Chapter 3 –

Tuesday 1st November 2011

Emily looked out of the window as the plane taxied down the runway at Dulles International airport, she had gone into the BAU yesterday and had headed straight to Hotch's office, luckily they had no new cases so he had allowed her to take the rest of the week off, so here she now was sitting on the plane heading to Dallas. Emily leaned back into her seat as the plane took off, she hadn't gotten any sleep the previous night as she had analysed the file yet again, the last transaction Milly had made before the Colonel had cut her money off was in Dallas, the city where her mother had grown up in and Emily knew that it was as good a place as any to start.

It was dark as Emily headed out of her hotel room, she had to admit that the work her father had done had been thorough but it had all been concentrated on Milly's failures rather than where she might be. According to the file Milly had been suspended from school four times in the three months before she went missing, one for drinking alcohol on the premises and the other three were for drug and alcohol misuse, according to the school file one more infraction and they were going to ask Milly to leave. Emily knew that Milly would not have shaken those vices off, especially if the Colonel had cut her money off. Emily sighed as she walked out of the hotel, her experience at the BAU told her that Milly was only going to her herself into more trouble and if she needed cash, Emily shook her head she didn't want her thoughts to go there.

1:30am Wednesday 2nd November 2011

"Do you want a job?"

"Sorry sugar you're not my type."

"Surely that depends on the job I'm offering?"

The prostitute stopped and turned to look at Emily, she wrapped her arms around her naked midriff as Emily smiled and nodded towards the diner that was still open opposite them.

"I'm going to get a coffee, please, will you join me?"

The prostitute shrugged her shoulders, the night was quiet, work wouldn't pick up for another couple of hours yet and for some reason she did not perceive the tall brunette as a threat, her curiosity was well and truly raised.

"Yeah ok sugar."

Emily clasped the over-sized mug tightly as she looked at the woman sitting opposite her. The woman was roughly the same age as Emily, a couple of inches shorter and slightly skinnier if that was possible, she was white, actually bronze would be a more suitable description, either out of a bottle of from a sun bed and she had shoulder length bleach blonde hair that was curled tightly into ringlets.

"So this job?"

Emily smiled as she lifted her cup of coffee, taking a quick sip before she sat it back down.

"I'm looking for someone."

"Oh a cheating husband!"

Emily shook her head as a small chuckle left her mouth, she held up her left hand, turning it around so that the woman could see that there was no ring adorning it.

"I'm Emily by the way."

"Well it's good to meet you Emily, I'm Sally to my friends, Charkayla to my clients."

Sally smiled broadly as Emily who nodded and brought her purse onto the table.

"My sister is missing, I believe that she may be in Dallas, she needs money."

"Sugar there are a lot of people on the streets who want to remain missing."

"But she's only 15 years old."

Emily swallowed hard as she spoke, her eyes blinked quickly as she tried to keep the tears at bay.

"The streets are nowhere for a kid to be, what's her name?"

Emily reached and took another sup of her drink as she composed herself, opening her purse she placed a photo on the Formica table.

"Amelia, Milly, I think that she'll be using Dowson if she needs a surname."

"She's a pretty girl, looks a lot like you sugar."

The smile on Sally's face was sincere as Emily nodded in response.

"So what's she into?"

"Definitely alcohol and prescription drugs but she is probably into the harder street stuff now, she's been missing for four months."

Sally raised an eyebrow at Emily's quick response but appreciated her honesty and candour.

"You a cop?"

"FBI."

Emily pulled out her identification and placed it on the table, watching carefully as Sally picked it up and examined it.

"So how come you haven't pulled in your buddies to find her then sugar?"

"This is personal, I got into some trouble not that long ago, hurt my closest friends. I've only just got back and am earning their trust again, then I find out my sister is missing, I need to find her discreetly, not just for her but me too."

"Ok I get that, so what exactly do you want me to do sugar?"

Emily puffed out her cheeks, the way that she had planned this night to go was not happening but she just had to make the best of it, for Milly's sake.

"Can you ask around, find out if anyone has seen her? People will probably talk and tell the truth to you rather than me. Take the photo, I've got plenty more, but please don't tell her that I'm looking for her, just get in contact with me."

Emily pulled out a business card and held it up as Sally handed over her FBI credentials in exchange. Seconds later Emily pulled out a series of bills and placed them on top of Milly's photo.

"I don't need your money sugar."

"Please, I'm keeping you from your work."

Sally shrugged her shoulders and picked up the photo and money, she wasn't going to argue, it was money after all.

"But I'm doing this as a friend, not a client ok?"

Emily smiled as she nodded her head.

"Ok, thank you Sally."

"It's a pleasure Emily, now you take care and I'll be in contact soon."

Sally smiled broadly as she stood up, placing the items Emily had given her into her gold handbag, quickly she finished the rest of her drink before she waved her hand at Emily and walked out of the diner to complete her night's work.