Dean heaved a dramatic sigh as he pulled up at the curb outside the house of their next hunt. "Okay, final rundown of weirdness before we play feds."
Sam, who as always was folded up shotgun beside him looked over his notes for the possible case. "Sure if you need to hear it a fifth time. Newly weds Emma and Arlo Phillips, who recently purchased their first home together a couple of months back. Arlo was reported missing nearly two weeks ago by his wife. They were watching a movie together at home, Emma went to get a drink, came back and he'd gone. Hasn't heard from him since. No signs of a struggle, doors still locked from the inside, phone, car keys, wallet and IDs all still in the house."
Dean still wasn't convinced and they had other pressing things to be getting on with, like figuring out what to do with their little Nephilim problem back at the bunker. He stretched and gave his head a shake. "I dunno man. You said they're recently married and bought a house together? How'd we know he hasn't just got cold feet and ran off somewhere."
"We don't. That's why we're here. Besides, whole perimeter of the house is covered by cameras that caught nothing unusual. Mrs Phillips told cops Arlo was convinced he heard whispers in the weeks leading up to his disappearance. Local cops are stumped and seem to be losing interest." Sam stared at him with that look he always gave when he knew Dean couldn't challenge him further. John Winchester had it ingrained into his children from the beginning that even if there was a slight possibility of the supernatural, you check it out, to save lives.
"Alright but when it turns out I'm right, you're getting the beers and dinner on the way home." Dean grumbled as he exited the Impala and fished out the correct ID from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
They strolled up to the white door, assessing the surroundings of the house as they did and Dean rolled his shoulders and firmly knocked assuming his role as serious agent.
A wary looking young women with red hair answered the door only slightly. "Can I help you?" she asked with a frown.
"Mrs Phillips? Agents Barrett and Gilmour from the FBI, we're investigating your husbands disappearance. We'd like to ask you a few questions."
Suspicious eyes flicked back and forth between the brothers. "The cops aren't interested in what happened to my husband. They think he ran away. Why would they send you?" Mrs Phillips looked like a women at the end of herself. Dean glanced to Sam ready for him to work some sincerity into the gig.
Sam leaned forward a little, his features softening. "Your husbands case landed on our desk and caught our eye. We think there's something worth looking into here. We want to help you find Arlo." his voice was soothing
Mrs Phillips exhaled and closed her eyes, relief looking as though it was flooding though her. She opened the door and beckoned them in. "I appreciate that. Please come in."
Dean hid a smile as he walked through, appreciating his younger brothers knack for getting through to people with so few words.
They walked through the hallway and into the quirkily decorated open plan kitchen and living area. It was a good space but fairly cluttered with mismatched trinkets on various accent tables and hung haphazardly on the brightly coloured walls.
"Coffee?" She asked already pouring herself one.
Both brothers nodded in appreciation. It hadn't been a long drive with neither wanting to be too far from Jack but they had been in a constant mode of exhaustion and stress for weeks now and coffee always gave some small piece of relief to their messed up lives.
They moved to sit on the two parallel couches with Dean choosing to instead stand and admire photographs and memorabilia of the couples time together over what looked like years. Arlo was a good looking guy, a typical talk dark and handsome type. Dean hated himself to think it but it was quite a contrast to his wife who wasn't quite on the same level and looked fairly plain and ordinary in comparison.
"You've known your husband a long time then Mrs Phillips?" Dean asked nodding towards to photographs.
"Ah call me Emma please and yeah we've been pretty much inseparable since junior high. We took a few years out after college travelling before getting married. We're really happy with our lives, it's so out of character for him to just disappear."
"The folks at the department scoured the video footage and found nothing?" Dean quizzed.
"Yeah, I did too, there really is nothing there- no way anyone came close to the house or anyone leaving it. Cameras weren't tampered with either, they said. Take it and see for yourself. There's copy on the table." Emma replied before taking a big drink.
