The rain falling on the police station stops all at once. Mickey parks his car in the police parking lot inside the station. He turns of the motor and looks around worriedly. A mysterious smile appears on his face. He opens his leather case lying on the seat next to him, takes out his good friend the whiskey flask, opens it and takes a swig of the liquid trickling down his throat pleasurably.
"Ahhh…this was good….old buddy…through thick and thin… never ending….it's a shame this pervert is bothering me..."
Mickey looks to the sides again and puts the flask back into his case. He steps out, locks the car and walks quickly into the station. The pandemonium of the cops, detectives and civilians in the station appears like an entertaining pantomime act for some unknown reason. A few cops approach and welcome him as Mickey just waves his hand or nods his head. He walks to his locked office and comes across his deputy Wally that says something.
"I'm sorry Wally. I couldn't hear anything…you must think I've gone deaf…what did you say?"
Mickey raises his hands to his ears and pulls out the two tiny earphones of his MP3 player that prevented him from hearing.
"Someone is here claiming his son went missing this morning. He and his girlfriend are in room 213. Shall I take them to Jill's room take a statement?"
"Yes Ok...take them to Jill and check it out…I'll look at their statement later"
"OK Mickey! I'll be at Jill's with the couple!!"
Wally turns around and starts walking towards room 213 at the end of the hall. Mickey Suddenly feels an inexplicable excitement. The adrenalin starts coursing through his body. He turns towards Wally
"Wally wait!!"
Wally turns around.
"Bring them to room 11 I want to listen in"
Wally disappears from his sight as Mickey leaves his office and walks into the interrogation room and sits on a chair. A knock sounds on the door. Mickey stretches and answers.
"Yes, Wally? You can come in"
The door opens up a crack and Wally's face peeks in.
"The father and his girlfriend are here. Should I let them in?"
"Yes Wally, let them in"
Wally opens the door and Abraham and Michelle peek in curiously as Wally urges them to go in.
"This is Mickey the Lieutenant. I am Wally his deputy…and these are Abraham Menes and his girlfriend Michelle. Please sit down".
Mickey and the couple shake hands and sit. Mickey watches them from head to toe. He tries to figure them out...to decipher their anxiety and fear like an onion being peeled one layer after another. Wally sits by the couple along with Shelly the officer whose job is to transcribe the conversation. There are pencils an empty interrogation forms, a computer, a pitcher of cold water, glasses and an ashtray with a few cigarette butts on the table. Mickey glances covertly at them again curiously and nods his head towards Wally and indicates him to start.
"We're here at the police station to receive your report in the matter of the disappearance of the boy Isaac and we will do everything we can to find him..but you must take into account that police procedures in regards to missing children only applies after 24 hours after the report of the child's disappearance. Since many children that were reported as missing were found in a time frame of 24 hours and it became clear that they stayed with neighbors, next of kin, friends, friends from school…or just went for a walk … I want you Abraham to start telling us what happened and our policewoman Shelly will write down your story ".
"Thank you Wally...My name is Abraham Menes. I am 42 years old and divorced from Eve who is Isaac's mother".
Abraham is excited and wipes away a covert tear while Michelle embraces him sympathetically. Ally smiles in understanding as Mickey remains deep in thought. He senses their panic and helplessness, he understands the apprehension and their frustration, he hopes that this affair will end pleasantly and Isaac will be discovered safe and sound as in most cases. This time he is restless and he doesn't understand why! This time he is uncharacteristically uncertain of his intuition! A sort of wall envelops his brain and closes his awareness. This is the first time he is battling himself in order to understand what's happening and why…but a sensation of distress clouds his mind, an unidentified cloud of absolute evil forms in the fogs of his brain
"My girlfriend, Michelle, stayed with me at the time of Isaac's disappearance…we live on 13 Hope St."
Mickey moves around restlessly in his chair. He tries remaining his usual calm but is unsuccessful! He watches Abraham's eyes searching for the answer to his worrisome…nervous sensations and cannot find peace. He lights a cigarette and even the taste of that turns bitter in his mouth!
