Missing Persons

Missing Persons

A/N: This is my first Labyrinth fic. I am a major newbie to the fandom, having only just rediscovered the movie a couple of weeks ago, but I absolutely love it! Any critiques as to accuracy in regards to the movie and characterizations would be most welcome! Also anything you have to say about the legal process of searching for missing persons would be great. Thanks a lot, and enjoy! 

CHAPTER 1

Officer Jessica Barry wasn’t sure she liked the man sitting in front of her. Not that she had any right to be judging a man in his situation; if anything, she should be attempting to be sympathetic to him. But she couldn’t quite seem to stir up the necessary compassion for the nervously bouncing man. He was fidgeting constantly, eyes darting with fright about the room – especially towards the windows. His dark brown hair was plastered to his head with sweat, and his brown eyes were filled with apprehension. He kept twisting his pale, thin hands in his lap, occasionally unlacing the slender appendages so that he could rub his face.

He didn’t have a very exciting face, Jessie decided. He more possessed the making of good looks than actual good looks. He had high, prominent cheekbones that Jessie would have killed for, and his eyes were large and doe-like with long lashes better suited for a girl. He had a weak chin and a very straight nose that almost looked a touch off-center, and his lips were thin and pale. At the moment, his almost ashen skin was creased with many lines, probably more out of concern than actual age – according to the report in her hand, he was only twenty-nine.

“You’re Jared Thomas?” she asked him, blue eyes glancing down at the report and reading off the name.

“That’s me,” he said in a soft voice, a tiny, half-hearted smile flickering to life and dying a sickly death.

“I’m Officer Barry,” she said, holding out her hand to shake. He took it; she noticed his palm was very sweaty. “People usually call me Jessie. It makes me more comfortable.”

“Oh – o-okay,” he said, stuttering a little. “Well, then, if it’s all the same to you… most people call me Red. It’s a nickname my wife started.”

“Ok, that’s fine, Red,” Jessie said. “And you’re here to report a missing person. Is that right?”

“Y-yes,” Red said with a jerky nod, stuttering again. “Sarah Ann Thomas. Maiden name of Williams.”

“Okay.” Jessie took down the name, a lock of blonde hair escaping the ponytail at the back of her head. “And Sarah is what relation to you?”

“She’s my wife,” Red said quietly, hanging his head dejectedly.

Jessie finally felt a pang of sympathy. “Any kids?” she asked.

“Twins. Marie and Elizabeth. They’re four,” he supplied.

“And how old is Sarah?”

“Twenty-eight.” He paused, then added, “She’s about five feet five inches tall. She has brown hair and blue eyes and she weighs about a hundred and thirty pounds.”

“Skinny girl,” Jessie said in surprise.

“Yeah,” Red said absently. “She doesn’t eat much these days…”

“Any particular reason?” Jessie asked, looking up with a slight frown.

Red shrugged. “She has some very strange dreams sometimes,” he said. “She has a lot of issues that she was trying to work out from her past. It… it gave her some trouble.”

“Does Sarah have a history of mental imbalance?” Jessie questioned,

Red looked uncomfortable. “Yes, I guess,” he said uncertainly. “She never saw anybody about it, of course, but, umm… yeah, she had some problems. She was pretty normal generally, but…”

“Do you know what was wrong with her?” Jessie interrupted. She instantly regretted it; Red looked even more distraught. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive,” Jessie murmured.

“It’s ok; you have to ask, I guess,” Red said with a resigned shrug. “I don’t know specifically what was wrong. I thought she was just making up weird stories to cope with some issues from her childhood. After we got married she told me that when she was fifteen her baby brother got kidnapped by this Goblin King and she had to go through this Labyrinth to save him. She said the Goblin King was still in love with her and that he might return at any time for her, and that I should probably be careful.” He paused and looked searchingly at Jessie. “Crazy, right?” he said with a nervous laugh.