Dean nodded and pocketed the usb from the side table making a mental note to check it out later.
"So Arlo was in here when he went missing?" Sam asked gesturing to the living space.
Emma nodded and pointed to the suede blue couch Sam was sitting on. "We were snuggled up right there watching a movie. I got up to refill our drinks. I was standing over there with my back to him maybe two minutes at most. When I turned around he was gone so I assumed he'd gone to the bathroom or maybe to the bedroom to get something. I sat and waited for a few minutes then called out. When he didn't answer I went around the house looking for him and he was just gone. Everything was where he left it- phone on the couch, jacket hung up with his wallet inside. His keys on the hook. I can't- I just can't get my head around it." The vein on Emma's forehead was bulging as she held back tears in exasperation.
"You also mentioned that your husband had been hearing things in the house?" Dean pressed. This was the thing that had peaked his interest most about the case.
Emma shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Yes, but I don't know if it means anything. He was hearing whispers, just barely there.. He thought it was a radio or maybe his phone or the tv at first but he started getting spooked that the neighbours were ribbing us because we're new to the area. That's why he installed all the cameras but the neighbours- everyone really- have been nothing but kind and welcoming."
"And you never heard these whispers yourself?" Sam asked to which Emma shook her head helplessly.
"What about anything else unusual. Smells? Cold spots? Any other noises?" Dean chimed in.
Emma continued shaking her head miserably. "Nothing."
"Did Arlo have any enemies that you know of?"
"I know people say this a lot but genuinely, he's a really good guy. He's a paramedic, helps people every day- everyone loves him." Emma's grey eyes filled with tears again.
Dean looked at a photograph of Arlo again. He had a strong jaw line, straight white teeth and a natural tan. If Dean wasn't so sure he was a pistol himself, he'd have felt jealous of the guys good looks. He cleared his throat, treading carefully with his next question. "So he's very popular. I bet he has his fair share of admirers right? With a face like that?" Dean grinned in a bid to lighten the mood but when he glanced back to Emma she looked a little offended. Sam cringed at Deans wording.
"Are you trying to ask if Arlo would be unfaithful?" her tone was clipped and she held her cup tightly like a life line.
"We have to cover all bases if we're going to do this properly. Is there any possibility he could've been seeing someone else?" Dean asked.
Emma looked down sadly, any hostility disappearing quickly. "I guess I can't say for certain but he's given me no reason to believe he would. I- I know I'm not the definition of beautiful. Girls back in school were unkind to me and jealous when Arlo and I got together. It's always in the back of my mind that he might one day get bored of me and- and move on with someone prettier." A strand of red fell over her face but she left it there a moment as if hiding. Dean wanted to say something reassuring but he knew it would come out wrong if he did. Thankfully Sam found the words for him.
"Those pictures paint a pretty clear picture of how much Arlo loves you Emma. The way he looks at you shows that." Sam smiled kindly.
Emma looked up finally tucking her hair back behind her ear. Tears were running down her cheeks that had coloured slightly with the topic. Sam handed her a tissue as her voice wobbled. "I need you to find him for me because this feeling- the not knowing if he's okay? If he's-" she couldn't quite get the words out but it cut the boys deep anyway both instantly thinking of their mom and the unknown fate that befell her once she fell through the rift with Lucifer. "I can't-"
"We understand. We'll find him, I promise." Sam managed, his own voice slightly hoarse and eyebrows raised high as if he himself was holding back emotion. "I'd like to take a look around if that's okay Emma?"
Emma nodded in reply and drank the remainder of her coffee as she tried desperately to regain some form of composure.
Sam moved passed Dean careful not to give eye contact and he disappeared into the hallway. He could hear his brother ascend the stairs no doubt to sweep the rest of the house for EMF and other oddities whilst also taking a moment to himself.
Dean cleared his throat awkwardly and randomly started picking up ornaments and trinkets to look at. Cases like this rarely had a happy ending and Dean really did feel for the people left behind. He hoped they'd be able to get some closure to Emma.
