Here’s Part One if you missed it: https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/1avnnys/my_daughter_has_a_new_penpal_but_somethings_not/
Thanks everyone for your feedback on my last post. I promise you, I’m taking this as seriously as ever. I’ll try to recap from where I left off on my last post. Hopefully it’s not too abrupt a start.
My brother (yes, his name’s Mack and I’m Mark - my parents weren’t creative), has three good qualities in a situation like this. Firstly, he’s the size of a linebacker. Second, he’s a cop (and military vet). Third, he adores his niece.
Plus, he’d texted me an hour ago asking for my Netflix password (also a mooch). Which means he was at home.
Traffic was surprisingly light for a Friday night, so it was only fifteen minutes later that we pulled into Mack’s driveway. I noticed right away that another truck was parked at the curb. Hopefully not a date’s vehicle.
I needn’t have worried. Mack opened the door, unshaven, in gym shorts and with a surprised look on his face.
“Uncle Mack!” Amy shrieked. She launched herself towards him in an embrace that knocked him back a step.
“Hey kid,” Mack said rubbing her head. “Wasn’t expecting you two tonight.”
“Sorry,” I said. “It’s important. I’ll spring for pizza.”
“You’d better.” He replied. “Get extra - a buddy of mine from work is over.”
Perfect, I thought. Might as well get the whole squad on this from the get-go.
Soon, we were settled in for the evening. Amy was completely enamoured with Mario Kart, the pizza had arrived, and the three of us - Mack, Mack’s buddy Gus and I were seated around the kitchen table.
“Alright,” Mack said, “what’s up?”
“You’re going to think I’m crazy.” I didn’t know how else to begin.
“Sure, but tell us anyways.”
I tried my best, albeit clumsily, to explain the events of the past few days. The pen pal project. The letters Amy received. Sam’s story. The frightening meeting at the school today. By the time I finished talking, my pizza slice was cold and I was more exhausted than I’d felt in years.
Mack and Gus went from looking calmly interested, to downright pale.
I don’t know Gus, but I know Mack damn well. I could tell that underneath the frown on his face, was an undercurrent of rage.
But it was Gus who spoke first. “We could source the stationery. It might be rare nowadays - a collector’s item. Unless they’ve started selling it again.”
“Yeah,” I said. “That would be great.”
“Did they find out where the bus ticket was printed?” Gus said.
“Erm…” I said. “I don’t know. No idea what the cops did during the first investigation.”
“Back then, it would have had to be printed right at a bus station.”
“Oh yeah…I se…”
“Doesn’t fucking matter.” Mack snapped suddenly, as he slammed his hand down on the table. “No pedo in his right mind goes to all this trouble to lure a kid. I mean this is two states over! You don’t pull that shit when you can snatch some vulnerable kid right off the street.”
He gave me a look that might have burned two eye-shaped holes in my head. I reflexively flinched, like we were still kids and he was threatening to slam me. “…erm….” Was all I could get out.
“We need to figure out who the target of this is. Because from where I sit - it’s Sam. It’s always been Sam.”
This was eerily reminiscent of Mrs. Lorenzo’s comment. I had been so focused on Amy, I hadn’t had the mental bandwidth to focus on Sam.
Gus cut in - more gently - with, “if this is meant to terrorize the mother, then we’ll need to do some background digging. Do you think she would agree to that?”
“I’m sure of it.” I said. I had no doubts. Sam would gnaw off her own arm if it could keep Amy safe. Besides that, I’d seen how frightened she was. At the time, I thought we were both afraid for Amy. I could see now that she was just as frightened for herself. How stupid I’d been. I hadn’t even tried to reassure her.
“So,” Gus continued. “We’ll talk to our sargeant and then reach out to Sam about a background check. Chances are there’s something there. Most of the time these idiots aren’t as good at covering their tracks as they think they are.”
“Good, good.” I said nodding foolishly. Just knowing something - anything - was happening made me feel immensely better.
Still, I could feel Mack’s energy from beside me at the table. If you don’t know the guy well, you’d assume he was the bulldog from those old Tom and Jerry cartoons. Big, dumb, aggressive as all hell and reactive. In fairness, a guy like that is disconcerting when he’s angry. Even I walked on eggshells around him from time to time. But you’d be wrong to think he was dumb. I can’t claim to understand how a cop’s mind works - I’m not one for good reason - but there’s always something below the surface with him. He acts like a bull in a china shop, but when he speaks, he spins webs as delicately and intricately as a spider.
