68. Text Messages
Text Messages
Fly
Always notice things that others don’t.
Focus. If you miss something, it could mean Sheri’s life. Except everything looks right. It looks normal.
Small town.
Cute street filled with modest, well-maintained family homes.
It’s the kind of neighborhood with white picket fences—there are literally four on this block alone—two-car garages, tree swings—two of those—bikes left all around without a worry about them being stolen—there are nine: two blue, one black, two pink, one yellow, two lime-green ones, and a single strange rust-colored one.
It’s a school day, so those kids are probably in school now.
Look. You probably missed something. I hop out of my car and just take a moment to see every single detail.
Stalkers miss things.
Little things.
Everyone misses something.
The shades are partially open, like someone forgot to close them…or has been peeking outside. This house has the odd rust-colored bike dropped in the middle of the driveway. A stalker would bring her in via the garage. That would be the safest method. The least likely to draw attention.
But that bike is mostly on the driveway, but a bit of its front wheel is on the grass. Grass which is still growing in the middle of winter, grass that has grown up into the spokes of the wheel. There’s also a fresh oil spot on the driveway.
Whoever lives here parks on the driveway, not in the garage. The door handle is dusty, and there’s untouched sand in front of it...
This doesn’t feel right. Not for a kidnapper.
I knock on the door. If no one answers, I’m breaking in. It shouldn’t take more than two seconds to pop that lock.
“Where’s my pizza?” A decidedly rancid-smelling teenage boy opens the door still wearing what I can only assume are the same pajamas he put on three years ago.
“Where’s Sheridan?”
“Sheridan Wholes?” The boy’s eyes light up.
“Yes, where is she?”
“Don’t know. No one has seen her for like two weeks. We think she left town when Jimbo kicked her out of his shack in the woods. Are you a fan? I have all of her first editions, personally signed. She came to my house and signed them when I was a freshman.”
“Is your dad home?”
“Don’t got a dad. He ditched us before I was born. It’s just Mom and me.”
The kid is the stalker? No way. But the Whiz Kid would know if he was spoofing or bouncing his messages from somewhere else, right?
My gut says yes. “How long have you been a fan?”
“Forever. I bought her first book the day it came out. She was always the prettiest girl in school. But she never noticed me.”
That’s because you were probably five or six when she was in school.
“But I noticed her. One day she’ll notice me. Then we’ll be together.”
Jackpot…but also there’s no way this kid kidnapped Sheri.
I grab the kid by his throat and lift him up against the wall. Vex made this look much easier than it is when he did it to me. “You don’t harass women ever. Do you understand me? The text messages stop now. Do you understand me?”
The kid nods his head.
“If I hear about you harassing another woman, I’ll be back, and that discussion will be less than pleasant. Also, take a shower and clean up. Be the man your mother needs, not a whiny boy.”
The kid’s eyes bulge out.
“Got me?”
He nods.
“Good. You can start now. I’ll be checking in to make sure you’re making good choices.” I drop the kid to the ground and walk away.
This was a waste of time.
Where is she?
I message the kid.
Fly
Found him. He doesn’t have Sheri. Keep looking.
Whiz Kid
What do you mean he doesn't have Sheri? Is she missing?
Fly
Yes.
There has to be a clue in her car. I need to go through her car.