The Roswell Sheriff Department
“You have reached the Sheriff’s department, how can I help you?” came the voice of Crystal Holmes as she sat in the receptionist’s chair because she was taking over for the deputy who had a medical appointment, and by some lark, it was decided that she could pick up the phone when it rang because she and Tripp had not come here looking for this to happen. And they did not know what was going on up the street.
Because it has not risen up to their level yet.
And because Archie was not wanting company, and Crystal was liking the time she was spending with Tripp. It was better than finding the next bus to go home on she thought because she was not confident that she could stay onto Monday. The way my brother’s life is going she thought, I might be on the next bus home she muttered.
It did not matter if the next one to leave his town was not onto Monday. Archie would think of something she thought. If he put his mind up to it. So, she decided the better policy was to stay away from her brother, and plus, he is annoying when his in a funk she thought and it was not like she could deny him the period of funkiness, he has earned it.
Because I would not want to wonder what was going on Crystal thought. Because my life is much simpler, she thought. So, she and Tripp had toured around town. And found themselves stopping at the station to take his grandfather for lunch. Even though he was supposed to be seeing his grandparents that night.
Tripp had told him I am not convinced it will happen she thought. Crystal did not know enough to know whether to believe him or not. Because Tripp felt something was happening, and it was colliding towards them.
So, checking in with the Sheriff’s department was a wise.
But Jim Valenti did not have time for lunch. He was busy on some case or something. Which Tripp found amusing because if it does not have origins in the alien human case file, this town is very tame he muttered but he did not know what his father went through each day. Yes, it was calm, but there were days like this, one thing after another.
And one more reason he was looking at retirement.
But that day was not coming yet.
When there were days this one, and he did not even know what was transpiring up the street. “Are you sure you know what you are doing?” Jim asked as he stood by his grandson, and looked at the new receptionist for the day, as he looked at his grandson who he had drafted to help with the IT, because the computer system was on the fritz, and it was as antiquated as ever, Grandpa you need to modernize Tripp would constantly tell his grandfather when he was drafted into matters like this, but for some reason Tripp Valenti was able to deal with the old technology better than his grandfather.
At least they are not computers that were around back at the end of the last century Tripp would think. As Jim would only laugh at his grandson, and tell him, it is a lot better than it was once upon a time.
Tripp believed him, but he had to believe there were other people who could help out. But it kept him around, and when Crystal picked up the first phone call, she was drafted into helping until the deputy returned.
Crystal was finding she was a people person. She liked talking and taking messages. Tripp only laughed, and continued to work on the computer that was on the fritz. And when his grandfather asked him the latest question, he looked up, “Of course, I know what I am doing” Tripp murmured.
Of course, he had doubts about it, but he was not about to voice them to his grandfather. Like his father, you only present a side that does not add to the questions, “Crystal needed a friend,” he muttered. And plus, it is better than crushing on someone who is taken, and in in the middle of a break down he muttered as he thought of Claudia.
“Is she really headed home on Monday?” Jim asked.
“That is the plan,” Tripp muttered as he put his head down and focused on the task at hand, “Come on Grandpa, you really need to upgrade these computers” Tripp muttered. ‘I don’t know how keeping the office in the old way helps this new world we are in?”
“It is hard to change,” Jim muttered. “Maybe you are right, but what is working is working right now,” he sighed. Remaking this office will be the job for the next guy he would think. But he was not ready to call it a day.
Although that day would come.
“I am not sure about that,” Tripp muttered as he finished up. “If you got new computers, you would not need to draft me into this work?”
“Then you would not get the extra money for that college fund of yours,” Jim said with a laugh. Knowing the one thing his son had done was getting that college fund going from birth, and fortunately he has not had to dip into it he thought, unlike me with Kyle he thought. Not that Kyle had much of a college fund because of the times, and they believed if he would go, it would be in sports they both would think.
Unfortunately, an alien invasion changed that they both knew although Kyle knew he could not totally blame that because his life changed a lot before graduation, and any money he did have for college had to be spent to keep the roof over their head, and why I had to spend senior year working he muttered. At a job I hated.
“I can find money elsewhere. And I do work for Dad you know.”
Thankfully. “But it’s slow, right?” Jim asked.