"Abraham…I want you to start at the beginning...what happened…how did you find out Isaac was missing? ...when was it…where…why…how?"
Abrahams face contorts for a long moment…stress? Fear? And he lights a cigarette as well.
"My girlfriend Michelle and I took Isaac to my house on Friday afternoon at the request of Eve who went on a vacation with her girlfriends.Dr. Gideon who is her new husband and also works with her at the medical center did not go with her!"
Wally starts asking something but Mickey moves uncomfortably in his chair and interrupts Abraham.
"Hold on Abraham…about this Dr. Gideon…who is he? Her new husband? Do they have children of their own?"
"Yes sure…Eve is two months pregnant and…"
Michelle bursts in and tries to give her input and understanding of the issue as Mickey sees the threatening look Abraham sends her way and she freezes. Ally would like to make him heard and watches the three of them. Abraham continues to smoke with disinterest. He watches Mickey who now seems just like any other cop trying to make an impression with nothing to offer and probably just passing time waiting for his pension to kick in.
"Shut up Michelle! I'm talking now…don't interrupt me!"
He smiles embarrassingly at Mickey.
"Eve and this character Gideon, live in her privet house …practically Romeo and Juliet…with Isaac! After we picked up Isaac we went home and had a normal dinner and then went to the amusement park. We were there for about 3 hours and then went back home"
Wally who is waiting impatiently for the right moment to be heard quickly asks in an authoritative tone
"Was everything ok at the park? Did you see anything suspicious? Maybe someone suspicious following you? Maybe someone who tried talking to Isaac… or a car following you on your way home?"
Michelle straightens up in her chair looking like she is going to answer but Abraham's freezing look takes the wind out of her. She stutters and sits down on the chair again. Abraham continues
"I… I don't think anyone followed us home! Not at the park and not when we were home...there was nothing suspicious that we could put our finger on. We went back home in the evening, had dinner and because we were tired we all fell asleep together, including Isaac who slept in our bed between us. I got up first but I was still tired! I decided to make breakfast for everyone and brought it to bed. After breakfast Isaac went to the living room to watch TV and we warned him not to leave the living room. We stayed in our room and after a while I went to check up on him and he wanted to call his mother and talk to her. After they spoke I went back to sleep and Isaac went outside to the yard to play. I asked Michelle to watch him. The next thing I know… Michelle is waking me up and saying she can't find Isaac…my son!!"
Michelle quickly pats his head compassionately. Ally watches them both a little enviously. Mickey is still in his own private world, thinking pessimistically about his own unfulfilled familial life. Suddenly and without warning Wally jumps up and enthusiastically asks as Mickey nods his head in agreement
"I understand that you looked everywhere and couldn't find him! But Michelle?? You stayed with Isaac right? What happened? How did he disappear? Am I right Mickey? I mean Abraham asked her to watch Isaac"
"I hate to speak of it but Michelle told a strange story about someone"
Looking down at the floor
"I would rather Michelle told the story OK? It just annoys me to think about it"
Mickey gets up suddenly and winks at Wally. He looks at Michelle piteously
"I have to leave you but Wally will continue because I have an urgent meeting! And you Michelle, don't worry we're not accusing you of anything…it is important to hear what happened that morning…It'll be OK Abraham…the police will find Isaac"
Mickey kindly shakes their hands and leaves quickly. Michelle lights a cigarette and tries to hide her shaking hand because of her embarrassment and shame at Abraham's words! Mickey walks into an adjacent room with a one way mirror with the room Abraham and Michelle are in. three cops are sitting by a long table with TV monitors and two video cameras to record the goings on in the room. One camera records everything that's going on in the room and the other focuses on the face of the person speaking. Mickey greets everyone, approaches the second camera and focuses his gaze on the screen. Abraham lights another cigarette and watches Michelle contemptuously. Wally smiles at them both and mumbles.
"Can you explain what happened after Abraham asked you to watch Isaac and went to sleep?"
