Hello, I am writing a novel that takes place in the 80s, in a small, 5000-person rural town in NJ, and I have a question. Would there have likely just been one detective in the town? And if he was assigned a case of a missing girl, who disappeared at the local lake, and he was interviewing neighbors door-to-door, would he have been working solo, or with perhaps the police chief? Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated.
Part two of my question is: If the FBI were to be called in, would the town people have been aware?
Thanks so much!! Karen