Chapter 24 Drunk

Alyssa's residence.

A Dodge was parked on the roadside.

Luke emerged from the car and warned David, "If you try to kick down the door without a search warrant, you'll regret it."

David brushed off the warning, "Come on, don't be so uptight. It depends on the situation, not every time. In a neighborhood like this, where shady characters hang out, it's not a big deal to do that. It's normal."

Alyssa's yard was open, with the garage on the left and another garage on the right. The lawn was neatly trimmed.

Luke gestured for David to stand back. "I'll handle the door."

David replied, "We're partners; we should trust each other more."

"Then earn my trust," Luke said as he walked up to the door and knocked. "Knock, knock…"

There was no answer.

Luke knocked again, more forcefully. "Knock, knock…"

A gruff voice called from inside, "Who the hell is knocking? You'll be sorry when I get out!"

The door creaked open, revealing a disheveled man in his thirties. His face was flushed, and his hair was unkempt. "Who are you looking for?"

Luke detected a strong smell of alcohol and noted the man's state—he was likely still groggy. "Alyssa."

"There's no one by that name here. Leave," the man said, attempting to close the door.

Luke wedged his foot against the door and displayed his police badge. "LAPD. If Alyssa isn't here, we need to talk."

The man's demeanor softened slightly as he saw the badge. "What do you want?"

"Where's Alyssa?"

"Don't know. Maybe she ran off with some rich guy. Who knows?"

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Why do you want to know? What's wrong with Alyssa?"

"I'm asking the questions. Answer them."

"It was Friday… yes, Friday afternoon. She said she was going to her parents' house and never came back."

"Have you been looking for her?"

"No. She sent a text saying we were done and not to come looking for her."

"What's your name?"

"Steven Moore."

"What's the issue between you two?"

"It's just some family stuff… Are you police officers here to handle family drama? Why aren't you in uniform?"

"We're detectives from the Robbery and Murder Division."

"Robbery and Murder Division! What's this about?"

"We're investigating a robbery, and Alyssa might be involved. We need to ensure her safety."

"Are you serious?"

"You didn't doubt the text message? Never considered that my wife might be kidnapped and the suspect used her phone to text?" Steven's expression turned to one of self-reproach. "Alyssa's phone hasn't been reachable. I thought she was ignoring my calls, maybe leaving me…"

"No, no, she won't be in trouble. Absolutely not!"

Luke was wary of dealing with someone in Steven's intoxicated state.

"Steven, calm down. We're here to find Alyssa. If you want us to locate her quickly, you need to cooperate."

"Okay, what should I do?" Steven stepped aside. "Please come in and let's talk."

Luke entered the house, which was in disarray. The coffee table was cluttered with leftover food, and the sofa was covered with miscellaneous items.

"Our first priority is to determine if Alyssa left on her own or if she's in danger. If it's the former, it's a marital issue. If it's the latter, we'll do everything we can to find her."

"You know her best," Luke continued. "If she wasn't kidnapped, where might she be?"

Steven replied without hesitation, "Her parents' house."

"Have you checked there?"

"No."

"Have you called them?"

"No."

"If you think Alyssa might be at her parents' house, why haven't you called them?"

"My relationship with her parents isn't great. If Alyssa wanted to leave me, they'd support her, and I even suspect they might have encouraged it."

"Do you have any other way to contact Alyssa?"

"No."

"If you can't find her, you might consider contacting her parents. We'll handle that," Luke said, preparing to leave.

"Oh, you're leaving now?"

Luke stopped. "When you're sober, come by the Robbery and Murder Division to give a statement."

"Even though I've been drinking, I'm sober now. I want to help you find Alyssa."

"Okay, how do you plan to help?"

Steven hesitated, unsure of what to say.

"Don't let me see you again until you're sober," Luke sighed and left the house.

David followed, muttering, "I really want to punch that guy."

At the Detective Department.

As Luke and David reached the office, they saw Captain Susan rushing out.

"Where's the captain?" David asked.

The deputy, adjusting his sparse silver hair, replied, "She was called away by the director. It's likely related to the Taser robbery case."

"Have you found any leads on Alyssa?" Luke asked.

The deputy shook his head. "Alyssa wasn't at home. We spoke to her husband, who was drunk and clueless, thinking his wife ran off with a rich man."

"Usually, the husband is the prime suspect in cases like this. Why not bring him in for questioning?" the deputy suggested.

"That guy was too drunk. Do you want to take a statement from someone in that state?"

"No," the deputy agreed. "But I've seen people get drunk deliberately to avoid questioning. Keep an eye on him. From my experience, he might be hiding something."

"Understood, captain."

The deputy corrected him, "It's deputy chief. Don't try to flatter me, I'm not interested."

Luke turned to Raymond. "Inspector Raymond, have you managed to locate Alyssa's cell phone signal?"

Raymond responded solemnly, "I contacted the technical department, but they couldn't trace Alyssa's phone. It's currently disconnected."

"Any updates from Alyssa's parents?" Luke inquired.

Jenny answered, "I notified them, but they don't know Alyssa's whereabouts. They're very anxious and are reaching out to friends and relatives."

The deputy chief concluded, "With Alyssa's phone disconnected, no contact with her family, and her disappearance matching patterns of previous victims, she's likely the third victim of the Taser robbery. The suspect seems to know her well, possibly an acquaintance."

Before the deputy chief could finish, the office door was abruptly flung open.