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xp_logsAnother missing person case, however, this one is a cause for concern.
Michelle tugged on the hood of her jacket, trying to make the shadows deeper. This was District X, but she didn't like taking chances. She hurriedly slipped in the door of X-Factor Investigations, only to be startled by an angry-looking receptionist. After an awkward back-and-forth, Michelle sat down to wait.
It was Alex's turn to meet and greet. He looked every bit the professional as he walked out in a long-sleeved shirt, hair tame for once in his life, pants crisp and clean. One might mistake him for a normal adult. "Michelle?" He questioned as he approached. "I'm Alex, I'll be helping you along with a couple of my coworkers.Can I get you anything to drink before we go back?"
Michelle stared mutely for a moment as his words caught up to her. She shook her head. "No, no thank you. I just want to get started, please."
Emerging from a nearby meeting room, Bobbi strode out to meet Michelle and Alex, extending her hand to the client. "Hi Michelle, I'm Bobbi Morse. We're ready for you now, if you'll come this way?" She lead the way back to the room, pausing to let Michelle and Alex enter first before following them in and closing the door. "Have a seat, please." She gestured to the empty side of the table, then took a seat directly across from her.
Well, across from her and right next to a man who looked like he had the mutant power to hide lightbulbs in his smile. A television-worthy smile that was on full display as he extended a hand in greeting and chimed, "I'm Arthur. We're all here to help you, Michelle, and I want you to know that nothing you say will leave this room. You can also let us know if you want a breather or a break at any time. We're here for you."
His smile softened from dazzling to just friendly. "Do you have any questions?"
Michelle eyed the pretty man doubtfully. "Are you the mascot?"
Alex chuckled. "Nah, he's our good luck charm. So, what can we do for you?"
The woman turned in on herself, visibly shrinking. "It's. . . . It's my boyfriend. He's been missing since yesterday. He's been late before, but he always lets me know what's going on. It's not like him to just ghost like this. I'm worried." She rushed the words out, eyes on the ground.
Bobbi exchanged a quick look with her teammates as the details came out. Another person who had just disappeared. "Do you have any idea where he may have gone, or did he just vanish without any trace at all?" If they knew whether he was headed, say, to go out shopping or to visit someone in a specific area they would have a starting point from which to work at least.
Michelle pressed a fist to her stomach as it twisted with nerves. "That's what's worse. His boss called, said he never showed up to work. That's just not like him."
"That's just horrible," Arthur's intoned sympathetically, "I can see you care for him very much. When was the last time you saw him?"
"He left for work yesterday morning, I was already logged in for work, so it was probably nine am?" She said doubtfully.
"What was he wearing?" Alex said, trying to go through the list of questions they usually asked about missing people. His eyes flickered to Bobbi for help. "Was he acting weird in any way?"
"I'm sorry if it feels like we're just pelting you with questions, but they're all important for us to know how best to help you," Bobbi explained. She had more questions herself but wanted to take it slow and not overwhelm the poor woman.
Michelle shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'll answer everything I can." She wrung her hands. "He was wearing his work boots, jeans, and a flannel shirt?"
Alex took a few notes, tapping his pen against his notebook and nodding. "So he never made it to work." That wasn't a question.
"And you never heard from him," Bobbi continued. "Does he normally carry a cell phone?" Some jobs restricted that kind of thing, or he might've left it at home, but if he'd had it with him perhaps that could help them track his last known location.
Michelle shook her head. "He has one, but we're... ah-" she turned her head in shame. "Between providers at the moment."
So much for that route. Alex looked at Bobbi, then back at Michelle. "And I'm guessing you haven't called the police." Also not a question. She was a visible mutant, they sooner would've arrested her.
"I hate to ask this, but has he been doing anything suspicious lately, or hanging out with people who... might not be on the right side of the law, I'll say?" It wasn't an easy thing to answer, but it would help Bobbi and the team in trying to find him if he'd been hanging out with the wrong crowd.
She bit her lip and shook her head. "He goes drinking with his buddies, but anything more serious just doesn't sound like him." She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, as if warding off a chill.
Alex looked back at Bobbi and Arthur, then at Michelle, and nodded. "Okay. We'll do what we can, and keep you updated." He produced a card with the office number for her.
To emphasis this, Arthur leaned in toward Michelle with an encouraging smile, "Be sure to let us know if anything happens or you think of anything. Any little detail might be the key to finding out what happened. More importantly, we're here to help you."
