamepattern—interviewswithroommates,friends,boyfriends.hegirlshadstablehousing.Theydriftedfromonecheaprentaltothe,carryinglittlemorethanabagofclothes.Nothingtheyleftbehindofferedanyclues.
Andlikethat,bothcasesfadedintothebackgroundhecity—unsolved,unremembered.
Junwaothekitandbrewedhimselfacupofcoffee.Thepalemlightspilledthroughthewindow,buttheuneaseinhischestwouldn''''tsettle.
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