“At the moment,” Tripp acknowledged. “But there is always business coming in, but it is slow right now. And that is assuming Dad can get the Crashdown job, then there might be work coming. But they are still in the talking phase,” he muttered. All they are doing is talking on that one he thought. “And then there is talk about some kind of work at Kyla’ grandfather’s place.”
“Max’s place,” Jim muttered, a completely bizarre situation he knew. He had not talked to Max about it in a few days, and therefore he did not know if Max was holding what he had known of Liz’s situation against him, but he doubted it, I knew, but I also did not know at the same he sighed.
The fact that it was quiet made him hopeful. But he also knew it was going to change one of these days.
It always does.
“Right,” Tripp murmured. “So, there are jobs, but they are not solid at the moment.”
Jim nodded.
“So, you have more time on your hands to spend with Crystal Holmes?” Jim asked. Because he had not seen his grandson with too many women since he had broken up with his former girlfriend. And he did not know how his grandson was looking at the new girl to town. “She does not live here.”
“I know,” Tripp smiled. “Relax grandpa. I can handle myself,” she sighed. “Crystal does not want to spend too much time with her brother at the moment,” he sighed.
“Is that not why she came to town?” Jim asked as he was just staring down at some paperwork that he had to do. And because he hated paperwork, but it was needed. Which is why he could not go out with his grandson and Crystal for lunch. And with his deputy out of the office, and his secondary out of the office, ill, he had to stay put to take any calls, if they were to come in, he thought.
Little did he know.
“Her brother is in a funk,” Tripp murmured. “Crystal is giving him space.”
“What’s up?” Jim asked, curious.
“Trouble with his girlfriend,” Tripp muttered as he thought of just who his girlfriend was, and how memorable she was, “Claudia Evans.”
Jim looked up at that, “Really?” he was asking.
“Yes,” Tripp nodded. “They knew each other back in Boston, apparently, although he does not live there anymore. He lives in Colorado,” he sighed. “He came to visit his girlfriend, and because everything has happened with her, they have found a cold spot in their relationship” he muttered, I don’t know how cold it will remain. “It does not help matters…” he sighed, but stopped…
“What does not help matters?” Jim asked.
“It does not matter to us,” Tripp muttered, and knowing they were all apart of it, in some way even when we are not. “You probably don’t want to know.”
“What don’t I want to know?” Jim asked of his grandson. “Is it something I should know?” he was asking. There is always a level of this drama, I am not in he thought.
“It’s just I know you don’t like thinking of Tess Harding,” Tripp muttered. Because he while he was in a dark about so much, he did know both his father and grandfather had bitter feelings about Tess Harding. And there is so much I don’t know he thought.
And he was right about that…
Tess Harding Jim shuddered. Because the memories were deep. Of that betrayal and how it caused problems for both him, but more so my son he thought. Kyle is very lucky that there is so much we kept under the table he thought. It did not make him happy to know how Tess had used his son and pawn in it, even if some of it might not have been her intended actions, but still, she willingly used my son to try to cover up for her actions he muttered, and it still dug on him, even today, nearly two decades later.
And had sent him on a spiral that took him a lot of time to dig himself out of. We believed that girl Jim thought.
So, the memories were still bright in his mind.
Thankfully, I was off the job Jim thought. At that time, he muttered, I don’t know what would have happened otherwise he murmured. But then he knew there was a lot that was wiped under the carpet, but the carpet had been lifted up for a moment there, and some of the dirt was exposed, and it cost me he thought. But I will take losing the job to save my son, and his friends.
Because his son would not be still in this world without them, but it did not mean he liked everyone one of them, and some of them were bad apples.
Unfortunately, they were right there in our midst, and we should have bought a clue, but we did not, so certainly, yes, Tess Harding brought back a set of complicated memories to the Sheriff, and he sighed, and Tripp knew this, even if he did not know everything but he knew enough to know just what Tess Harding meant to his family.
Without knowing everything, and the very something his father was trying to deal with currently. “Grandpa,” Tripp asked.
“I am fine son,” Jim sighed. “What is this about Tess Harding?” he wondered because he suspected it was something not that good.
Um, Tripp was not sure of what to say. Or should he tell his grandfather, it is going to come out, anyways he was thinking.
And so, he was prepared to tell his Grandpa. “It does seem as if…” but he was stopped by the presence of Crystal in the door. “Crystal?” he asked as he saw the newcomer.
