I.
THE MISSING BOY
There was a sudden ring at the door.
Silence.
Alexandra Green jerked upright. Long before her eyes could focus, the stiffness in her neck made it painfully clear that she had fallen asleep on the couch. A quick glance at her wrist revealed the time - 7:00 a.m. - rubbing the remnants of sleep from her tired eyes, she wondered.
Who on earth would disturb me at this hour?
And on a Sunday, no less?
She yawned, stretching slowly before rising to her feet. The doorbell rang again, more insistent this time.
Irritated, she stepped into the hallway, her beige dressing gown - a cheap imitation of silk - loosely draped over her, revealing the white nightshirt beneath that reached just to her knees. With an air of growing annoyance, she unlocked the door and opened it.
Standing on the threshold was an elderly lady with silver hair pinned up in a neat bun. She wore a pair of round spectacles with thick black rims, and a hand-knit grey cardigan that appeared to be of her own making. The woman clutched a small dark brown handbag against her chest, as if it were a shield, her thin fingers wrapped tightly around the straps.
"Hello," the woman stammered, her voice uncertain."Are you Alexandra Green? The detective?"
Alex suppressed an awkward smile, tightening the sash of her robe around her waist. With a polite gesture, she invited the elderly lady inside. Guiding her into the living room, she prepared a hot cup of tea to calm the visitor’s nerves. Without a word, she pressed the warm cup into the woman’s trembling hands. Then, with a measured grace, Alex lowered herself into a broad reading chair, positioned at an angle opposite the couch. The guest unknowingly seated herself where Alex had earlier been napping, blissfully unaware of the fact.
Nonsense, Alex thought to herself.
She must have realized.
Surely, she knows that if I had been in the bedroom, it would have taken me far longer to reach the door.
It's obvious I’ve just woken up, isn’t it?
No, no, she chided herself, rolling her eyes inwardly.
She’s too preoccupied, burdened with the grief of losing someone dear.
She wouldn't have notic