How’s the boy, Chris?”
“Listen, Nash, you may be a cop but in my opinion you’re a stupid, s.o.b. with a big effing mouth.”
Dumbfounded Nash replied, “What the hell are you talking about?”
Hearing the noise, Lieutenant Fuller came out of his office and was surprised to see Chris Hayden standing there confronting Sergeant Nash.
“Hi, Chris. How’s your brother? I haven’t seen—”
Hayden interrupted him. “I’ve got to talk to you, Ken.” He walked past Nash and into the area behind the front desk where Fuller was standing. Jess followed him tentatively.
“So talk. What is it?”
Chris looked back at Nash as he said, “I want to know why nothing’s been done about Clare Harrison being missing? And how does this schmuck get away with saying the kind of things he does, especially to the girl’s father?”
Trying to calm Chris down, Fuller said, “Why? Do you know her?”
“Yes I know her. I’ve been taking her out. Oh, this is Jess, Jessica Bradford. She lives at the same sorority house as Clare. Jess, this is Ken Fuller.”
“How do you do,” Ken said.
“To tell you the truth,” Jess replied, “not very well. We’re really worried, and it doesn’t seem to be worrying anyone else.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that. Come on into my ofiice.” As they moved past him he called over to Sergeant Nash, “Sergeant, get me the file on the Harrison girl.”
Woefully Nash, who looked as though he had been caught in a buzzsaw, dug through the papers on his desk.
Inside Fuller’s office, after the introductions were performed Ken asked Chris what had happened.
“Well, I don’t really know. That’s why I brought Jess along. She knows more than I do.”
Ken turned to Jess and asked, “Okay, why don’t you tell me what you know and we’ll see if we can piece this thing together?”
“All right. I’ll try. Last night we all celebrated a little at the house. Then Clare went up to her room to pack. That’s the last anyone saw her. Most of the girls have left for the holidays. The few of us that are left were to go over to one of the fraternity houses for a small party for underprivileged kids. Clare didn’t show up at breakfast, but then most of us eat at different times. Mrs. Mac, she’s the house mother, Mrs. MacHenry, went out. So she didn’t see her. Then Clare didn’t show up at the party. In the meantime her father came and was supposed to meet her at one o’clock outside the ‘frat’ house. He showed up but she didn’t. He went to our house and found her bag packed but no Clare. He came here with another of the girls and they reported it. So far she hasn’t returned to the house and no one has seen her. That’s it, I guess.”
Lieutenant Fuller had followed her story carefully, making notes as she talked. Once or twice he looked over at Mrs. Quaife who was sitting silently listening to Jessica Bradford’s story.
When Jess was finished he thought for a few minutes before he spoke. “Well, it may be nothing, probably is nothing, but I think that we had better do a search just to be on the safe side. There’s a park between the high school and Mrs. Quaife’s house, and it seems sensible to start there.” He looked over at Chris and added, “Now here’s what I want you to do.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
There they are again. And that man is there, too. The older one. What’s he doing here? I saw him inside with the old lady. They were on the floor together. Picking something up. Why doesn’t he go away? She doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. She’s mine now. Nasty Billy. He would spank you if he knew. Why doesn’t he go? Why don’t they all go away? Then maybe I’d be free. I feel sick again. I’m going to call. Why doesn’t someone stop me, why?
Inside the house, oblivious of the stranger who prowled just outside and watched through the living room window Phyl was performing the introductions. Once Jess and Chris had met Mr. Harrison Chris told him
“Listen, Nash, you may be a cop but in my opinion you’re a stupid, s.o.b. with a big effing mouth.”
Dumbfounded Nash replied, “What the hell are you talking about?”
Hearing the noise, Lieutenant Fuller came out of his office and was surprised to see Chris Hayden standing there confronting Sergeant Nash.
“Hi, Chris. How’s your brother? I haven’t seen—”
Hayden interrupted him. “I’ve got to talk to you, Ken.” He walked past Nash and into the area behind the front desk where Fuller was standing. Jess followed him tentatively.
“So talk. What is it?”
Chris looked back at Nash as he said, “I want to know why nothing’s been done about Clare Harrison being missing? And how does this schmuck get away with saying the kind of things he does, especially to the girl’s father?”
Trying to calm Chris down, Fuller said, “Why? Do you know her?”
“Yes I know her. I’ve been taking her out. Oh, this is Jess, Jessica Bradford. She lives at the same sorority house as Clare. Jess, this is Ken Fuller.”
“How do you do,” Ken said.
“To tell you the truth,” Jess replied, “not very well. We’re really worried, and it doesn’t seem to be worrying anyone else.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that. Come on into my ofiice.” As they moved past him he called over to Sergeant Nash, “Sergeant, get me the file on the Harrison girl.”
Woefully Nash, who looked as though he had been caught in a buzzsaw, dug through the papers on his desk.
Inside Fuller’s office, after the introductions were performed Ken asked Chris what had happened.
“Well, I don’t really know. That’s why I brought Jess along. She knows more than I do.”
Ken turned to Jess and asked, “Okay, why don’t you tell me what you know and we’ll see if we can piece this thing together?”
“All right. I’ll try. Last night we all celebrated a little at the house. Then Clare went up to her room to pack. That’s the last anyone saw her. Most of the girls have left for the holidays. The few of us that are left were to go over to one of the fraternity houses for a small party for underprivileged kids. Clare didn’t show up at breakfast, but then most of us eat at different times. Mrs. Mac, she’s the house mother, Mrs. MacHenry, went out. So she didn’t see her. Then Clare didn’t show up at the party. In the meantime her father came and was supposed to meet her at one o’clock outside the ‘frat’ house. He showed up but she didn’t. He went to our house and found her bag packed but no Clare. He came here with another of the girls and they reported it. So far she hasn’t returned to the house and no one has seen her. That’s it, I guess.”
Lieutenant Fuller had followed her story carefully, making notes as she talked. Once or twice he looked over at Mrs. Quaife who was sitting silently listening to Jessica Bradford’s story.
When Jess was finished he thought for a few minutes before he spoke. “Well, it may be nothing, probably is nothing, but I think that we had better do a search just to be on the safe side. There’s a park between the high school and Mrs. Quaife’s house, and it seems sensible to start there.” He looked over at Chris and added, “Now here’s what I want you to do.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
There they are again. And that man is there, too. The older one. What’s he doing here? I saw him inside with the old lady. They were on the floor together. Picking something up. Why doesn’t he go away? She doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. She’s mine now. Nasty Billy. He would spank you if he knew. Why doesn’t he go? Why don’t they all go away? Then maybe I’d be free. I feel sick again. I’m going to call. Why doesn’t someone stop me, why?
Inside the house, oblivious of the stranger who prowled just outside and watched through the living room window Phyl was performing the introductions. Once Jess and Chris had met Mr. Harrison Chris told him
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