Red_Roses_and_Black_Dahlias_-_Macy_T

They said I shouldn’t worry about it and that he was probably out causing
trouble again.” The kid seemed truly distraught and for a second he reminded
me of Sofia, the way she cared for Valentina was really similar.
“Tell me about the other missing kids.”
“All from North Bridge. When the first one disappeared, Katarina
Avelok, we didn’t think much of it. She’s run away before, nothing new. Her
dad is an alcoholic and cares more about his next fill than he does about her.
But then Stevie Martins never came home after school one day and her mom
went to the police but they said there was nothing they could do for now. She
had to wait forty eight hours.”
“Who's the third one?”
“Ravi Muhammad. Great kid, head of his class, everyone likes him. His
parents went to the police and that’s actually when they decided to take it
seriously. Both his parents showed up and refused to leave the precinct
before they spoke to the chief of police. They threatened to go to the press
and tell them how badly the police treated us as soon as they knew we came
from North Bridge.” Aiden gulped and looked down.
I agreed with the kid on that part. Ravenbridge police department was run
by a bunch of bigots who all came from money and privileged backgrounds.
Even the few that didn’t often ended up turning their backs on their Northy
roots and looking down on them. I knew because that’s what happened to one
of my friends from the academy. As soon as we got our badges, he started
speaking ill of the North, saying it was packed with a bunch of useless little
shits who would never amount to anything.
Suffice to say, we weren’t friends anymore.
What Aiden was telling me right then though, it sounded like a lot. I didn’t
have any open cases at the moment, except for that goddamn puzzle that was
the Raymonds murder.
“This does sound suspicious. Where are Oscar’s parents? Have you tried
talking to them?”