“There are four guards in this house.” Caroline’s voice was cold enough to silence the entire hallway. She stood in the foyer of the Simmers mansion, her back turned toward the four security men lined up before her. “And not one of you saw Charles leave the premises?” She spun around sharply. “Are you trying to joke with me?” “Sorry, Young Mis…” Pah! Before the guard could finish, Caroline’s palm connected with his cheek with a sharp crack that echoed through the foyer. The other guards stiffened immediately. “You have twenty-four hours to find him,” she snapped. Her heels struck the marble floor as she stormed out of the house, anger tightening every movement of her slender frame. Charles could not simply disappear from her watch. Not after everything she had done for him. Her face drained of color at the thought. If word got out that a strange man was kept by her, and now had vanished from the Simmers mansion without anyone noticing, people would start asking questions she had no interest in answering. Outside, the morning sun had already begun burning away the last traces of dawn. Caroline slid into her car and gripped the steering wheel for a moment, trying to steady her breathing. She took a deep breath. Then she started the engine. The sports car shot off. The plate, Simmers, glowing in the sunlight. The search for Charles consumed the next several hours. She drove through the nearby streets first, stopping beside food vendors, taxi drivers, and shopkeepers who were just opening their businesses. “Have you seen a man about this tall?” she asked repeatedly, holding her hand above her shoulder. “Thick beard. Scar near the right eyebrow. Looks lost most of the time.” Most people shook their heads. Some barely listened. Others gave useless directions that led nowhere. At a small kiosk near the junction, an elderly woman frowned thoughtfully. “A bearded man passed here late last night,” she said. “But he looked confused. He kept turning around as if he didn’t know where he was going.” Caroline’s pulse quickened, “Which direction?” The woman pointed toward the older part of town. Caroline followed the lead immediately. She checked roadside restaurants, fuel stations, a pharmacy that had remained open until midnight, and even the security post near the central market. However, she found no traces of Charles. No one had seen him clearly enough. By noon, frustration had begun replacing her anger. Her fingers trembled on phone screen restlessly. “The number you have dialed is currently switched off.” A soft voice came through the phone. This was the fiftieth time she called the number. She dialed to see if somehow it would connect this time. Who should she contact now? She knew no relatives. No friends to call. How would Charles find his way with no memories that could guide him home. The thought unsettled her more than she wanted to admit. What if he had been robbed? What if he had wandered into trouble? Where did he even sleep last night? At last, with no better option left, Caroline turned the car toward the central police station. Not long after, the imposing, blocky concrete façade of the Central Police Station came into view. High, narrow windows lined the upper floors, while a thick perimeter wall kept the bustling street at bay. Caroline cut the engine and stepped out; the car door slammed heavily. She walked past a flagless metal pole and approached the heavy double doors leading to the reception lobby. Pushing the doors open, she moved with an aura that exuded prestige and grace. Her slender, curvy frame quickly caught the attention of the male officers. “It’s alright, keep yourself together,” a female police officer knocked a male officer on his shoulder. He was caught drooling. The reception area was crowded and a bit noisy with complainants, officers, and the constant ringing of telephones. A ceiling fan rotated lazily overhead, doing little to ease the heat trapped inside the building. Caroline approached the high wooden front desk. A tired-looking officer looked up from his computer screen, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. “How can I help you, ma’am?” he asked in a flat, bureaucratic monotone. Caroline removed her sunglasses and exhaled deeply. “I need to report a missing person," she said. Her voice was tight as she gripped the edge of the counter. "My friend didn't come home last night, and his phone is completely dead.” The officer sighed softly, pulling a thick stack of paperwork from a drawer and sliding a standard administrative form across the counter. “Fill this out first. Then fill in full name, last known clothing, and vehicle details. Take a seat over there when you're done.” “But you don't understand, I have vague details of him,” Caroline pressed, her fingers trembling slightly as she took the pen. “Start with the form, ma'am,” the officer replied, pointing toward a row of bolted-down plastic chairs. “Once it's logged, I'll see if a detective is free to take you into an interview room.” Caroline had written her full name as the complainant before turning over to the seating area. Catching