She'd been trying to get through all day. Cybil felt like screaming down the phone, but didn't think the machine playing a panpipe version of 'The Girl From Ipanema' would care. She'd been on hold for over half an hour for the third time since breakfast.
"Hello, Miss Bennett?" said Irene out of the blue. Cybil was a little shocked by the sudden interruption.
"You made me jump Irene; I thought you'd forgotten about me."
"I'm sorry Miss Bennett. We've had a few complaints today about this problem."
"Did you find out what was causing it?"
"No. It's a mystery to us. Technically, the line appears to be fine, but I've tried it myself and I can't get through to their exchange."
"So what happens now?"
"What we'll have to do is send a team of engineers down to Silent Hill to have a look. It could be a big job, but hopefully they'll be able to rectify the problem for everyone."
"And when do you think that will be."
"Our engineers are all fully booked until the weekend."
"The weekend?" Cybil sighed petulantly, "That's not what I was hoping for Irene. I have a friend in trouble over there and I need to get through urgently."
"I know that Miss Bennett, you made that clear previously. I did try my best, and we are still investigating with a view to raising communications before the weekend but there's really nothing more I can do for you…Did you want your reference number?"
"No…thanks for your help anyway."
"No problem Miss Ben-"
The handset slid back onto the receiver with a satisfying click.
"Dammit!" she yelled.
She slumped in her chair. Her lieutenant was staring at her from behind her paperwork.
"Bennett…you have wasted two hours of your time trying to get through. It's been driving me nuts. Would you get some work done…please?"
"But we haven't been able to get through on the radio or the telephone today. In fact, we haven't been able to get through to anyone in Silent Hill, by any method, period."
"What do you want me to do? If I send you over there, I leave our department an officer short."
"Don't you think someone ought to go over there and check it out?"
"Ideally yes. But I have informed Captain Baldwin and he spoke to the Chief. Now they are happy to leave things as they are until tomorrow. We are very short staffed this week, that's why I had to cancel your leave. Sergeant Davis will be in tomorrow, then we can send somebody…I have a heart Cybil, but I have to use my head."
"If you're using your head, then it should tell you that something is going on in that town. We haven't been able to make contact for over twelve hours…please, Sally, let me take some compassionate leave."
"Why? Who is this Mason guy to you? You've known him two days. Do you have a weakness for unsuitable men? Or was it the pancakes? If it was the pancakes, then I must take the new guy from forensics over to Silent Hill for the weekend."
"His little girl is missing Sal…I have to find her."
"Cybil…you don't have anything to prove here. You think that finding her will somehow make you feel better. Some kind of redemption? It won't change anything, at least not today."
"Fine, I'll stay. But I have gotten myself directly involved in this case. I will have to try and find a way to get through to Silent Hill."
Lieutenant Sally Watson slid smugly back into her leather swivel chair and continued with her work. Cybil pressed the loudspeaker button and dialed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The lieutenant, distracted again from her papers, glared at Cybil who was perched on the front of her desk.
"You phoned the government?"
"A whole town being uncontactable by phone? It could be sabotage. It could be domestic terrorism…"
"Must you have that on loudspeaker Bennett?"
"I need to have my hands free if I'm going to do my work Lieutenant." She said, folding her arms.
"You don't look as though you're doing any work to me. If –"
Interrupted by the theme tune to 'Chariots of Fire", Cybil could see the lines deepening on Sally's forehead as the rage built inside her.
"If I wasn't so understaffed today I would give serious consideration to the idea of firing you Bennett!" she exploded.
"If you had more officers you could let me go, ma'am."
"Sweet Jesus…just go! You clearly aren't going to do any work today and you're making me crazy! Your shift has ended prematurely, congratulations."
"Thanks Sally." she beamed.
"Can it. Just make sure that this is worth risking your job over. If you don't find the girl, don't bother coming back. Now turn that crap off!"
She turned off the loudspeaker and made her way quietly out of the office.