“Ms. Holmes,” Jim asked. “Is there something?”
“Sheriff, you better take the call that came into the reception, because apparently your phone is offline, because they tried it first” she murmured as they all looked and yes indeed Jim’s office phone was off the hook.
Damn Jim thought, What calls are not getting through to me? “Those reporters were getting me pissed with their insistent calls, so I forgot that I took it off, to take a break,” he sighed, as he put the phone back into place, “What is it?” he asked. Knowing that his deputies were out, and it was just him. “Did they ask for the department, or just me?”
“Just you,” Crystal murmured. “So, you might want to take it,” she sighed. “It is your son.”
“Kyle?” Jim asked.
“Dad?” Tripp asked as he became alarmed. Not because he his father knew he was here, he does not because no one does he thought. Because he and Crystal had come here on a spur of a moment decision.
“What line?” was all Jim said, because he knew his son would not call the station unless it meant something, and was bad he thought, because I do have a cellphone he muttered, one of the old fashion types, that get the job done he thought.
But he knew his son knew how to contact him, if it was personal, he thought. “Crystal, what line?”
“Two,” said Crystal murmured.
“Thank you,” Jim said as he punched on the phone, and got to second line, “Kyle, son, what is it?”
And Tripp knew it was bad the longer his grandfather was on the phone, “Are you sure?” he was asking, “What did you see before hand, and after?” he asked, “Okay, I understand. Stay there. Keep Max and Liz there too, because I don’t need Max going off all alien on us until I know more of the situation,” he sighed, this is bad he was thinking, and there was no chance this would end well for any of them. Michael might not be here, but Max is no slouch he thought as he was pondering the situation as he got up from this desk, and reached for his hat, and his badge as he looked at Tripp.
“What is it?” Tripp asked as he looked at Crystal when his grandfather said the word, alien and he did not know if she was reacting to the odd choice of word or not but that was not his biggest concern, because something obviously was going on “Grandpa, what is it?”
“Claudia Evans was kidnapped,” was all Jim could say. “From the Crashdown.”
“What?” Tripp squeaked, and Crystal went pale.
“And Kyla was taken too,” Jim said. “I have to go over to the scene now,” he sighed. “Tripp, can you stay here until the Deputy Collins comes back,” he was asking.
“I want to come…” Tripp asked. “You might need me,” he asked.
“I don’t know what you can do,” Jim murmured. And it is not like you can help because like his son, his grandson was normal. Kyla was different.
But she was taken too, and therefore he did not know what was taken, two were taken he was thinking when considering Claudia Evans.
“I know we don’t talk about it, but come on, Kyla is my sister. I need to be there for Dad at least, and who knows what I can do…” he demanded. “Crystal…”
“I have to go find my brother,” Crystal murmured. “They might not have been talking, but he loves her, and I need to go tell Archie.”
“Go,” Tripp said as Crystal was pale and ghost like and ran off.
“Her brother…” Jim asked as his mind was elsewhere, but he was conscious enough.
“Claudia’s boyfriend,” Tripp murmured. “Archie Holmes,” he muttered, and any other thoughts of telling grandfather more of the situation was lost in the moment.
Jim nodded, “If you are coming, then let us go” he sighed, as he went and drafted a under seasoned deputy to take over, and he and his son went out to the company truck.
And drove up the street.
Unsure of what he would find.
They were not the only ones. Because while Jim and Tripp were heading to the scene, Crystal headed back to the motel. She jumped into the taxi she saw nearby, and she did not care if she did not have much, instead she charged it to the card. What Dad does not know won’t kill him she muttered to herself, and it is not like he won’t get the bill until next month anyways, so she did not care what her father was thinking…
While she drove across town towards the motel.
While across town, at the Deluca-Guerin household. Once Liz and JJ had gone off, Maria had gone back to work on setting her music set up in the basement while Lucy was zooming with an old friend from Nashville.
And when she was finished, she made herself down to the kitchen and was taking a brownie off the plate that was on the counter. She was starting to wonder what would be for dinner, or whether she should cook something because when her mother was in the zone, that was her music, even if it was just uncluttering boxes, and making sure everything was getting into the right spots, she can not come back and think about dinner and stuff like that she thought.
