Heather walked towards her car, her mind still replaying the receptionist's words. Someone impersonated her, claimed to be Heather Remington, and took Alex. She stumbled toward Marcus, who was standing near the car, his eyes fixed on her with worry.
"It was… XZB-749 something."
Marcus frowned. "Are you sure that's the plate number?"
Heather shook her head. "I don't know. I think that's it, but I don't remember everything." She bit her nails, her nervous habit returning as she tried to piece together the missing digits. Her breath quickened as she replayed the moment in her head, the screeching car, the fleeting image of the plate, but the details remained blurry.
Marcus guided her to the car. Heather climbed in and shut the door, leaning back against the seat with a heavy sigh. Marcus joined her, but instead of starting the engine, he remained still.
Heather stared ahead, her fingers tapping restlessly against her knee. "XZB-749…" she muttered under her breath. Her nails returned to her mouth as she closed her eyes, desperate to relive the moment. She turned slightly in her seat, mimicking the movements she had made earlier as the car sped past, shaking her head and spinning her shoulders as though trying to physically force the memory back into her mind.
Marcus's eyes followed her movements, but he stayed silent, unwilling to interrupt whatever she was trying to achieve. Heather suddenly opened the car door and stepped outside, her eyes still closed as she tilted her head toward the road where the fleeing car had disappeared. She turned her head again, her movements were slow and deliberate, but nothing came. It was all a blur now.
Heather returned to the car, her lips pressed tightly together in frustration as she slammed the door shut. She leaned her forehead against the headrest, her breaths coming fast and shallow. She felt like she was failing Alex, like every second wasted was another moment he was taken further from her.
Marcus finally broke the silence. "Do you want to report this to the police?"
Heather nodded quickly. "Yes. We're wasting time." She pulled out her phone, her trembling fingers fumbling slightly as she dialed the number of the only person she trusted in the force, a long-time family friend.
When Marcus pulled the car into the precinct parking lot, Heather's stomach twisted painfully. She didn't even wait for Marcus to open her door; she stepped out quickly and marched through the doors. Marcus followed her closely, but she barely noticed him.
The captain, a man Heather had known since childhood, greeted her with a warm smile. "Heather," he said, standing from his desk. "It's been ages. What brings you here?"
"My son is missing," she said bluntly. She didn't want to waste time on pleasantries.
The captain froze, his mouth parting slightly in shock. "Your… son?" He blinked, his brows knitting together. "I didn't know you had a son."
Heather bit the inside of her cheek, swallowing down the explanation that begged to surface. Her complicated history with Alex wasn't important right now.
"I don't have time to explain," she said sharply. "He's missing, and every second we waste, he's with someone who shouldn't have him."
The captain nodded. "Alright. Start from the beginning. What happened?"
Heather recounted everything, the fleeing car, the plate number she could only partially remember. "The plate was XZB-749-something," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I can't remember the rest."
The captain gestured to one of his officers. "Run it," he said. "Use all possible variations to see if we can find a match."
Heather sat back in her chair, biting her nails anxiously as they waited. Marcus stood silently by the wall. The minutes dragged on like hours until the officer returned, shaking his head.
"There's no match," he said.
Heather felt the air leave her lungs. She gripped the armrests of her chair tightly, her voice cracking as she asked, "What do you mean there's no match?"
The officer shrugged helplessly. "It's not registered in this state."
Heather's mind reeled. Who was this person? Why her son? Her fingers dug into the fabric of the chair as panic clawed at her chest.
The captain placed a steady hand on her shoulder. "Heather, you're not the only one who filed a missing child report today. Someone else from that school reported their child missing, too."
Heather's head snapped up. "Another child?"
The brown haired boy? She knew what the captain was talking about, but couldn't find her voice to tell him that the receptionist said something about a brown haired boy.
But before the captain could elaborate, the door burst open, and Lauren walked in. Her face was blotchy and swollen, but Heather knew it was from the incident at the hospital. She wanted to laugh, but Lauren's gaze was locked onto her. Lauren pointed a shaking finger, her voice breaked as she screamed, "You! You did this! You took my son!"
Marcus quickly stepped forward, positioning himself between the two women as Lauren walked toward Heather. "You took him!" Lauren yelled again, her voice shrill. "Arrest her!" She turned to the captain. "She's the napper! Do your job and arrest her!"
"Lauren," the captain began. "Let's take a breath."
"What are you talking about?" Heather asked.
The captain explained, "Lauren filed a missing child report earlier. Her son..."
"Asher," Lauren interrupted, her voice cracking.
"Asher," the captain confirmed, "was taken from the same school."
Lauren glared at Heather. "The receptionist said a Heather Remington checked Asher out. You're Heather Crazy Remington!"
Heather didn't flinch or react to the insult. Instead, she turned to the captain. "Someone impersonated me. And my…" The word "son" caught in her throat. She didn't want to say it. Her eyes flicked to Lauren briefly, her chest tightened but she forced herself to continue. "…my friend's son was taken in the process, too."
The captain raised an eyebrow. "Why were you going to pick up a friend's son?"
Heather stiffened, turning to face the captain's questioning stare. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond.
"I don't really care!" Lauren snapped, cutting off the captain before Heather could speak. Her desperation was evident, and for once, Heather was relieved Lauren wasn't pushing further.
Lauren turned to the captain. "What are we going to do about my son, Captain?"
The captain let out a steady sigh. "We wait."
"Wait?" Heather echoed.
"Yes," he replied firmly. "The napper will likely reach out in a few days demanding ransom. That's usually how these cases go, and that's when we'll find them. Right now, we don't have any leads. I'll ask my lieutenant to put the word out on the news. In the meantime, you two can start putting out fliers…"
"What if we want to keep it on the low?" Heather interjected.
The captain hesitated, then shrugged. "That's not going to help, but it's your choice."
Lauren didn't hesitate. She shook the captain's hand briskly. "Thank you, and please… find my son."
He nodded, his expression serious. Lauren cast one last glance at Heather before leaving. Her face was swollen and red.
The captain turned back to Heather. "And you?"
Heather straightened her back. "I don't want my son's name appearing in the media."
The captain nodded without protest. Heather appreciated the quiet agreement and left the office with Marcus trailing close behind.
As soon as they stepped out of the building, Heather turned to Marcus, "I can't rely on them to find my son. What he's suggesting is going to take days, weeks, even. I can't sleep knowing Alex isn't with me."
Marcus didn't hesitate. "So what are we going to do about it?"
Heather stopped in her tracks, her hands curling into fists. She exhaled sharply.
"Good question."