Jolting upwards quickly, eyes squinting blearily looking at the soft moon light pouring in from his room’s window, a cold sweat condensing on the cold case investigator’s neck. Officer Bradley Barlow, he groans and sighs, rubbing the leftover sleep out of his eyes knowing that he won't be getting any more. It's best to get started on this very early morning into an even longer day. Upon closing his eyes the image of the young girl smiling sweetly still burns in his mind raw and fresh. Haunting him. Moping around wouldn’t do any good so he chose the latter and got ready. Despite it being his day off it was a long day since it would have been the girl's 18th birthday and her parents are holding a small event in the neighborhood to pray over and remember their lost child. Clutching the worn file paper after months of investigation he grimaced knowing he’ll never know the fate of the girl he tried so hard to find. 

Adult and Juvenile Missing Person Certification 

Date Report Filed: 2/23/19

Name of Missing Person: Rosella, Mira, Juarez

Birthdate of Missing Person: 12/28/04

Current Age of Missing Person: 14 Years

Sex: Female

Race: Latina

Description: 5’4 Female, Tan Skin, Medium-length Brown Wavy Hair, Brown Eyes, 131lbs. Last seen wearing a bright red coat, black leggings, and black boots.

Last Location Reported: Winslow St

Complainant’s Name (First, Last, Middle):Rómulo, Juarez, Julián

Complainant’s Address: 42 Millsdowe St Zip: 02090

Home Phone: 781-801-3927 Work Phone: 617-930-5643

I confirmed by my signature that the information that I provided to the police Officer concerning the person I am reporting as missing is true.

Complainant’s Signature: Rómulo Juarez

NOTE:The complaint against signature is required by the National Crime Information Center regulations(NCIC) before the information on a missing person may be entered into the national computer system.

Case Number: RL-2019-CR-000001

Officer Barlow soon arrived at the humble home of the Juarez family encased in the suburbs. On a normal occasion he wouldn't attend events like these but, after working so closely with the family it would be a crime committed if he didn't share his own condolences. Glancing at a photo of his own children, daughters, and the mere thought brings him unfathomable pain… the pain, now imaginable as he has spent four years looking for a girl who seems to have disappeared into thin air. Hands grasped firmly around the leather steering wheel. His mind was still running over the fact that she had gone into Boston on that cold February night, with her friends and when the bus stopped, it arrived on the street across from her own. Her friends saw her leave onto Winslow St, yet she never made it home; stolen right in front of her own street. Interrogations, one after another, no witnesses, no security camera footage…nothing.

“Officer Barlow!” Soft warm arms envelop him in an embrace that heats even this chilly December morning. Placing a hot empanada in his hand.“Please eat, it’s cold outside and I know you must be hungry” smiling softly, her eyes hollow and puffy with unshed tears. A shell of the woman she was after the loss of her baby.

“Please Mrs. Juarez that's not nec-”

“No! Mariana remember? This is the least we could do after all the time you spent looking for our daughter” leading him by the hand to a giant circle in the backyard to a ring of cousins, Rosella’s hollow looking 16 year old little brother, her friends all wearing grim expressions, neighbors one wearing a dark blue flannel jacket. Mrs. Juarez, now at the front of the circle holding a small microphone in one hand and her husband’s hand in the other she began, “I would like to thank everyone for coming to our home today to remember and celebrate our baby girl. There's not a day that goes by that all of her loved ones don't think of her and I know she will one day return to me here or by the hands of our dear God. With that let's waste no time. Dear God, we give thanks to you, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for another beautiful day with our family. As we conduct our day, you are forever in our hearts and thoughts. We ask for your love, guidance, and protection in everything we do. We ask you to protect Rosella in your kingdom. We ask that if you must take her, take her gently and in peace. We ask that if she is not delivered here one day, that she is resting in your arms soundly. We ask that you wait for us to come see her one day. We ask you to give her beautiful, kind friends all the success in life, we ask that you keep our loving neighbors strong. And we ask you to keep blessing our family. “Te amo mucho mi vida, mi alegría, mami te veré pronto…” The rest of the day was spent sharing stories and memories of the girl and what she was like all throughout her little time with her family.

