"Who are you? Can't you knock before barging in?" Despite his age, the deputy was still hot-tempered.
The intruders were an elderly couple, around sixty, much like the deputy. The woman appeared anxious. "Alyssa... Alyssa is my daughter. Have you found her?"
Jenny stood up to greet them. "Are you Mr. and Mrs. White? I'm Agent Jenny."
"Yes, Officer Jenny, we spoke on the phone. Have you found her?" Mrs. White quickly approached Jenny, gripping her arm.
The deputy intervened, "Mr. White, please sit down and calm yourself. We haven't received any reports on Alyssa's disappearance yet. It's merely a police speculation at this point. Please join us. We need to gather as much information as possible to understand Alyssa's current situation."
Mr. White asked, "Why do you think something happened to my daughter?"
The deputy led them to the lounge. "Mr. White, follow me. Luke, bring two glasses of water."
Luke entered the lounge with the drinks and placed them before the couple. The deputy introduced, "This is Detective Luke. He found some unusual details about your daughter during his investigation. Luke, explain what you discovered."
Luke sat across from the Whites, collected his thoughts, and began, "Are you aware of the recent 'Taser robberies'?"
"I think I saw something on CBS News," Mr. White responded.
Luke continued, "In the past month, there have been two similar incidents. We've identified the suspect's general area of operation, which happens to coincide with where your daughter works. Alyssa's physical characteristics also match those of the previous victims. Additionally, we learned that Alyssa resigned close to the time of the suspect's last crime. We decided to check on her to ensure her safety."
Mr. White thanked him, "Sergeant Luke, thank you. If you weren't on the case, we wouldn't know anything about Alyssa."
Luke reassured them, "Mr. White, don't worry. There's no concrete evidence that Alyssa was targeted. We checked her phone, and she sent two messages on Saturday morning—one about her resignation and another to her husband, Steven, saying she was leaving and not to look for her. Is it possible she left home due to a personal issue?"
Mrs. White shook her head. "Impossible. My daughter and I are very close. Even if she had a conflict with Steven, she would have told me. She wouldn't leave without a word."
Luke probed further, "How is her relationship with Steven?"
Mrs. White sighed, "She loves him, but we never approved of their marriage. They've had many arguments over the years. I've even advised her to leave him, but she never listened. If she wanted to leave, she would have told me, not just disappeared."
"Is there any other way to contact Alyssa?" Luke asked.
"We've contacted all our friends and relatives, but no one has heard from her," Mrs. White said, tears streaming down her face. "She's never done this before. Something must have happened."
Mr. White comforted his wife silently as Luke handed her a tissue. "Thank you. Please continue," Mrs. White said, wiping her tears.
Luke inquired, "Has Alyssa been acting unusual lately?"
Mrs. White thought for a moment. "I spoke to her last Wednesday. I invited her to dinner on Sunday, but she said she was busy. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary."
"Suppose Alyssa was kidnapped. Do you have any suspects?" Luke asked.
Mrs. White's eyes reddened. "I can't think of anyone."
Luke turned to Mr. White. "Do you have any suspicions?"
Mr. White's face darkened with anger. "Where's Steven? If she was kidnapped on Friday, why didn't he call the police? Where is that bastard?"
"We visited Alyssa's home and spoke with Steven. According to him, he saw her message and thought she left him," Luke explained.
Mr. White pounded the table. "So what? He didn't care? My daughter isn't worth a phone call to him? How could I let her marry such a man?"
The deputy intervened again. "Mr. White, calm down. Anger won't solve anything."
"Sorry, I'm not angry at you. It's just... hard to accept," Mr. White replied.
"I understand," the deputy said, signaling Luke to continue.
Luke showed them a photo. "Mr. and Mrs. White, do you recognize this person?"
The couple examined the photo. "No, we've never seen him," they replied.
Luke then showed photos of the two previous victims. "Do you know these people?"
Mrs. White's hands trembled as she took the pictures. "Are these the Taser robbery victims?"
"Yes, both women in their mid-thirties, blonde, around 170cm tall," Luke confirmed.
Mrs. White was visibly distressed. "Why my daughter..."
The deputy signaled Luke again, and Luke asked, "How is Alyssa's financial situation?"
Mr. White sighed. "Not great. Alyssa is hardworking, but Steven isn't. He has no steady job, and their life is chaotic. We help them financially sometimes. Does this relate to her case?"
"Do you know what Alyssa does for a living?" Luke asked.
"She teaches at a training institute," Mrs. White replied.
"Does she have any other part-time jobs?" Luke pressed.
"I don't think so," Mrs. White said, shaking her head.
Mr. White's face twitched. Luke noticed and asked, "Mr. White, do you know something?"
"What does this have to do with Alyssa's disappearance?" Mr. White retorted.
"We need to understand her entire situation to investigate properly," Luke explained.
Mr. White hesitated. "Alyssa... she has a part-time job... dancing at a club."
Mrs. White was shocked. "Dancing at a club? Why didn't I know?"
"I didn't tell you," Mr. White admitted, lowering his head.
"Why? I have the right to know about my daughter's life!" Mrs. White cried.
Mrs. White was clearly unaware of the nature of the club, and Luke chose not to elaborate. "Mr. White, how did you find out?"
"An envelope with photos of Alyssa dancing at the club was left at my door. I didn't want to tell my wife... I hoped the photos were fake," Mr. White said, clenching his fists.