She usually had her father for those details, he is an awesome cook she thought. She supposed that was from his time as a fry cook at the Crashdown. That adventure had come up in many of a conversation over the years with her parents, as they told her that sometimes it takes many attempts to find the right path for yourself.
She also knew, the time at the Crashdown as an employee was more about making the rent on any given week. And not always being successful she thought. Of course, she knew she had a different life. She had a lot more freedom, and was able to more her father, or her mother and she should be grateful that they want her to take the opportunity they were able to provide for her, but I need more she thought.
Claudia has the right idea she thought. She wants the year off, to see more of the world. Of course, I am sure she wanted to spend more of that time in Colorado with Archie.
Lucy sighed, one more reason to know its wise not to get involved with anyone she muttered to herself, as she got out of her phone, and was surfing it, and getting ready to dial up her friend and see if she wanted to go to a movie or something.
“Good you are still here,” Maria murmured as she came into the kitchen. “I was thinking you might have gone somewhere.”
“Where was I going to go?” Lucy asked with a smile.
“Smart Alec,” Maria sighed with a smile. As she once more looked at her daughter and saw how grown-up Lucy was becoming. Talking to Liz before reminded how far they had come since their time last here in town. And now her little girl with blonde pig tails, was grown up, and very independent, and she was worried constantly about the future her daughter would undertake.
I don’t want it to go down the path I did, or Michael did she murmured as Maria wanted it to be easy.
Or easier.
“I don’t know,” Maria sighed. “As you have told me. You know this town.”
“Yes, I do” Lucy said with a smile. “Don’t worry, you won’t have to worry about me Mom,” she sighed. “I was just thinking about dinner, what do you have in mind? With you know Dad gone, it’s all on us” she asked, because she knew so many times, they had depended on her father to do the cooking.
I know how to cook Maria said in weak defense. It just was easier to have Michael do it, so I could stay at the studio longer, or do the odd errand after a studio session she thought.
Yeah, now it’s a different life she thought.
“I am not in the mood to cook,” Maria murmured.
“What a surprise,” Lucy said with a laugh. “It is always like this if Dad was on a case, and you happen to be home” she muttered.
“I was not that bad, was I?” Maria asked.
“No,” Lucy said automatically, as not to make her mother feel bad, but mostly yes, she knew. But she liked her life. She knew she had a radically different life than some of her friends, namely Claudia she knew, so she knew not to take it for granted.
And she wasn’t, I am not going too she sighed. “Where?”
“You pick,” Maria smiled.
“Chinese?” Lucy asked.
“What a surprise,” Maria said with equally smile. She knew her daughter’s favorite food was Chinese. While I tended to deal with more Italian cooking when I was young and having to cook, which is why I know how to cook she thought. Because I had to do it so many times when my mother was working at odd jobs, or out with the line of inappropriate men she would attract before she came to her senses and found Jim she muttered of her stepfather.
A man, who had she had not always liked. Those were the times she thought. We did not know what we were getting into back when this all started, she sighed. And started down a mess of a road, but one she did not regret, because it brought her today.
To her daughter, and to Michael.
She did not regret it.
Her mother found the right man for her. And she had found hers.
“Tell me when you want to eat,” Maria smiled. As she checked her own phone. “Downstairs is almost all ready.”
“Starting the music things already?” Lucy asked.
“No, just playing with it at the moment. It will be there when I ready,” she sighed. “It’s all so new being back here in Roswell again, after so many years, so I want to enjoy it some more. And be glad we have it as well as we do.”
“That we are not Claudia and her mother?” Lucy asked.
“Something like that,” Maria sighed. I so want things to be better for Liz she thought.
As she looked down at her phone, when alert came on. An Amber Alert because of the age of one of the missing, that was being sent to neighboring phones, uh oh she muttered. What now she sighed, because she usually just silenced these alerts, even though they are useful but when have we ever known anyone or can help the person.
“Shit,” Lucy muttered because she got one too. Damn it. “Mom, look” she said as she pointed down to the alert. “It is from Roswell?”
Oh god Maria whispered. Sure, she usually murmured that she knew most of this town, and sometimes that felt true because of her past with the Crashdown Café, but still, it was a different town today than it was back in the early 00’s so there was so much that was different.
Be on the look out for 15-year-old Mikyla Anderson, and an older teenager 18-year-old Claudia Evans, both of Roswell as they have been reported missing from outside the old Crashdown Café, after being spotted being forced into a car, and headed away from the main street. License plate unknown at this time.
