Excerpt: "Dan"

We stood behind the police line and watched as his body was removed from the car. Everyone behind the line remained silent. Could it be? Dan Peterson had been missing for three weeks. His family were hopeful that he would return but things weren’t looking so well. The red car belonged to the Peterson Family and the body they found was that of a young white male.

Rafael squeezed my hand. “I think it’s him.” Rafael had become practically obsessed with Dan’s disappearance. He had been following the case on T.V. and had interviewed a few people in the neighborhood. On his wall he had created a timeline of Dan’s whereabouts.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. I watched as the police officer cover the body with a sheet. They didn’t announce anything. The ambulance simply drove away with the body. “Come on, let’s go home.” We pushed through the crowd and walked down the block home. Mom had been waiting for us to eat dinner.

“I’m glad you’re home.” She rushed us inside. “I don’t want you out after dark, okay? I’m worried about Dan’s disappearance.”

“They found a body.” Rafael said.

“Oh no.” His mother sat down at the kitchen table. Her hands went straight to her chest.  “Well, is it him?”