It's been two and a half weeks since the ceremony, it was 6 pm and Officer Barlow was working with a bank in a town over from the Juarez house when he received a backup call due to his proximity to the home. Although he was a cold case Officer now, by no means was he rusty in his field training. Pressing the gas pedal on the shop harder as a request for more Officers was heard over his radio.

“Code 10-71 possible shooting, suspect is armed and dangerous, approximately 6 ft, white male, blue jeans, white shirt, blue jacket” rolling onto the scene from the street behind the home in question to approach from the back, Officer Barlow notices the man wearing an all too familiar flannel jacket, agitated and distressed yelling nonsense, possibly under the influence as he's holding his pistol; eyes blown wide, like a wild animal. Stealthily approaching from behind Officer Barlow raises his firearm, he yells.

“FREEZE!” We have you surrounded! On your knees, drop the gun, put your hands  on your head and interlace your fingers! His voice shouted gruffly. Then the Officers in the front begin to cuff and arrest the man, reading him his rights. It was then when he heard it… muffled screams of agony, his blood ran dangerously cold. 

“I hear screaming, that's probable cause, I'm going in, someone cover me” hollers Barlow. The Officer that wasn't putting the man into the car immediately followed him in. Guns in hand as they cleared the area. It was coming from a locked door that led to the basement: breaking the lock with a Halligan bar, they wasted no time. The smell was offensive. A thick musk of illness and excrement polluting the underground floor. Endless clutter and garbage littered the floor that it was impossible to see the floorboards. Moldy yellow peeling wallpaper curled in on itself. The screaming had subsided into whimpering. Turning into a side room when they saw her…His body sprang into action before he could even think. His partner getting to work quickly freeing the girl from her restraints. Barlow's eyes widened in shock and horror. It was really her… after all this time to face that haunted him in the case report Rosella has finally come before him. Oh how she’d changed, that sweet smile long gone. Now an expression of anguish adorns her tear stained face. What once was a little 14 year old girl now a worn and jaded 18 year old losing the last tender years of her adolescence to a monster. After all this time she was right under their nose and they had no clue. Officer Barlow cursed himself for taking this long. Heating rage pulsed through him for a moment as he thought about how this man, this neighbor, had been praying over her lost body even though he was the terror that plagued this family. For the time being he pushed those feelings down as he had a job to do. Bending down to her eye level he reached into his pocket pulling out his Officer's badge. In a calm, slow, sturdy voice he said,

“Hello there Miss, my name is Officer Barlow and that is Officer Janson we're here to help. Can you tell me if you are Rosella Juarez?” She was shocked at the fact that they knew exactly who she was. After all that time spent in isolation she didn't think anybody would ever find her, but all of that screaming left her throat raw and dry, she quickly shook her head yes repeatedly. “We've been looking for you for a very long time, and I'm sorry it took this long but don't worry we're going to get you out. You're safe now. You won't be hurt anymore” Leaning into his walkie-talkie he made a request for paramedics to arrive at the scene as her body was in atrocious shape from years of all kinds of abuse and neglect. 

Once she was freed she stood up too fast, that was a mistake as her knees buckled. Officer Barlow didn't hesitate to loop his arms under her knees and carry her up the stairs and out of the house. Gently pushing her head into the crook of his neck as he walked out of that hell. All of the commotion had brought local news to the home. As he stepped out of the building he shielded her face with his shoulder completely ignoring their ongoing questions from news reporters. Quietly comforting her soft sobs. His main concern was loading her onto the ambulance and making a very important call to the Juarez family. Once she was placed into the ambulance and in the hands of paramedics he released a breath he didn't know he was holding. Inhaling fresh air and raging relief. How could the universe have been this cruel? Hiding her away only to be found from pure chance.  While grabbing for his phone he thought to himself, she's alive, she's safe, and she's going home.