Public Enemy Zero

20

It took 20 minutes from the time Detective Brooks said it was a priority they find Mitchell Roberts to when a uniformed police officer walked through the doors of WQXD where he worked. Meanwhile, other uniformed police were showing up at his apartment and back at Rachel’s house.

Unmarked cars were parking farther out from his apartment to see if he came by on foot.

Since it was normal business hours for the station, most of the daytime staff was still there. The station manager, Philip Dunlap, left his office in a hurry to meet the officer at the front desk. The afternoon news producer had already put an item on his desk about a person of interest with the same name as their late-night host. Odd, he thought, he’d always imagined that when the police came for one of his hosts it would be Rookman.

“Mr. Dunlap?” asked the officer.

“What can I do for you?” he answered, although he already had a pretty good idea what this was about.

“We’re trying to locate one of your employees. A Mitchell Franklin Roberts. Does he work here?”

Not anymore, thought Dunlap. One host fighting a cocaine rap was enough. “Yes. He’s our nighttime host on the weekdays. Would you like his home address?”

The officer looked down at his notebook. “Is it 1221 Pass Ave., apartment 32?”

Dunlap turned to the receptionist who was sitting at a desk next to a fake plant. “Kayla, could you check on that?”

The dark-skinned young woman who was listening attentively pulled up Mitchell’s contact information on her computer. “That’s it.”

“Do you have any other contact information for him?”

Dunlap shook his head. “I don’t really know him that well. Let me see who else is here who might know. Kayla, could you page Mike?”

Kayla called for the intern on her desk phone and then offered up, “I know he was apartment hunting a couple weeks ago.”

The officer wrote that down. “Is he friends with anybody here at the station who he might try to go to for help?”

“Like I said, I don’t really know him. To be honest, he’s a bit of a loner,” said Dunlap.

The officer wrote down “loner.”

Dunlap regretted calling Mitchell a loner. He’d written enough news items to know what kind of context people always put that term into.

“He did have a girlfriend,” said Kayla. “Pretty girl.”

The officer referred to his notes. “Yes, it looks like he beat her up pretty bad.”

Kayla made a face. “Mitchell? Are you sure you got the right guy?” she asked with a high-pitched tone.

The officer ignored the question.

Mike the intern walked in, saw the police officer and almost pissed himself.

“Are you Mike?” asked the officer.

“Yes…”

“I just want to ask you a couple questions about Mitchell Roberts. Do you have any idea where he might be?

Mike’s normally blank face went blanker. “His house?”

The officer shook his head. “Besides there. Is there any other place he might go? A friend he trusts? Family that live in the area?”

“Not that I’m aware of. When he broke up with his girlfriend, he didn’t have any place to stay.”

“Do you think he might try to contact you?” asked the officer.

“Gosh, I don’t think so. I don’t know him really well. He’s a nice guy and all.”

The officer pulled some business cards from his chest pocket. “Some detectives will be coming by to ask some more questions. In the meantime, if anything comes to mind, you can call us here”

He gave a card to each of them and walked toward the door.

Mike looked down at the card. “Sure thing. I hope Mitch isn’t in trouble. He’s a good guy and all. When his girlfriend broke up with him, I tried to help him find a place to stay.”

“Pardon me?” asked the officer as he turned away from the door.