a glimpse of what the woman wrote on the form, the officer called back. “Young Miss.” “Sorry, anything else?” Caroline turned and asked coldly. “Caroline, I’m Officer Bryan Moore.” Caroline furrowed her brow. “Do I know you?” “Um… sorry… I should have given you a proper reception.” Taking the form from her hand, he took the pen and began filling on her behalf. “Full name of missing person?” “Charles.” “Charles…?” “That’s what I know, and nothing else.” Officer Moore continued filling in the other relevant questions. At one point, he paused with a knowing frown. This description felt a little… Familiar. “What is it?” Caroline asked him. “Kindly sit over there, give me a minute, please.” Officer Moore replied politely. After a brief moment, Officer Moore returned. He studied her for a while before calling out. “Young Miss, the Captain wants to meet you.” Caroline stood up with a frown. “Don’t call me by that.” “I’m… yes… I’m sorry.” Officer Moore apologized. “This way, please.” He gestured toward a corridor. The captain’s office was the first door on the left. Caroline was escorted into the captain’s office. Behind the desk sat a broad-shouldered man in a neatly pressed uniform. His nameplate read: CAPTAIN REUBEN ASARE He gestured toward the chair opposite him. “Sit down, madam. I’m Captain Reuben. Tell me about this missing person.” Caroline sat, suddenly aware of how unusual her story sounded. “He’s a man named Charles. He disappeared from my residence sometime last night.” Reuben picked up the form that Caroline had filled. “Full name is Charles. Nothing more?” “That’s all I know.” The captain’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Have you lost your memories too?” he asked sarcastically. Caroline stood up with a sigh of relief. “Charles is here?” “Who are you…” Before Captain Reuben could continue, he paused. Was it a coincidence? He stood up. “Give me a minute.” He reached for his desk phone and dialed. “But don’t let your hopes be high.” Captain Reuben pressed the intercom on his desk. “Bring in the suspect from Interrogation Room Two.” At the mention of the suspect, Caroline turned pale. Her fear was coming true. Has he gotten into some kind of trouble? Caroline frowned but uttered no sound. Reuben waited quietly. A few minutes later, the door opened. Two officers escorted Charles into the office. “Is this the one you’re looking for?” Captain Reuben’s question cut her thought. She turned to look. Caroline rose from her chair so suddenly that it scraped loudly against the floor. “Charles!” “Charles… why did you do this to me?” She exclaimed in sadness. He looked exhausted. His beard was damp, his eyes hollow from lack of sleep, and faint red marks circled his wrists where the handcuffs had pressed into his skin. Relief flashed across Caroline’s face for a brief moment. Then she noticed the officers standing on either side of him. “What happened to him?” she demanded. Captain Reuben folded his hands on the desk. “This man was arrested at dawn near a homicide scene.” Caroline stared at him. “What?” “He is being held on suspicion of murder.” The words struck her like a physical blow. Charles shook his head immediately. “I told them I didn’t do it.” “Take him away, Officer Mark.” “No, please, he can’t do that.” Caroline pleaded. Captain Reuben held her by the arm, restraining her movement. “Be patient,” he said, calming her. “We need answers.” Reuben opened a file and placed several evidence bags on the desk. “The suspect was found near the victim’s body. He was holding this firearm.” Caroline’s eyes moved to the handgun. Then another evidence bag was placed beside it. The silver pendant. Her expression changed instantly. “I know that pendant.” Reuben looked up sharply. “You’ve seen it before?” “Yes,” Caroline said slowly. “I think it belonged to a nurse named Emelia.” Reuben opened the pendant carefully. The tiny photograph inside was visible again. Caroline’s eyes widened. “That woman…” she whispered, her mind shifting in thought. Caroline seemed to know the woman, but didn’t know that her photograph was in a locket that belonged to Emelia. “She is the deceased, and by coincidence, your Charles had it on him,” Reuben replied. A heavy silence settled over the office. The story from Charles and Caroline seemed to be connected. “You said he had memory loss.” Captain Reuben continued. “Yes.” “And you took him into your home?” Caroline nodded. Reuben leaned back in his chair, studying her carefully. “One thing still doesn’t make sense,” he said with a confused gaze. “Where exactly did you find him, and why the memory loss?” Caroline’s fingers tightened around her handbag. Her mind drifted back to that exhausting night. She was returning from a live show. Caroline began her story, “Captain, I first met him on my way home one night close to a graveyard. It was three months ago.” Before Caroline could continue, the captain interrupted her, his eyes full of curiosity. His expression grew increasingly thoughtful, causing him to shift in his seat. “You mean, you found him at a graveyard?”

I Found Him Near a Graveyard