week. The walls of Anna’s house were potential witnesses, but of course, they wouldn’t be talking.
I studied the ground next to the road, letting my eyes cover only a few square inches at a time. Grass, dirt, leaves, weeds, a scattering of small broken branches and twigs; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Where were the size eleven footprints, ripped pieces of Brad's t-shirt, DNA covered cigarette butts, trace amounts of blood spatter? There wasn’t so much as a crumpled beer can to be found. It just didn’t make sense. Where are you, Brad?
A rustling sound came from behind the trees, causing the hair on my arms to stand on end. I stopped in my tracks and slowly turned my head around, thinking back to my mom’s words of caution and safety.
“Hello?” I whimpered.
There was no answer, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. I stood in the middle of the road, frozen, as I waited.
“Hello,” I said again, more assertive this time. “Brad?”
I thought I heard a branch snap to my left but knew my mind was good at playing tricks on me. Don’t do this to yourself. Don’t imagine him again. I couldn’t decide if I was imagining it was him, or someone-or something-else. Or am I imagining it at all ? I took a few light steps toward the sound and waited again, holding my breath. I jumped as another rustling noise came from the same direction.
“Who’s there?”
I considered parting the thick branches with my arms and attempting to see through to the other side, but I was afraid of what I might find. I made myself take one more step towards the tree line as the rustling became frantic and the sound moved quickly in the other direction, running away from where I stood. I wasn't sure what I wanted it to be. A deer? A large rabbit? A barn cat? A bum living in the woods who is responsible for Brad’s disappearance? Or Brad himself… running from me because he knew I had learned his secrets.
Although I told myself it had been nothing but a small woodland creature, I took off in a sprint towards my house. I no longer felt safe on my quiet street in my small town with Brad gone. This place where I had grown up and made so many memories was now a potential crime scene. And the person who was supposed to protect me was gone without a trace.
****
Once I was safely inside my bedroom, I called the Lees and we spoke at length regarding what to do next. I didn’t ask about Brad’s criminal history, although I wasn’t sure if it was because I didn’t want to upset them by bringing it up or because I didn’t want to know the truth. Mrs. Lee invited me over to their house and I borrowed Mom’s SUV instead of attempting another walk down the dismal roadway.
I had imagined that I would see reporters camped out on their front lawn, waiting with microphones at bay like guns in a Wild West duel. But instead, the house was quiet, eerily so. Brad’s silver two-door truck that I had grown to love was parked in the driveway in its usual spot, with splatters of mud around the wheel well. On Saturday mornings, he would always hose off any debris from the week prior, yet today was Sunday and the brown residue was baking in the sun. He would never leave his truck like this on purpose.
As I waited on the front steps for an answer to my timid knocking, I glanced at my surroundings. There were no undercover cops sitting in dark cars staking out the premises, no colorful ribbons tied around trees. Everything appeared to be normal, even though just inside the brick and mortar of the Lee residence a family was hurting, missing an intricate piece of their puzzle.
“Hi, Lillian,” young Montana said as she greeted me at the front door.
“Hi, sweetie,” I said as I gave her a quick hug. “How are you?”
“I’m all right I guess,” she said with a shrug. “Everyone is pretty sad around here.”
“I know. It’s sad at my house too.”
Mrs. Lee, or Janice as she had asked me to call her, came into
I studied the ground next to the road, letting my eyes cover only a few square inches at a time. Grass, dirt, leaves, weeds, a scattering of small broken branches and twigs; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Where were the size eleven footprints, ripped pieces of Brad's t-shirt, DNA covered cigarette butts, trace amounts of blood spatter? There wasn’t so much as a crumpled beer can to be found. It just didn’t make sense. Where are you, Brad?
A rustling sound came from behind the trees, causing the hair on my arms to stand on end. I stopped in my tracks and slowly turned my head around, thinking back to my mom’s words of caution and safety.
“Hello?” I whimpered.
There was no answer, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. I stood in the middle of the road, frozen, as I waited.
“Hello,” I said again, more assertive this time. “Brad?”
I thought I heard a branch snap to my left but knew my mind was good at playing tricks on me. Don’t do this to yourself. Don’t imagine him again. I couldn’t decide if I was imagining it was him, or someone-or something-else. Or am I imagining it at all ? I took a few light steps toward the sound and waited again, holding my breath. I jumped as another rustling noise came from the same direction.
“Who’s there?”
I considered parting the thick branches with my arms and attempting to see through to the other side, but I was afraid of what I might find. I made myself take one more step towards the tree line as the rustling became frantic and the sound moved quickly in the other direction, running away from where I stood. I wasn't sure what I wanted it to be. A deer? A large rabbit? A barn cat? A bum living in the woods who is responsible for Brad’s disappearance? Or Brad himself… running from me because he knew I had learned his secrets.
Although I told myself it had been nothing but a small woodland creature, I took off in a sprint towards my house. I no longer felt safe on my quiet street in my small town with Brad gone. This place where I had grown up and made so many memories was now a potential crime scene. And the person who was supposed to protect me was gone without a trace.
****
Once I was safely inside my bedroom, I called the Lees and we spoke at length regarding what to do next. I didn’t ask about Brad’s criminal history, although I wasn’t sure if it was because I didn’t want to upset them by bringing it up or because I didn’t want to know the truth. Mrs. Lee invited me over to their house and I borrowed Mom’s SUV instead of attempting another walk down the dismal roadway.
I had imagined that I would see reporters camped out on their front lawn, waiting with microphones at bay like guns in a Wild West duel. But instead, the house was quiet, eerily so. Brad’s silver two-door truck that I had grown to love was parked in the driveway in its usual spot, with splatters of mud around the wheel well. On Saturday mornings, he would always hose off any debris from the week prior, yet today was Sunday and the brown residue was baking in the sun. He would never leave his truck like this on purpose.
As I waited on the front steps for an answer to my timid knocking, I glanced at my surroundings. There were no undercover cops sitting in dark cars staking out the premises, no colorful ribbons tied around trees. Everything appeared to be normal, even though just inside the brick and mortar of the Lee residence a family was hurting, missing an intricate piece of their puzzle.
“Hi, Lillian,” young Montana said as she greeted me at the front door.
“Hi, sweetie,” I said as I gave her a quick hug. “How are you?”
“I’m all right I guess,” she said with a shrug. “Everyone is pretty sad around here.”
“I know. It’s sad at my house too.”
Mrs. Lee, or Janice as she had asked me to call her, came into
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