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Atlas Missing - Part 11

Jaci may have been tired, but I was more focused on the food. I was extremely hungry, starving even. Unfortunately, I didn't think that Hannah's taste in food was all that good. Mine was basically a #barmecide dish, and I couldn't even tell you what it was that I ate.

***

Jaci may have been tired, but I was more focused on the food. I was extremely hungry, starving even. Unfortunately, I didn't think that Hannah's taste in food was all that good. Mine was basically a #barmecide dish, and I couldn't even tell you what it was that I ate.

***

The apartment complex had beautiful landscaped grounds, but I only had eyes for my bed. Hannah gave us the keys and left, promising to be back at first light. Jaci began acting like an #agelast. It was her exhaustion talking, but she didn't laugh at any of my silly jokes.

***

I slept pretty well, waking up feeling quite refreshed. I was a little disoriented at first before I realized where I was. I was dehydrated so I had to quickly #xertz a bottle of water before going to the restroom and having a shower. I knew it was going to be a long day.

***

Jaci and I were ready by the time Hannah arrived with breakfast.

'I guess I'm capable of #abnegation of calorie counting for one meal,' Jaci said, eyeing at all the carb-rich foods.

'There's some healthy stuff in there, too,' Hannah told her. 'Egg white wraps, I think.'

***

'Thank you,' Jaci replied. 'I really didn't want to get hangry and #obstreperous because I didn't eat breakfast.'

Hannah smiled. 'No worries. I assume you'd like to go through the reports today?'

'We need to get a start on it to know where to go next,' I said to her.

***

'What do you mean "where to go next"?'

'An investigation goes down many paths and we have to go down each one until we've exhausted them all. If we're lucky, we find the criminal. Get a piece of paper and draw an #octothorpe. Play a game of Tic Tac Toe against yourself.

***

'If you don't make a mistake, it's an unwinnable game. There are thousands of combinations, just as there are thousands of possible paths in an investigation. The reports give us a start, a #debut, if you will. I like to put together a timeline and see what it tells us.'

***

'That's an interesting approach,' Hannah mused aloud.

'It serves me well most of the time,' I replied.

'Can we get going, #already?' Jaci asked as she scarfed down her spinach and egg white wrap.

'Sure, I can eat on the way,' I muttered.

'Let's go, then,' Hannah said.

***

'You've got to learn to #relax,' I said as we got into the car. 'I know you're stressed about your ex, but there's nothing you can do about it. You have to let the cops handle it.'

'I don't care about him. I care that he just left Charley on her own with no explanation.'

***

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