The call

It was late April, 1956, the rain had finally let up. I was packing the last of my belongings to move to the east coast. I had grown tired of the Twin Cities and needed a change of scenery. That was when I got the call…

“Detective Arnold?” said the voice on the other end of the line.

I didn’t get a chance to respond when the man continued, “This is Officer Abrahms from LaCrosse, Wisconsin. I was directed from my superiors to call you. We have a missing persons case and have come to a dead end and need your help.”

I have been in this business for 20 years and was well known in the mid west as the detective to call when your leads ran dry. I could never pass on a missing persons case so, I took the officers information, finished packing my car and headed to LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

That afternoon I was greeted by a tall man, a little on the thin side with graying near his temples. He led me into a back room and began to tell me of a young girl who was headed home for spring break from St Paul to Chicago. Her car was found along the interstate just out of town but, there was no trace of her.

I took all of the information from the Officer, left the building and went on to find a hotel in the area. That night I read all of the case details of this young lady and her family unknowing that I was about to embark on an investigation that would not be solved for over 50 years.