As expected she was in time. He stood at the machine and waited for his cup of coffee. Did she read the newspaper? He was satisfied with Hella's article. The gossip journalist turned out to be good for spreading fake news as well. The only thing he needed was waiting for a response. The bait was set. She sat on a bench in the hallway, stood up as she noticed him, and handed over her version of what happened during the past days.
"The case is closed. Jim has no intention to prosecute Mrs. Gordon, the child is found, the rest is up to you. You can meet her, I can give you her address if you like."
"No need to, I am leaving for a while "
He nodded and watched her as she stepped inside a pink VW painted with flowers all over.
"Peace man", the guard at the door said.
"It's a long time ago I heard anyone say that", Fidelo grinned.
"It's a long time ago I saw that Volkswagen", the warden said. He frowned and wrote down the license plate in his notebook. "You would think I could remember when and where it was, I figure it's longer ago than."
The chief inspector wished a good day and left to his office. Paperwork waited for him and today he would spend most of his time inside.
"One file closed and the next one is waiting".
Quickly he made some phone calls before he read the report of the pathologist carefully. Mrs. Gordon must have had the time of her life and ifn't she someone else had.
"What did you find out about her?"
Hanson an old, fat officer spoiled his coffee and let his donut fall as the chief unexpectedly showed up in front of him.
"Foster care", he stuttered, " she had foster children for many years."
"You called CPS?"
"Yes, but the files are gone. They promised to contact me if..."
"The empty promises of childcare. Call them, now!"
"How the hell did that woman, that monster, get those children. Unbelievable!"
"...most likely with help of her husband..."
"What did you say?! Unbelievable what a corrupt... What is wrong with you people!"
He slammed the door behind him and left a confused, nervous Hanson behind. He knew the impression he made on his chief wasn't good but he was a good cop. He knew he found something and would get to the bottom of it. Today, he promised himself. Today I figure it out. Luck was at his hand during lunch break. An elder officer told him how the former chief inspector took children of criminals into his house.
"It was to give them a chance, a fair chance of a great future."
"What had happened to these children no one knew and no one ever asked?"
"Not really. We speculated. We all wondered about the number of children the chief must be taken care of. Too many if you ask me. Perhaps he got paid for it?"
"It's possible", Hanson said or he had other plans. Have you ever met his wife?"
"Sure, she was there with every celebration of the office, Thanksgiving, Christmas, anniversaries and she always brought his lunch if one of those kids didn't. Tiny, a bit introvert, he commanded her around as if she was a dog. You should ask her son."
"Her son?"
"Yes, she had one before this with those foster kids started. I am quite sure they have one."
Hanson wasn't the fastest police officer around but he could think fast.
Former chief inspector Gordon hadn't been reigning with an iron fist at the office only but at home as well. His wife knew all about it, and so did the son. He knew CPS wouldn't call since there was no file. He better found that son.
He wrote down what he had figured out and added it to the new file. The case they already called "the monster house".
By now 50 parts are written about a missing child. A child no one believed it existed.
It's twenty decades later when the file is opened by chief inspector Fidelo, on request of Jim's sister. The case turns out not to be dead. On the contrary it leads to a bigger crime. Although the case of the missing girl is closed another one is opened. One about more children who should be missed too.