“Mark,” he said. “You need to be ready for the possibility that someone in your life is behind this. Is Sam close with her parents? Siblings?”
“Her mom, sure. And her sister.” I stammered. “Her dad died years ago, when she was a teenager.”
“Aunts? Uncles? Neighbours?” He had that same look. The one that makes me feel like I’m only just catching up to a conversation I should have been listening to already.
“Just one aunt and uncle. But they’re not…the type? I mean they’re investment bankers in Connecticut. I can’t imagine…”
“Well, we’ll look into everyone.” Gus said.
“Daaaaddddyyy!” Suddenly Amy was right beside me. It startled me to the point that I jumped. “Can I have some chocolate?” She pointed to an unwrapped Snickers bar on Mack’s counter.
“Sure, honey. Go ahead.” Mack said, in a voice ten times nicer than he’d spoken in just moments before. “Find something to watch on TV - I won’t tell your dad.” He winked, which made her giggle before rushing off into the other room.
Then he turned to me, and in an altogether different voice said, “give Sam a call. Right now - we need to get on this.”
I pulled out my phone right at the table. I hit Sam’s number in my contact list, and listened impatiently as it rang. And rang. Before long, her voicemail recording was playing.
“No answer,” I shrugged. “I’ll text her - she’s probably busy with work.”
Call me ASAP. Re: Jessica-Ray.
If nothing else, that would surely get her attention.
Gus and Mack busied themselves for a few minutes with what I assume are cop-things. Gus disappeared into another room, and I could hear him discussing the situation with someone. Mack was staring hard at his phone, for what reason I didn’t want to ask just yet.
Minutes passed, with no reply from Sam. Impatiently, I decided to try calling again.
Again, it went to voicemail unanswered.
Ten minutes later, I tried again. Come on Sam! You can’t be so busy you can’t take one simple call.
After half an hour or so had elapsed, I began to wonder. It wasn’t like Sam to ignore my calls (or texts). It really wasn’t like Sam to not respond when it was something pertaining to Amy.
I was wondering what to do next, when my phone began to vibrate. I looked down at the caller ID and frowned. It wasn’t Sam’s number. I didn’t know who’s number it was.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Mark?” It took me a second to recognize the voice. It was Jenny. Sam’s business partner.
“Hey…yeah? Jenny?” Why the hell was she calling me?
“Mark - I’m sorry to do this but….have you heard from Sam?”
My throat felt bone dry. “…N-no.” I croaked out.
I heard a sigh. “She was supposed to be here an hour ago to set up for tonight’s sale. We’re at a trade show in Pasadena. I’ve been calling her and calling her but she’s not picking up.”
“You mean, she’s missing?” The words came out like they were disembodied. I barely recognized my own voice.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mack perk up and stare hard in my direction.
“I don’t know…I mean, maybe she’s caught in traffic? It’s always insane on Fridays. Don’t worry Mark, I’m sure she’ll turn up.”
“Thanks…Jenny? Call me - or tell her to call me as soon as you hear from her.”
“I will, take care Mark.”
The call ended, and I choked back tears.
Mack reached out and lay a hand on my shoulder, which felt god-awful. When he spoke, he did so in the voice he usually used for Amy. “Gus is talking with our supervisor. I’ll get them to alert highway patrol. Hang in there bud, we’ll find her.”
In the next room, Amy watched TV, oblivious to the horror that was growing here in the kitchen. I lay my head in my hands, and cried.
Moments - though it may as well have been hours later - Gus came back into the room. Mack had left too at some point, then returned and sat down at the table. I was so paralyzed with fear and bewilderment, I’d hardly noticed.
But Gus’s face brought me crashing back to reality.
Mack glanced up at him but said nothing.
“Mark,” Gus said, way too gently. “Look…” He hesitated, then mustered up some inner resolve. “We sent a squad car over to Sam’s place just in case she was there.”
A terrible ‘but’ hung suspended between us. I would have paid anything not to have to hear it.
“But,” he said. “they found her car in the driveway. She wasn’t there but it looks like she left everything behind - purse, car keys, even her phone.”
I was too busy sitting in stupefied silence to notice the obvious. Mack was the one who brought it up instead.
“How’d they clear the place from outside?”
“They didn’t need to.” Gus replied. “Front door was wide open.”