More information to come…
“Liz,” Maria said with an utter cry. Shit
“Damn,” Lucy murmured. “I was just planning on reaching out to Claudia.”
Maria wordlessly picked up her phone and dialed a very familiar voice. “Are you okay?” she was asking of the person she had reached on the phone. “Thank god,” she whispered. “We will find them. But first, please, let me speak to her Kyle,” she said as she had called her best friend’s cellphone as they faced every parent’s nightmare, and even though Kyle was not father on record, still he is Kyla’s father she muttered.
“Are you okay?” Maria was prepared to ask, but she knew she was not talking to her best friend. “Max where is Liz, and why can I not speak to her?” she asked as Max’s voice came on the phone. “Where are you guys?” she murmured as she was trying to get a read of this situation.
“Okay,” Maria whispered. “We are coming over,” she declared as she hated to be told that Liz was too emotional to come to the phone. “But before that happens, has anyone reached out to Isabel or Michael?” she asked, “They might still be on the road,” she asked. “I think Michael was annoyed enough that they were trying to get as far as they could before stopping for the night,” she sighed as she hated now that Isabel was going to be so far away from Roswell. As Maria could only sigh when she was told, no, they were not able to reach either of them. “Probably than on the road. Michael hates to answer the phone when he’s driving” she muttered as she hung up and looked at her daughter.
Grateful to have Lucy at home. So, that she knew where she was. I was so worried about her; I was not thinking of the other two in their very limited gene pool she thought. And because Claudia and Kyla who were they were, she was hopeful this could all be mitigated without any life altering damage.
Although so much has been life altering, can anyone predict any of this Maria sighed. “They are over at the apartment, at the Crashdown,” she sighed as she faced her daughter. “I am going over there to be with Liz.”
“I am coming too,” Lucy declared. “I need to know what happened.”
“So, do I” Maria murmured as she and her daughter raced to get ready, and soon they were out of the house and heading over the apartment.
While Archie was in the dark. Literally, because he had been sleeping. Because he could not think of anything else to do. He was annoyed by life. And he wanted this to go away. And thankfully his sister was off on her own pursuits. He did not know how good it was for Crystal to grow attached to this town because he was prepared to maybe lose this town as soon as it became possible because as the hours went by, he was not sure Claudia would be coming around to his view on the state of their relationship.
Even though he wanted to call her. But something was preventing himself and so he was in the darkness, but finally ready to see daylight, when he got up and picked up the remote for the television. Because it was an old fashion motel. The television did not have a lot of channels, and you had to pay for anything more to be connected and he did not know how long he would be here, so he was not about to shell out for anything he did not need. When he had booked the place, he had been hoping that he and Claudia would patch things up.
But he was growing more and more away from that idea, and so he just wanted to stew and watch some television before he called for some takeout to be delivered.
But that was before he turned on the television and found himself staring in shock, at the breaking news.
Two teenagers taken from outside the Crashdown said the headline. As the reporters were starting to accumulate on the scene, but the camera was being trained on the now defunct restaurant. 15-year-old Mikyla Anderson, Kyla to her friends and her eighteen-year-old Claudia Evans were taken outside of the old Crashdown restaurant. A place that has been closed for the last year as the owners closed things down in the wake of the pandemic, and toll it was taking on the business and moved to a retirement community in Arizona, and it remained empty until recently when the owners, Jeff and Nancy Parker who were planning to sell it, and were unable too, chose instead to turn things over to their only child; daughter, Elizabeth Parker formerly of Roswell.
There has been talk of renovating and reopening the business under the management of their daughter.
Ms. Parker known as Liz to her friends had spent the last nearly two decades in various locations. Most recently, in Boston Massachusetts where she was raising her daughter Claudia, and her younger son Jeffrey James, nickname JJ. They had recently moved into the apartment above the restaurant. Which was her childhood home. But she and her son had more recently moved over to a local motel for various reasons, leaving her eighteen-year-old daughter, Claudia alone in the apartment to care for the place. A decision was made by the daughter, I am told.
