Zam is gone. I do not know what happened - she was here last night, but no one has seen her since. Some of her items remain here, but her call sign has disappeared.
[There’s a long pause as she tries to pull herself together]
Last night, the people staying with us gathered in the main area of the longhouse to sleep. I was in my own room, adjacent.
In the morning, Zam was gone but her shoes were still there. They were so annoying, she loved them. The bedding was undisturbed and no one else noticed her leave. I tried to contact her and her callsign is gone. I went outside and searched for an hour.
The good news is that we can rule out wandering off into the storm. She wouldn't leave her shoes behind, in that case, and I'm sure someone would have noticed her leaving. If nothing else, the bedding wouldn't be undisturbed if she'd left on her own.
Yes, he remains nearby as we see him during the day, but he sleeps on his own elsewhere.
[She has her suspicions since she's the one who found the office in the other longhouse but she's not about to put it out there if someone is picking them off]
He won't like it, but as soon as it's safe, I'd have somebody pull him in during the night and make him sleep with you. Until then, I'd set up times to have him text you. Or text somebody he likes better than you.
[ This aside brought to you by: Cohle will be even more insane if he feels like the kid isn't being considered. ]
I'd like to ask you a few more questions, if I may. How are you feeling now?
That's good. Detective Cohle taught it to me. It helps me keep myself calm during the lightning strikes. I'm usually afraid of those, but this works pretty well to keep me from getting scared.
Stay with me. Focus. The best way to know how to prevent it from happening again is to make sure we have all the information. I'm going to ask you some more questions, and then we can make a plan.
[ Randvi seems like the goal-oriented type, so hopefully giving her directions and something to occupy her mind with might help...and if just so happens to benefit him too. ]
You said Zam was gone "in the morning." You saw her the night before? When was the last time you saw her? Right before you went to bed? Who was in the longhouse with her — Jet, Martin, Senku? I know K and Squalo are out.
I'd like to get a timeline of her disappearance, if I can.
Yes. I ate with the others, and then Kokichi left and I returned to my room. It would have been Jet, Martin, Senku, Steph, the man Senku calls “Steampunk” and Zam herself in the main longhouse.
[ If they were in person, he might lean over. Grip her arm gently, if she'd have it. Or he just might stare off into the middle distance, if she wasn't the touchy-feely kind. Maybe he'd clear his throat.
A moment of human connection, of... what's it called? Oh yeah. Relatability. ]
You're used to being responsible for the lives of other people. I get it. I'm a cop. I am too.
I don't know what happened to Zam, but I'm certain it's nothing you could have prevented. I know that has to be hard for you to read. I can imagine it's not a comfort. I'm sure you would like to believe you could have saved her. I'm sorry.
But things here are not like they are for you at home. Things can happen that you have no way of predicting or even understanding, because they're so far outside your realm of experience. All you can do is learn from it and move on. Did you know an elephant fell on The Detective and me this morning? It's true! Right out of the sky! I don't know about you, Randvi, but elephants don't fall from the skies where I come from.
All this is to say is that holding yourself responsible for the whims of a place behind your understanding, when you have no way to predict what could happen, will make you insane.
[ He's not kidding about that. He's experienced it himself, firsthand. How the feeling of helplessness, of how having your strength and autonomy just ripped away from you in a way you can't understand, can unravel you at the seams if you let it. ]
There is something I'd like you to do, though. If you're willing, of course. I don't want to impose.
[ If only he was talking to someone who could appreciate the agony of spending precious time styling your hair with hair gel and whatever shiny surface you can find to use as a mirror only to get Dumbo chunks in it! Alas. ]
The first one, and I know this will be hard: DO NOT organize any search parties. Not until you hear from her again, anyway.
You send people out looking for nothing, best case, it's a waste of time, and worst case, somebody else could get hurt looking for someone who can't be found. Based on the information we have, Zam didn't leave on her own and she wasn't killed or taken by anyone human.
If I had to guess? Especially with her callsign being missing from the list on the walkies? She's either been killed by something or someone beyond our understanding, or she's been taken away somewhere by something we can't understand yet until we know more.
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Last night, the people staying with us gathered in the main area of the longhouse to sleep. I was in my own room, adjacent.
In the morning, Zam was gone but her shoes were still there. They were so annoying, she loved them. The bedding was undisturbed and no one else noticed her leave. I tried to contact her and her callsign is gone. I went outside and searched for an hour.
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Thank you, Randvi. That's very helpful.
The good news is that we can rule out wandering off into the storm. She wouldn't leave her shoes behind, in that case, and I'm sure someone would have noticed her leaving. If nothing else, the bedding wouldn't be undisturbed if she'd left on her own.
You said Kokichi is by himself?
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[She has her suspicions since she's the one who found the office in the other longhouse but she's not about to put it out there if someone is picking them off]
He’s afraid of me, I think.
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[ This aside brought to you by: Cohle will be even more insane if he feels like the kid isn't being considered. ]
I'd like to ask you a few more questions, if I may. How are you feeling now?
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[She takes another breath. She's still shaking a bit from the adrenaline]
I’m all right.
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[There’s a long pause. Given that he's done this before he can probably feel the rhythm in it]
It’s steady.
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How are you feeling now?
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[No. There's no point in running in circles in her own mind when things need to be done]
I’m breathing easier.
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[ Randvi seems like the goal-oriented type, so hopefully giving her directions and something to occupy her mind with might help...and if just so happens to benefit him too. ]
You said Zam was gone "in the morning." You saw her the night before? When was the last time you saw her? Right before you went to bed? Who was in the longhouse with her — Jet, Martin, Senku? I know K and Squalo are out.
I'd like to get a timeline of her disappearance, if I can.
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Yes, I noticed Beth's too. It's a pity. She was charming.
There's one more thing, Randvi.
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What is it?
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A moment of human connection, of... what's it called? Oh yeah. Relatability. ]
You're used to being responsible for the lives of other people. I get it. I'm a cop. I am too.
I don't know what happened to Zam, but I'm certain it's nothing you could have prevented. I know that has to be hard for you to read. I can imagine it's not a comfort. I'm sure you would like to believe you could have saved her. I'm sorry.
But things here are not like they are for you at home. Things can happen that you have no way of predicting or even understanding, because they're so far outside your realm of experience. All you can do is learn from it and move on. Did you know an elephant fell on The Detective and me this morning? It's true! Right out of the sky! I don't know about you, Randvi, but elephants don't fall from the skies where I come from.
All this is to say is that holding yourself responsible for the whims of a place behind your understanding, when you have no way to predict what could happen, will make you insane.
[ He's not kidding about that. He's experienced it himself, firsthand. How the feeling of helplessness, of how having your strength and autonomy just ripped away from you in a way you can't understand, can unravel you at the seams if you let it. ]
There is something I'd like you to do, though. If you're willing, of course. I don't want to impose.
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[She only vaguely knows what that is, secondhand from more widely travelled people like Hytham and Yanli, but they're supposedly quite large]
What is it that you want me to do?
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You send people out looking for nothing, best case, it's a waste of time, and worst case, somebody else could get hurt looking for someone who can't be found. Based on the information we have, Zam didn't leave on her own and she wasn't killed or taken by anyone human.
If I had to guess? Especially with her callsign being missing from the list on the walkies? She's either been killed by something or someone beyond our understanding, or she's been taken away somewhere by something we can't understand yet until we know more.
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