A father and a younger daughter. His head is bowed, his eyes staring at his phone’s wallpaper showing himself, the younger daughter, all embraced by a young woman with a bright and warm smile. The little girl would tug on her father’s sleeve, consoling him believing it might not be her big sister.

A husband. He sat with his arms around his body, clenching his elbows to fight back a shiver. Jaws clenches, sweating across the forehead, lips pursed trying to keep his composure. He would end up bowing forward in his seat, folding his hands and whispering a prayer for his wife’s safety.

An elderly couple. It was the first time coming to the big city. A police cruiser had to be dispatched to guide them from the wrong highway. The woman would fight back tears and the man would hug her small shoulders. They embraced one another, shaking their head in regret for letting their daughter go to the city for college alone.

A pair of young women. One was sitting politely at the table, hands interlink and waiting patiently for the news. The other had her legs tucked to her chest, heels rubbing dirt on the chair she sat in, her hand occupied with a game she muted. The polite one would nudge her friend in the ribs, making the latter roll her eyes and look at something else on her phone to avoid making tapping noises with her designer nails.

~Bing~

A sharp tingling sensation ran up Jenny’s spine. The notification from her tablet was echoed in the silent room. The atmosphere grew heavy on her shoulders when she noticed everyone staring at her. She pulled up her tablet, gave it a few taps with her finger and opened up a file.

Once more, Jenny’s tightened her jaw muscles.

“The victim’s name...is Sarah Tucker.”