Getting Rosier into the car was a more grueling task than I had predicted. He whined about the party and about being bored at the motel alone. He didn’t get in until I threatened to leave him at the motel while I went to the police station as well. It was like having a fussy toddler, or an obnoxious little sibling that refuses to be left at home. A problem I rarely had had with Maggie. She was well behaved on her own.

Rosier put the window all the way down despite the subtle bite in the Autumn air. He closed his eyes and leaned into it. I let the radio scan, switching between opera, a sermon, staticky pop before switching it off and opting for silence.

“Is your sister an angel, too?” Rosier asked suddenly. His tone wasn’t mocking or playful for once. Just… friendly. As if he was asking if she was on the soccer team. I glanced towards him. His eyes were closed, he was feeling the sun on his face, letting it soak into his skin.

“No. And once again, I am not an angel. Just… a Nephilim. Part angel.” It felt odd to talk about, to tell someone about. When Annabeth told me what I was, what we both were, she had tried to explain, and I had run. She had given me the book I had used to summon Rosier and told me it was something of a beginner’s guide. I had packed my things and left town. I felt assured Maggie would be safe without me, that I was the connection to a dangerous world she would be better off without. Now she was missing. Probably because of that same world. I could feel it in my gut, she had gone missing because of forces beyond the human world. Even with the distance, I had placed between us, she was still at risk. Redding was just a sleepy small town in the Pacific Northwest, we hadn’t had a missing person’s case since before anyone could remember. It had to have been my fault.

“How does that work?” Rosier asked, he stayed stone still.

“Different fathers.” Although I didn’t love revealing anything about myself to Rosier, this had to be harmless enough.

“So, you’re a half angel.” He decided.

“Maybe less. Who knows how angel my father was…” I turned onto the road of the police station, pulling into a parallel spot outside of the precinct.

“You don’t know him?” Rosier finally turned towards me. A normal person would ask this apologetically. Rosier wasn’t that.

“Nope.” I pulled my bag from the backseat and stepped out of the car.

“Then who taught you about your angelic background?” Rosier climbed out of the passenger side, asking the question over the roof of the car. I tensed and cast a look around. No one seemed to be in earshot.

“Keep it down,” I growled and headed for the station. It was a small precinct. We didn’t even have a missing person’s department. I wondered who Maggie’s case had been given too. I had known most of the cops in town before my departure- not by choice.

I started up the long stretch of granite steps leading up to the precinct when I looked behind me. Rosier’s pace was much slower, not so urgent. I briefly wondered if he was trying to get some distance so he could attempt another escape. Had he figured out that I didn’t know how to send him back? Then I saw his expression. He was still pouting about the party. I rolled my eyes and hurried up the steps.

Pushing through the front doors I was assaulted by the smell of stale coffee and cigarettes. The station seemed a bit more run-down than I remembered. They still had the same peeling vinyl tile in the waiting area. Still, the same front desk, not guarded by any plexiglass or a barrier like you might see in the city. Just a dark wood desk with a woman wearing glasses and typing away at a computer dividing the waiting room from the officer’s desks that were in slightly uneven rows. Less than thirty of them with a few doors lining the length of the room. The bathroom, a couple of interrogation rooms, some offices. I zeroed in on the older woman at the desk. A frizz of red hair sat atop her head and she peered over green reading glasses at the computer, the light of which illuminated the deep folds in her sagging face. She still hadn’t noticed me.

“Hello,” I was realizing it might be time to dress a little more like an adult. I pictured a blazer and pencil skirt in place of my sneakers and jeans. Of course, I didn’t own a blazer or a pencil skirt. Still, I felt myself shift uncomfortably under her gaze when she finally turned towards me. “I need to talk to the detective working on my sister’s case,” I informed her.

“And who is your sister, Miss?” The woman cracked her gum.

“Right- Maggie Castillo.” Rosier finally caught up, I could feel his heat emanating before I looked to find him standing next to me, still pouting.

“Is Maggie short for something?” She asked.

“No, just Maggie.” I confirmed. She pulled open the drawer at her desk and trailed a finger along a series of files.

“Just Maggie?” Rosier asked. I nodded.

“Our mom didn’t like Margaret. Just Maggie.” He nodded slowly taking in this random fact as if it were imperative. I didn’t like that.

The receptionist pulled a thin file from the desk and flipped it open.

“We’re still moving our backlogged cases into an online format.” It sounded almost like an apology but she glanced at me with an eyebrow raised, annoyed. I stared back, confused by the agitation before Rosier nudged me. I looked at him and he was looking down at the foot I hadn’t realized I had been tapping.

“Sorry,” I muttered and stayed still. I didn’t mean to rush her but by God was she slow. She seemed to peel back the cover of the file with intentional slowness. Her eyes skimmed it. The clock on the wall ticked loudly. I had to consciously remind myself not to start tapping my foot again.

“It looks like the case is pretty much closed, but the Officer working it was-” She trailed off and her brow furrowed as she read something else. “It looks like it was reassigned, that’s why it’s still open.”

“I don’t understand, why would it be closed? My sister is still missing.” I asked urgently. I looked down and realized my palms were now resting on her desk and I was leaning towards her, trying to sneak a peek at the file. She closed it quickly and shot me a nasty look.

“I’m not sure about the specifics. The detective to talk to would be…” She opened the file again, just a peep before roughly closing it and placing it on the desk. “Ambrosio.”

“Great, which one is he?” I looked past her at the maze of mostly empty desks. I tried to see if I could recognize any of the Officers that were at their desks. The receptionist looked at a clipboard, her manicured nail trailing down the list.

