Anything to help find Beatrice

"Detective Ramirez? I'm Victoria Carter. I need to report my sister, Beatrice Carter Hawk, missing."

"Beatrice? Beatrice is missing?!" Ramirez exclaimed, surprised and concerned.

"I heard you were close to my sister, Beatrice. You've been childhood friends. Has... has she contacted you?" Victoria asked, her voice trembling slightly.

David motioned for her to take a seat. "Please, Ms. Carter, sit down and tell me everything."

Victoria sat, clutching her handbag tightly. Her relationship with Beatrice was not close; they never attended the same school despite being only two years apart. Meanwhile, David had been in the same school as Beatrice from elementary through high school.

"As you know, Beatrice was in a coma for two weeks following a car accident. She was then transferred to a mental institution because her mental state was unstable after waking up from the coma. But she was reported missing from that institution three days ago, and no one has seen or heard from her since. I went to her house, but she wasn't there. I'm really worried. This isn't like her."

Ramirez took out his notepad, jotting down the details. "When exactly was the last time you saw your sister?"

"The day she woke up from the coma," Victoria replied. "I was at the hospital with her. She seemed... different, distant. I thought it was just the trauma, but now I'm not so sure. Atlas said Beatrice was seeing things, talking to people who weren't there, and acting unlike herself."

"And her husband, Atlas Hawk? Has he reported her missing?" Ramirez asked, looking up from his notes.

Victoria's expression darkened. "Atlas is the reason I'm here. I don't trust him. There's something off about the way he's handling this. He didn't even seem that concerned when she went missing. Also…,"

"Anything else?" asked Ramirez.

"Yes," Victoria replied, "Beatrice had mentioned that she was considering asking for a divorce from Atlas…"

Ramirez could hardly believe his ears. "Didn't Beatrice love Atlas deeply?!"

Victoria shrugged. "As I said before, Beatrice changed a bit after waking up from the coma."

"Thank you, Ms. Carter. We'll start by looking into Beatrice's hospital records and any recent activities. We'll also speak to Mr. Hawk. Is there anyone else who might know about her whereabouts?"

Victoria shook her head. "No, not that I know of. Please, Detective, find her. She's all the family I have left."

"We'll do everything we can, Ms. Carter," Ramirez assured her. "If you think of anything else, no matter how small, give us a call."

After Victoria left, Ramirez called Officer Jenkins back in.

"Get me everything we have on Beatrice Carter Hawk and her husband, Atlas Hawk. Background, known associates, any criminal connections. I want a team to start canvassing the area around the hospital. Someone must have seen something."

Jenkins nodded and hurried off, leaving Ramirez alone with his thoughts. He flipped through the initial report, a photograph of Beatrice catching his eye. Her eyes seemed to stare back at him, pleading for help.

He reached for his phone and dialed a number of his informant.

"Ramirez here. I need a favor. Can you dig into the hospital's internal records for me? I'm looking for anything unusual about Beatrice Carter Hawk's stay and discharge."

As he waited for the response, Ramirez leaned back in his chair, staring at the photo. "Hang in there, Beatrice," he muttered under his breath. "We're going to find you."

As Ramirez reflected on the case, his mind drifted back to the weeks Beatrice was in a coma. He had tried to visit her several times, hoping to see his old friend and offer some support. Each time, however, he was met with resistance from Atlas.

…

…

…

"Ramirez… or David?" Atlas had said, blocking the doorway to Beatrice's hospital room. "I appreciate your concern, but Beatrice can only have family visitors. It's too overwhelming for her otherwise."

"Atlas, I've known Beatrice since we were kids. I'm practically family," David argued, frustration evident in his voice.

"Rules are rules," Atlas responded firmly. "Only Victoria and I are allowed in. Please respect our wishes."

David had no choice but to leave, a heavy sense of unease settling in his chest. He never trusted Atlas, and now that unease had transformed into full-blown suspicion.

…

…

…

David's thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He answered quickly, hoping for news. "Ramirez here."

"Detective, it's me again. We've pulled the hospital records. There's nothing unusual about Beatrice's stay, but all the CCTV footage from the day she was discharged is missing."

David's grip tightened on the phone. "Missing? That's no coincidence. Someone's covering their tracks. Keep digging. We need to find out who's behind this."

Back at the precinct, David's team continued to piece together the puzzle. Reports came in about Beatrice's transfer to the sanatorium, but the details were murky.

No one seemed to know exactly where she had been taken, and those who might have known were tight-lipped.

"Victoria might be right," he thought. "Atlas knows more than he's letting on."

As he hung up, David's resolve hardened. Everything about this case felt off, like someone was deliberately trying to erase Beatrice from the picture. And now Victoria, her own sister, had come to him, desperate for help.

He stood up, grabbing his coat. "Jenkins, get the team ready. We're paying Atlas Hawk a visit."

David and his team arrived at the Hawk residence, a sprawling mansion on the outskirts of town. The gate was imposing, but they were let in after a brief exchange with the guards.

As they approached the front door, Atlas himself greeted them, a composed but wary expression on his face.

"Detective Ramirez," Atlas said smoothly. "What brings you here?"

"We're here to ask you a few questions about your wife, Mr. Hawk," David replied, his tone firm. "Mind if we come in?"

Atlas stepped aside, allowing them entry. "Of course, Detective. Anything to help find Beatrice."

As they entered, David couldn't shake the feeling that he was walking into a lion's den. Atlas was too calm, too prepared. He knew this wasn't going to be a simple visit.

*