The officers found a confused old man wandering the streetshe couldnt recall his name or address. When they traced his home and arrived, what awaited them inside was beyond horrifying.
*”Officer, this man was found lost today. No ID, no memory of where he lives. Could be ill… or hiding something. What do we do?”*
*”Leave it to me,”* the young constable replied sharply, guiding the old man by the arm.
They settled him in the station. Exhaustion lined his face, his eyes flickering with something unreadablefear, perhaps, or desperation.
The constable began gently:
*”Where did you come from?”*
*”Don’t remember…”*
*”Any family? Children?”*
*”No one…”*
*”Do you know your name?”*
*”No…”*
His answers were fragmented, almost nonsensical. Something felt offlike he was holding back. The constables instincts sharpened.
He pulled CCTV footage from the streets where the man had wandered. Hours passed as he scanned every frame. The old man had drifted aimlessly, pausing at corners as if the world had swallowed his purpose.
A full day later, they pinpointed the house hed stumbled from. The constable brought him along, hoping familiar walls might spark his memory.
At the address, silence greeted them. No lights, no answer.
*”Lives alone, maybe?”* an officer muttered.
*”Doubt it. Break it down.”*
The door gave way with a splintering crack. Inside, the air was thickand what they found froze them mid-step.
On the sofa lay an elderly woman. Her skin was ghostly, breaths shallow. Her lips trembled, forming a silent plea: *”Help…”*
The constable called an ambulance. In that moment, the pieces fell into place.
The old man had dementia. His wife had collapsed that morning. Hed fumbled with the phone, panickedthen bolted for help, only to forget why hed left. Hours bled into a haze of streets, his strength vanishing with each step.
Yet, in the end, he *had* led them to her. A day late, but not too late.
Afterward, the officers pooled their wages to hire the couple a full-time carer. No one left behindnot on their watch.
