Her first thought was that this damn cop had destroyed Leo's room.
Everything was scattered all over the floor, scattered all over the room. It was a complete mess.
Then Arbel remembered that this was how Leo's room looked on a good day.
God, she has a messy brother.
The cop was standing at Leo's desk, handing something to the policewoman who had come in.
The policewoman took the thing, which turned out to be a piece of paper, looked at it for a few seconds, then handed it back to Arbel.
Arbel instinctively reached out and picked up the paper, looking down at it in confusion.
She blinked, surprised.
It was an old family photo of them. From the time when their parents were still considered part of the family. The time before Arbel's father destroyed the family and her mother fled to another country just to avoid seeing her children.
But her parents wasn't even the most disturbing part of the photo, it is what someone did to the picture.
All the faces in the picture, hers, Leo's, and Mom and Dad's, were all defaced.
As if someone had taken a pen or a knife and scratched them all over. That was also the only thing wrong with the picture. If they had ignored the ruined faces, this could have been a nice picture.
Arbel looked up at the officers inquiringly and the partner of the woman she was talking to held up a few more pictures and explained:
"There are dozens of pictures here, and in each one there are all the ruined faces. Not just family or friends, *all* the faces"
Arbel looked at the pictures in the officer's hand and indeed, she could see different pictures from different places. The only thing they had in common was that someone had scratched all the faces.
"What does that mean-?" Arbel asked and then corrected herself "-What do you think it means?"
The officers exchanged glances before the officer looked at her again "It seemed that Leo was under pressure, growing up without parents for example can be hard even for the strongest people-"
Arbel didn't like the direction this was going in
"-This isn't the first time we've seen a child run away from home-..."
The officer continued talking but Arbel wasn't listening to her anymore. Why would she listen to someone who says nonsense that isn't true? Run away from home? Bullshit.
It was her brother, she knew her brother. He was stronger and smarter than her, he doesn't run away. He stays put and annoys you. Like he should.
"Leo didn't run away from home" Arbel interrupted the officer.
The officer didn't seem convinced "I know it's hard to believe sometimes but-"
Arbel didn't let her finish "-Leo didn't run away from home. While you're wasting your time here he's outside. He could be hurt or kidnapped or who knows!"
She got annoyed
But the officers continued with these expressions. The cold, indifferent expressions as if they don't hear her, or more precisely as if they don't care.
"Look around-" the policeman said impatiently, already looking like he was planning to leave "- the boy has clearly had a nervous breakdown"
Arbel could feel her face reddening "So because of a few ruined photos you're giving up on looking for my brother?"
The policeman had already left the room at this point, probably deciding that Arbel and her brother weren't even worth his presence anymore. Only the policewoman stayed for a moment, saying some final words to Arbel:
"If we find anything we'll let you know. And if you find anything or your brother contacts you, let us know"
Then the policewoman, whose name Arbel still didn't know, gave her a dry smile and left.
And Arbel was left alone in her brother's room, confused about what the hell was going on with the taxpayers' money. Because this shit show definitely wasn't worth it.
She sat down on Leo's bed, looking at her little brother's chaotic room. She wondered where he was now, what he was doing.
Was he okay.
Then she slapped herself.
What a fucking idiot she is, he's obviously fine! It's Leo for God's sake.
When he was five and he fell and broke his arm in the playground he hid it for almost three days before anyone noticed. The kid is a total psychopath. She's sure that no matter where he is or what happens to him, he's fine.
She frowned, and even if he isn't, that's what big sisters are for. Arbel going to find him, help him, and then spank him for making her worry.
It was always her and him facing the world, from the moment she learned to walk she also learned to take care of him.
Nothing new here.
Arbel took out her phone, dialed Rosie's phone. She hoped that this time for a change she would be available, they had work to do.