Claudia is the product of her former marriage, to local resident Max Evans, high school sweethearts who broke up when their daughter was a baby. Mr. Evans is not considered a suspect in the disappearance. The young son, JJ is not connected to their marriage. As he was adopted after…
And it has turned out that the other girl taken is the eighteen year’s cousin, from her father’s side, and who would be 15-year-old Mikyla Anderson. She lives in town with her mother, Isabel Evans and until a year ago, her stepfather, Neil Anderson who unfortunately passed away at the start of the pandemic, of a sudden unrelated illness. Since his passing, she has lived with her mother and younger sisters. While also she had spent the most recent school semester studying overseas until recently, where she returned home.
It is unknown the reason for the kidnapping. And if they were targeted.
If anyone has any information to the whereabouts of the girls, please, call us… Or the local Sheriff department asks that you notify them as Sheriff James Valenti Jr. has taken a personal interest in the case.
And then the scene retreated from the reporter on scene as went back to watch of the old Crashdown Café, and the surrounding crowds. And Archie could not help but be in a state of shock and was staring at the screen, with his jaw dropped open, as he was willing the screen to tell him that this was all some kind of prank reality show, and that this was all a hoax when the door to his motel room burst open, and he twisted his head to see that it was his sister Crystal running in.
Not Claudia, saying it was all a joke.
Despite the room still be in darkness, Crystal could see the television was on now, and the channel was on the news, and she knew that her brother now knew what was going on. “You know?”
“Is it true?” Archie asked, as he prayed this was all some silly reality show.
“It’s true,” Crystal murmured.
“How do you know?” Archie asked.
“I was at the Sheriff’s Department when the call came in,” Crystal murmured, and she did not seem to see the strangeness of those words.
“You were at the Sheriff’s department?” Archie asked as he pondered that development. Mom and Dad won’t be happy to know that, especially Dad he muttered to himself. “What was wrong?”
“Nothing,” Crystal smiled. Oh “Nothing,” she promised. “Cross my heart,” she insisted. “I was with Tripp, and we were visiting his grandfather, because Tripp wanted to go out to lunch with his grandfather, but that did not happen, because the station was busy, so we were drafted into different jobs at the station as it was undermanned,” she sighed “Then the call came in.”
“So, it is true?” Archie asked.
“Yes,” Crystal nodded. And she sighed, because she knew how much her brother had wanted to think it was all some kind of cruel joke. “The call came from the Sheriff’s son, Tripp’s father; Kyle Valenti” she whispered. “Archie it’s true. Claudia was taken.”
Oh god.
“What happened?” Archie asked.
“I don’t know, because I left almost immediately and came here to be the one to tell you,” Crystal murmured. “Although it looks like the television was the one to tell you.”
Yeah, I was in the dark until the television did the duty Archie muttered. As he accessed his younger sister.
“How did you get here?” Archie asked, as he knew they were a serious walk from the main drag of town where every resides in this town, of course, “How did you get here?” he asked on loop. “Please don’t tell me you walked, or hitched?”
“Of course not,” Crystal muttered. “I am not that stupid,” she smiled. I am many things, but I don’t take rides with strangers she sighed, most of the time “Seriously Archie, I took a taxi.”
Oh, great Archie muttered. “You don’t have any money?”
“Some,” Crystal muttered, “But I used my credit card.” In this day and age, you can change to your hearts content.
“You mean Dad’s card,” Archie sighed. I am sure he is going to like that, but he had different problems. Bigger problems than what his father might think of his daughter’s actions, although she might get more of a pass he sighed. She is his princess.
Most of the time.
“Does that matter to you, now?” Crystal muttered.
It should Archie knew. But he had bigger issues. “Claudia,” Archie muttered.
“She is gone,” Crystal murmured. “I don’t know where, or how but she is gone” she sighed. “I think everyone is gathering at the apartment,” she sighed. “Because I am going by what Tripp had texted me.”
Archie nodded.
“What do you want to do?” Crystal asked, as she looked at her big brother.
“I need to go over there,” Archie asked.
“Are you sure?” Crystal murmured.
“I need to know what was going on, and how this happened” Archie said as he got up from the bed he had been sitting on. Because obviously he was a newcomer to this tale and did not know what it all meant for Claudia’s family. All he knew was, “I need to find Claudia” he sighed as he thought of what it all meant. “I guess we better call that taxi again?”
Crystal sighed, and nodded, and soon they were getting into the taxi, and was headed back across town, and wondering what was going to happen next.