There to help, and there to get to work on finding Cain Marko.
Michelle tugged on the hood of her jacket, trying to make the shadows deeper. This was District X, but she didn't like taking chances. She hurriedly slipped in the door of X-Factor Investigations, only to be startled by an angry-looking receptionist. After an awkward back-and-forth, Michelle sat down to wait.
It was Alex's turn to meet and greet. He looked every bit the professional as he walked out in a long-sleeved shirt, hair tame for once in his life, pants crisp and clean. One might mistake him for a normal adult. "Michelle?" He questioned as he approached. "I'm Alex, I'll be helping you along with a couple of my coworkers.Can I get you anything to drink before we go back?"
Michelle stared mutely for a moment as his words caught up to her. She shook her head. "No, no thank you. I just want to get started, please."
Emerging from a nearby meeting room, Bobbi strode out to meet Michelle and Alex, extending her hand to the client. "Hi Michelle, I'm Bobbi Morse. We're ready for you now, if you'll come this way?" She lead the way back to the room, pausing to let Michelle and Alex enter first before following them in and closing the door. "Have a seat, please." She gestured to the empty side of the table, then took a seat directly across from her.
Well, across from her and right next to a man who looked like he had the mutant power to hide lightbulbs in his smile. A television-worthy smile that was on full display as he extended a hand in greeting and chimed, "I'm Arthur. We're all here to help you, Michelle, and I want you to know that nothing you say will leave this room. You can also let us know if you want a breather or a break at any time. We're here for you."
His smile softened from dazzling to just friendly. "Do you have any questions?"
Michelle eyed the pretty man doubtfully. "Are you the mascot?"
Alex chuckled. "Nah, he's our good luck charm. So, what can we do for you?"
The woman turned in on herself, visibly shrinking. "It's. . . . It's my boyfriend. He's been missing since yesterday. He's been late before, but he always lets me know what's going on. It's not like him to just ghost like this. I'm worried." She rushed the words out, eyes on the ground.
Bobbi exchanged a quick look with her teammates as the details came out. Another person who had just disappeared. "Do you have any idea where he may have gone, or did he just vanish without any trace at all?" If they knew whether he was headed, say, to go out shopping or to visit someone in a specific area they would have a starting point from which to work at least.
Michelle pressed a fist to her stomach as it twisted with nerves. "That's what's worse. His boss called, said he never showed up to work. That's just not like him."
"That's just horrible," Arthur's intoned sympathetically, "I can see you care for him very much. When was the last time you saw him?"
"He left for work yesterday morning, I was already logged in for work, so it was probably nine am?" She said doubtfully.
"What was he wearing?" Alex said, trying to go through the list of questions they usually asked about missing people. His eyes flickered to Bobbi for help. "Was he acting weird in any way?"
"I'm sorry if it feels like we're just pelting you with questions, but they're all important for us to know how best to help you," Bobbi explained. She had more questions herself but wanted to take it slow and not overwhelm the poor woman.
Michelle shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'll answer everything I can." She wrung her hands. "He was wearing his work boots, jeans, and a flannel shirt?"
Alex took a few notes, tapping his pen against his notebook and nodding. "So he never made it to work." That wasn't a question.
"And you never heard from him," Bobbi continued. "Does he normally carry a cell phone?" Some jobs restricted that kind of thing, or he might've left it at home, but if he'd had it with him perhaps that could help them track his last known location.
Michelle shook her head. "He has one, but we're... ah-" she turned her head in shame. "Between providers at the moment."
So much for that route. Alex looked at Bobbi, then back at Michelle. "And I'm guessing you haven't called the police." Also not a question. She was a visible mutant, they sooner would've arrested her.
"I hate to ask this, but has he been doing anything suspicious lately, or hanging out with people who... might not be on the right side of the law, I'll say?" It wasn't an easy thing to answer, but it would help Bobbi and the team in trying to find him if he'd been hanging out with the wrong crowd.
She bit her lip and shook her head. "He goes drinking with his buddies, but anything more serious just doesn't sound like him." She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, as if warding off a chill.
Alex looked back at Bobbi and Arthur, then at Michelle, and nodded. "Okay. We'll do what we can, and keep you updated." He produced a card with the office number for her.
To emphasis this, Arthur leaned in toward Michelle with an encouraging smile, "Be sure to let us know if anything happens or you think of anything. Any little detail might be the key to finding out what happened. More importantly, we're here to help you."
There to help, and there to get to work on finding Cain Marko.
