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        Jundidn''tsleepthatnight.Instead,hespentthehourscombingthroughthefilesofthetwomissinggirls.

        OneofthemhadworkedatRedLanternforhalfayearbeforeshevanished—simplyfailedtoshowuponemorning.Herroommate,alsoanundocumentedimmigrant,wastooscaredtoreportit.

        Theonlyreasonthecaseevenmadeitintothesystemwasbecauseamansheowedmoneytogotnervousshe''dskippedtownandcalledthepolicehimself.

        Whenthepolicequestionedtherestaurantowner—oldHessel—aboutwhyhehadn''treportedhisemployeemissing,he''dshruggeditoff.Saidtheplacewasbusy,hedidn''thavetimetochaseafterflakyworkers.Complainedthatcash-paidstaffswereunreliable—thisonehadevenstolenfromhisregisterandrunoff,orsoheclaimed.

        Thenthecopsaskedwhyhehadn''treportedthetheft.

        Hesseljustlaugheditoff."Notmuchmoney,"he''dsaid."Forgetit."

        Junknewwhatthatmeant.Theoldmandidn''twantanyonelookingtoocloselyathisbooks.

        ThefilealsocontainedstatementsfromHessel''swifeandtheirdeliveryboy.Theirstoriesmatchedalmostwordforword.ThatwaswhenJunfirstnoticedadetail—Hessel''swifehadgottenhercitizenshipthroughmarriage.Andthedeliveryboy,Kurt,wastheirson.

        Thesecondmissinggirlhadlastedonlytwoweeks.Sheclockedoutasusualonenight,andbymorning,shewasgone.Thistime,Hesseldidn''tevenbothertosoundsurprised.Saidhewasusedtoit.Claimedhehadn''tlethernearthecashregister,soatleastnothingwentmissing.

        Therestofthereportwasthesamepattern—interviewswithroommates,friends,boyfriends.Noneofthegirlshadstablehousing.Theydriftedfromonecheaprentaltothenext,carryinglittlemorethanabagofclothes.Nothingtheyleftbehindofferedanyclues.

        Andlikethat,bothcasesfadedintothebackgroundnoiseofthecity—unsolved,unremembered.

        Junwanderedintothekitchenandbrewedhimselfacupofcoffee.Thepalemorninglightspilledthroughthewindow,buttheuneaseinhischestwouldn''tsettle.

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