Michelle would much rather stick her poor head into the ground like an ostrich if she could avoid telling how it was her fault Isaac disappeared. Mickey focuses on Michelle and Abraham alternatively. He notices Abraham smoking peacefully and every once in a while looking at Michelle with contempt. Michelle starts talking chokingly, Wally and Mickey are alert.
"I'm so sorry for everything… she weeps… at around seven thirty Abraham asked me to watch Isaac who was playing in the yard while he went to sleep in our bedroom. The truth is, I was very tired too"
Michelle tries to pull herself together and wipes her tears with a tissue. She lights a cigarette and continues.
"I was in the living room and I looked in on Isaac who continued to play in the yard. I was lying on the couch watching a movie and after about 15 minutes the doorbell rang! I asked myself who it could be at this time in the morning. Maybe one of the neighbors? Maybe family? Someone from Abraham's work, or mine? I walked up to the door and asked who it was. She lies to save herself the shame" someone says – it's me...Tom from third floor. I peeked through the eyelet and saw a figure with a dark beard and sunglasses…the truth is he seemed a little suspicious but I opened the door…what could happen? I asked him what he wanted and he pointed at the table behind me and said he needs what's on there! I turn my head to look and suddenly without warning this man is choking me probably with some anesthetic because I blacked out immediately. The minute I woke up I saw Isaac was not in the yard. I was sure he was in the bed room with Abraham. I ran to the bedroom but Abraham was still asleep. I woke him up and told him what happened with the men and that Isaac disappeared".
Much to everyone's surprise, Abraham lashes out at her. Michelle is shocked and retreats.
"You're lying! I'm sure no one attacked you! You fell asleep instead of watching Isaac in the yard! That's what happened!! You made up this story! There was no one in the apartment… you're a liar. You're making all this up to ease your conscience! Isaac is missing and it's your fault!!"
Mickey watches the screen somberly... he focuses on Michelle tormented face, holding her head in despair and helplessness. She shakes her head and mumbles
"No…No… don't say that! It's not my fault!"
Mickey's intuition who has almost never failed him leads him to the conclusion that she's making it all up and that she doesn't have a choice because if she admits she fell asleep Abraham will never forgive her, regardless of what happens with Isaac!. He looks at Abraham and shudders at the look of hatred and contempt toward Michelle. Mickey can't remember if he ever came across such a whirlwind of sensations.
"Poor Abraham. If that dope Michelle hadn't fallen asleep nothing would have happened. Isaac would be with them and the police wouldn't be involved. But Michelle is also to be pitied…it wasn't her fault she was tired"
Mickey's glance moves to Wally's face and smirks out loud.
"What's the matter Wally…on to something? Conflicted?"
Wally sits up suddenly and says to Abraham.
"I understand you anger Abraham but you can't blame Michelle for what happened! We will investigate and reach the bottom of it!! As long as your son Isaac is missing we will follow every lead even what Michelle told…as farfetched as it sounds, we need to investigate! I truly hope we're all wrong and that Isaac will be found and returned in one piece!! Right now you need to go back home and continue to look for Isaac. What about his mother? Did you notify her? What's going on with her?"
Mickey is shocked at Wally's words. He is sure Wally is just trying to impress them! Abraham looks at Wally with contempt and says
"We already notified Eve, Isaac's mother that he's missing. She and her friends have left the hotel they were staying in and are on their way here. We promised to report when we heard anything new about Isaac"
"O.k. Abraham and Michelle. If by tomorrow morning Isaac doesn't return the police will start investigating…Make sure Eve also comes in to give her statement and I would like Gideon her spouse to come in too...Preferably with Eve".
Mickey again shakes his head in disagreement. He waves his hand and leaves the room. Wally walks around the room and every once in a while approaches Michelle or Abraham whispering something in their ear or asking something and listening. At the same time, Mickey secreatly, takes his flask from his pocket and let's the strong liquid crawl down his throat pleasurably. His brain is fogged up in whiskey fumes. He waits impatiently to the good mood that usually descends with the whiskey and can't understand why Isaac's disappearance bothers him like a tumor…where is the evil madness floating through the air, clinging to his body and thoughts like a concealed tick going…like a monster gnawing on every cell in his brain!!!