Avenge Thy Brother

Chapter 3: Unexpected Arrival

            The moment we arrived in Atlanta, Karen and I checked into our separate suites at the Embassy by Hilton Atlanta hotel and then hurried to the precinct in charge of investigating the four missing persons cases. I still didn't know what to make of Karen Jeffries outside of her strict professionalism. I'd never been around someone so put together that not a single strand of hair on their head was out of place. I assumed she was so mechanical because she was in her early forties and had never married nor had children. As we entered the local precinct together, I walked a few paces behind her. I have no idea why, but it seemed like something I had to do.

"Special Agents Jeffries and Rowell?" asked an officer at the information desk.

"Yes," Karen replied. "We're here to assist Sergeant Cox and Detective Saunders."

"They're in conference room 313. The elevators are to your left and the stairwell is across from them."

"Thank you," I told her.

I let Karen lead the way over to the stairwell. We took the stairs to the third floor and when we got up there, I followed her towards the conference room. As we approached the room, we heard arguing between a man and woman. I knocked on the door before opening it and entering the room with Karen. The man and woman, Saunders and Cox, were still arguing and didn't seem to notice me and Karen until Karen slammed the door and received their attention.

"Good afternoon," she said to them with a smile. "I'm Special Agent Jeffries and this is Special Agent Rowell."

"We're here to assist you," I added.

"We don't need your assistance," Detective Saunders snapped at me. "This is clearly a homicide case at this point."

"No, it isn't," argued Cox. "We have no evidence that points to it."

"We also have no evidence that points to the victims being alive, Cox! It's silly to request assistance from the damn FBI!"

"If you two are done," said Karen while looking over the files on the conference table, "then let's discuss the actual facts of the cases. Four young gay black men have gone missing over the course of three months and more could go missing unless we do something about this. Whether the men are dead or alive is irrelevant because other lives are at risk. Does everyone agree?"

Cox nodded and Saunders rolled his eyes. I stood beside Karen and asked them, "Does anyone object to making Kemari Whitlock's case the primary case since he was the last to go missing?"

"I object," said Saunders. "I believe we should focus on Randall Williams because his body is likely to be found any day now. We need to first locate..."

"Bullshit," Cox interjected. "The only reason why Captain Thompson put you on this case is because you're married to his daughter. You have no idea what you're doing."

"How dare you? You don't get to tell me why I'm here and you're not..."

"That's enough," Karen said to them in a domineering tone. "Whatever beef you two have needs to be put away for another time. We need to find these men, dead or alive. My partner and I are here because we were requested by your department. You're the primaries on this, not us." She gave me a look before looking back at them and demanding, "Help us help you."

Cox and Saunders looked at each other for a second and then Cox began, "Kemari Whitlock's phone records show that he last spoke with a woman named Kelly Richardson. We just learned that information today from a warrant we obtained for his phone records. She works for the Atlanta Department of Social Services."