"Do you have a good support system Emma? Family? Friends?" Dean asked finally taking a seat where Sam had vacated.
"Yeah my parents aren't too far and Arlo's too. They're devastated of course but have been in touch constantly. I've got good friends too, my friend Ashley has been staying with me most nights so I'm not alone."
"Good, it's good to surround yourself with people during a time like this."
Emma looked at Dean curiously and he knew a subject change was on the way. "You're not like other cops, you and him."
"Is that so? What makes us different?" Dean asked with a curiosity of his own.
"I don't know. I can't quite put my finger on it yet. You're in sync though, like you've been through a lot together. Best friends as well as partners by now?"
"You could say that." Dean replied almost smugly though he was glad Sam wasn't around to hear it.
"Its more than that though. You seem a little too rough around the edges for feds." she eyed him with a more playful suspicion than earlier, particularly his overly scuffed shoes that he'd been meaning to replace.
"Yeah well, this isn't the movies, budget cuts are a very real thing." he said with a small laugh. He got up feeling a little more conscious of himself and his wrinkled clothing. "I'm gonna see where my partner got to. Thanks for the coffee."
Emma collected up the empty cups as Dean headed out into the hallway. Sam was coming down the stairs looking thoughtful but no longer upset.
"Anything of interest?" Dean asked feeling relieved that Sam's little moment was over.
"Nothing." Sam replied shortly, a tinge of disappointment coming through.
As Sam went to pass him Dean put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "What was that in there by the way? You know we can't promise stuff good news." It was a light scolding but still a scolding all the same. Sam knew better.
"I said we'd find him, I never promised good news." came Sam's hushed reply shrugging his brother off defiantly and putting some space between them.'
"Look you were the one who was desperate to take the case when we've got so much on right now. You can't let this kind of stuff bother you. It was pretty obvious in there that you were upset, almost as much as Emma."
Sam rolled his eyes. "I was not-"
"Just keep it separate man, that's all I'm saying."
Sam frowned like a teenager that had been told off by a parent but then he suddenly looked up and around in confusion.
Dean looked around too as if he's missed something? "What?"
"I thought I just heard- I dunno. Did you just hear talking? Like whispering?"
Deans brows pinched together, he could hear kids playing outside and Emma's washing machine somewhere in the house on a spin cycle but he couldn't hear whispering. "Nope. Can you figure out where its coming from?"
Sam shook his head looking disappointed and confused. "It's stopped."
"Hmm, I don't like this. I say we push the girl to stay with friends for a couple nights, get out of here and quiz some of the neighbours and scour this video footage for anything useful." Dean said, an unsettling feeling forming in the pit of his stomach.
Sam nodded in agreement and they walked back in to say their goodbyes to Emma who was washing up the cups and drying them in the kitchen area.
"Hey listen, my partner and I were just thinking it would be a good idea for you to stay with a friend for a few nights whilst we investigate what-"
"This mirror. It's so beautiful." Sam said slowly from across the room. He was standing in front of a medium sized mirror that hung on the wall beside the couches.
Dean grimaced as he looked at it, irritation at being interrupted prickling him. It was just a mirror, oval in shape with a gold trim pattern around it. There was nothing fascinating about it and it was surrounded by other hanging paintings and decorations which fitted the general theme of the room. In fact Dean thought it was quite ugly.
"Thank you, it was a wedding gift, we only just got around to hanging it up, it looks pretty cool doesn't it?" Emma replied with a smile.
"It's talking to me." Sam murmured. Deans stomach churned at the words and the puzzle pieces in his mind started fitting together. Sam made to touch the mirror face. "Sammy don't!" Dean yelled as he moved to get to his little brother.
Sam's fingertips gently brushed his reflection and quite unremarkably, without any blinding lights or fan fare, he vanished. One minute Sam was within Deans grasp, the next he had disappeared into the mirror. They were dealing with a cursed object.