The station had been all hands on deck for the past couple of days. with the Jane Doe case.
Mom had been buried in work, unable to get home. With Kelly away on a study trip, there was no one to drop off meals for her.
Late one night, while Charlie was handing out snacks to the night shift, he joked, “No food delivery from your niece today, huh?
And hey, Captain Cooper, I’ve never seen your daughter around. Are you keeping her hidden so we don’t steal her away?”
Mom stopped reaching for her snack and frowned. “Don’t bring that brat up. Just talking about her annoys me.”
Charlie, unaware of her irritation, kept talking. “Captain Cooper, heard you lost out on a promotion way back because you were pregnant. Never really got another shot, did you? That’s too bad.”
He punched his fist into his palm, trying to cheer her up. “Who knows, maybe cracking this case will finally get you that promotion.”
Mom glanced at him, annoyed. “Let’s just focus on the case, okay? Cut the small talk, or you can kiss any promotion goodbye.”
I stood next to Mom, chuckling to myself.
I thought, “Mom, if my death somehow secures the promotion you’ve always wanted, maybe it’s worth it.
At least it would make up for all those years of ‘raising‘ me, though you were far from a model parent.”
Maybe because my name came up, Mom pulled out her phone and dialed my number. She hadn’t bothered to save it with any special
note.
In contrast, Kelly’s number was pinned at the top of her contacts, complete with a heart emoji next to her name.
When my phone didn’t connect, Mom quickly lost her patience. She shoved her phone back into her bag, cursing under her breath, “Damn it, she’s been out for days without a word. What, is she selling herself?
10:45
But with her sour face, no guy would want her. Such a bitch, always causing me trouble.”
I couldn’t help a bitter smile, thinking, “Mom, did you really despise me that much? Well, you won’t have to see me ever again. That should make you happy.”
The other officers had never seen Mom lash out like that, especially about her own daughter. They exchanged uneasy glances, staying silent, with only the sound of flipping papers filling the room.
At 2 AM, the case finally cracked open.
Warren, the medical examiner, looking exhausted, approached Mom with a stack of papers, ready to share the latest findings.
“There are multiple injuries on the victim,” he explained, his voice heavy with disgust. “We also found a necklace, seems like the killer took it off the victim and hid it in her body.”
Mom seemed to zone out, fixating on the necklace in the photo as if she hadn’t heard a thing.
Leaning closer, I recognized it. It was the silver necklace I’d worn since childhood, engraved with my name.
It had been a gift from my dad before he passed away.
Mom clutched the photo tightly, her hands shaking. “Are we sure this necklace belonged to the victim?”
“Absolutely. It was well–hidden. I nearly missed it. And from the pelvic bones, the victim was no more than 20 years old. What a real tragedy,” Warren said, visibly angry.
The rest of the team murmured their sympathy for the young victim. Charlie noticed Mom’s intense focus on the photo and came over for a closer look.
He soon noticed something. Frowning, he asked, “Is there writing on
this?
Y… C… What does that stand for?”
They were my initials, Yasmin Cooper