“He is… not in. Sorry, we are unable to accommodate you at the moment.” She said and returned to her typing. I stared at her blankly, waiting for more.

“He’s not in at the moment,” I repeated, my voice shaking slightly. I felt Rosier’s touch, feather light but I retracted like he had stuck an electrical socket to my arm. I whipped towards him. He was staring at me patiently, bemused. He stepped forward, approaching the desk, himself.

“Glynis, listen…we would really appreciate anything you could tell us. You can probably understand that Miss Clara here is under a great deal of stress, as I’m sure you are, too. If you could just point us in the right direction, it would really put us at ease. I would appreciate it. Very much.”

Her thin lips actually curled into a small smile for him. She took another look at the clipboard.

“Ambrosio is off until tomorrow night. I’m sure he can find some time to talk to you then.”

“Thank you so much. This is so helpful.” He smiled at her before stepping back so he was next to me again. I looked up at him, an eyebrow raised. Glynis returned to her computer, this time her expression was soft.

“Was that some kind of demon trick?” I whispered. I had read that demons had… certain powers of persuasion along with a few others. I was still learning. I probably shouldn’t have made it so obvious how exciting that idea was. He was my first demon after all. I hadn’t been sure if I had believed everything the book had said. Having powers, though. That felt exciting.

He almost laughed.

“Bird, that was no demon trick. It’s called asking nicely.” He scoffed at my poor manners. My smile faltered.

“But, how did you know her name?” I felt sure I had caught him. Instead he merely gestured towards her nameplate.

Glynis Roberts It read.

I let out a sigh, feeling foolish.

“Dear,” Glynis said to us. Rosier stepped closer. “Over there is Ambrosio’s partner, she might know a couple of things about the case.” She pointed towards an Officer who had just entered the precinct, coffee cup in hand. She looked about thirty or so, with a tight dark bun at the base of her neck and her eyes down. Before I heard Rosier’s response, I was approaching the officer.

“Hello!” I said a little too loudly. The officer looked up, startled. “Sorry- I just had a couple questions for you.”

“Oh- we don’t do press.” She tried to side step me.

“I’m not a reporter-“

“An intern, whatever.” She tried to walk around me again but I planted myself in front of her. She looked at me, clearly annoyed. I was not having the best day with people.

“I’m actually Maggie Castillo’s sister, I was told you might know about her case. You and your partner are working on it?” Her shoulders sagged as she realized that now she really would have to talk to me. She stuck a hand out for me to shake.

“I’m Officer Paige Bailey. I’m sorry about your sister. The case though… there isn’t much to say actually. And I’m not really on the case with him, he took it on his own.” My eyebrows drew together.

“Why would he take it alone? Is that normal?” I questioned.

“Not really. We were about to close it, seems like your average teenage runaway. It seemed to him, I dunno, personal?” That didn’t make sense to me.

“Why would you close the case? She’s still missing.” I focused on that.

“It’s my understanding that you have been out of town for a few years?” I nodded slowly, not sure how that was related. “This kind of behavior has become kind of a staple for Maggie. She’s kind of a regular here. Shoplifting, breaking curfew, truancy. Running away seems like the next jump. There was no evidence of foul play. Ambrosio asked for the case. I’m sure he’s just double-checking everything. Making sure the ducks are in order. There isn’t anything to investigate here.” I stared at her in shock. None of this sounded like Maggie- and even if it did, that didn’t make the fact that she had yet been found any less apparent. I was seething.

“She’s a minor and she’s been gone for weeks,” I said quietly. It felt futile.

“We can’t keep expending valuable police resources on a case that is clearly just a cry for attention. I’m sorry but I’m sure she’ll turn up soon. If you would like to help, I’m sure Ambrosio would love to ask you a few questions before officially closing it. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She stepped around me and walked past Glynis to her desk. I wanted to cause a scene. To throw a tantrum on the floor. With tears, and pounding fists. The whole shebang. Instead, I felt Rosier’s touch again as he led me towards the doors. The world teetered from side to side.

My chest fluttered as reality seemed to somersault around me. All this time… and no one was looking for her. I had hoped for at least some leads that I could follow. A small part had hoped it was something human that had taken Maggie, something that normal detective work could solve. She was so small and so alone. All this time. I felt the sun on my skin before I registered that we were already outside. The salty air filled my lungs and pulled me back to the present. Rosier only stared at me silently. I wondered how long we had been standing there while I heaved breath, seeing stars. He didn’t say a word.

“Let’s go.” I whispered and started down the steps.

“Why are you fleeing, little bird? Did you get the answers you were looking for?” I shot him a look full of venom but paused on the steps.

“The answers I was- did you think the officer told me Maggie was dead?” I asked incredulously. He paused, just watching me again, reading me. I hated that.

“That kind of answer seems to warrant this kind of reaction.” My vision blurred and I looked away from him.

“Almost the opposite, actually. They had nothing. They told me nothing. And I’ll go back tomorrow to see the other Detective and he will probably tell me the same thing. That they have nothing and they’re done wasting time looking.” I spat the words. My throat tightened. I urged tears not to flow. Not right now in front of the demon I summoned and the precinct that failed me. When I met his gaze, he wore a small, patient smile. This was unlike his others.

He pulled a thin file from behind his back and handed it to me. The tab read Maggie Castillo. It was from the file from Glynis’s desk. I snatched it from his hands.

“How did you get this!?” I almost laughed as I flipped the file open and began flipping through the pages inside.

“Demon trick.” He said. I paused to check if he was teasing me again. He looked serious.

“Really?” I breathed.

“This time, yes.” I could’ve hugged him. If that had been appropriate.