On the Streets for Alison

  Chapter Three

  The next morning the three of us were to meet in our office around eight. It was a cool forty-three degrees this morning, but it promises to warm up to around fifty-five. About normal for this time of year for the Atlanta area.

  I was catching Sam up when Mac walked in with a kind of grin on his face that I had never seen before, and we have been friends for a long time. We both looked at him and I just turned my head down and shook it. Sam sat back in his chair, waiting for the exchange between us.

  “So this is what, the morning after look?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure what you are talking about,” he said.

  “Oh please, you had sex last night. It’s all over your face, but there’s something else. What is that grin?”

  “Well, normally I would not say anything, but I don’t want you bugging me all day about it. We did not have sex. She has a brain, actually. We did stay up all night talking, though. I just dropped her off. It was one of the best nights I have ever had with a woman.”

  Sam was not one to miss an opportunity. “With a woman? So how many men have you dated?” This time it was Sam with the double eyebrow raise.

  “Say what you will, but she was a pleasure to be around and it was like we have known each other for a long time,” Mac said. “And no offense Sam, but men just don’t do anything for me in that way. But I do think you’re cute, honey,” he said with his hip pushed out and his hand on it.

  Sam chuckled, but then he had a thought, “So wait, does that mean I am not a man? I mean,” he said as he stood up to unzip his pants, “last time I looked, I had a penis.”

  “What are you doing?” Mac and I said at the same time.

  Sam said, “I was going to show you what sort of defines a ‘man.’”

  I stood up, looked at Mac, and said, “Sorry, you started it. I’ll leave you guys to it.” Then I started to walk out.

  “Okay guys, very funny. Sorry Sam, wrong joke with the wrong person. I forgot you have a sense of humor. And you’re not afraid to go the extra step to prove your point,” Mac said.

  By this time, I was bent over at the door laughing. I went back to my chair. Sam zipped his pants back up and sat down with a grin on his face. Then Mac sat and leaned toward Sam. “By the way, you’re not funny. He laughs at most anything.”

  “It’s true. I laugh easily, but that was funny,” I said.

  Mac looked at me, then over to Sam, who said, “I thought it was funny,” while he shrugged his shoulders.

  “Okay,” I said. “I was telling Sam about yesterday.”

  Mac started working on his tablet. “I just sent you the rendering of what Toni described to me. She is going to ask the other employees if they have any thing to add.”

  “Great,” I said while I turned my monitor around. “Sam, do you know this guy?”

  He looked at it for a few seconds. “I got nothing. So is that one of the guys that talked her up?”

  “Well, we know she spoke to him a couple of weeks before she was last heard from. Whether or not he has anything to do with it is still a question. But for now, it’s a start,” Mac said.

  “So what is the next move?” Sam asked.

  “I sent it to a friend who can run it through a facial recognition database and let me know if it turns up anything,” Mac said. “Beyond that, I am not sure what else to do.”

  I tossed my head back to look at the ceiling so I could think for a minute. The white room got so quite it was almost loud. Now I leaned back in my chair so I was almost parallel with the ground. “What time will Toni get started this morning?” I asked Mac.

  “She starts around ten-thirty in the morning, but she says that’s just for lunch, most of the employees won’t be there until around four to get ready for the dinner rush. Therefore, I figure if we get there around three we could cover both shifts without interrupting business.

  “Okay, let’s do that. But in the meantime,” I looked at Sam, “could we talk to your parents?”

  “I told you everything they said. Why would you want to bother them at a time like this? Aren’t they going through enough?” Sam said defensively.

  I looked over at Mac. “You called it,” he said.

  “Yeah, but I was hoping to be wrong this time,” I said.

  “What are you two talking about?” Sam asked.

  I took an audible breath in. “Sam, this is your one chance, and you’re only getting it because I know you. I don’t do well working for people who keep things from us. It’s why I left the Navy and the cops. I don’t like working blind.” While I talked, I had moved to the front of my desk and sat in another client chair so he could see how serious I was.

  “I don’t—.” I cut him off.

  “Sam, one chance,” I said as I held my index finger up and close to his face.

  Now he took a deep breath. I sat back and waited. From the corner of my eye, I could see Mac shake his head.

  “They don’t know she’s missing.” He breathed it out.

  I could feel my eyebrows go so high it felt like they did a high five with my hair. I looked over at Mac. He really is a man of little words. This time he was shaking his head, but while looking at the floor. I looked back at Sam, but didn’t say anything.

  He said, “I know it was wrong, but I was hoping we could come up with an answer fast so they wouldn’t worry.”

  “Sam, last time I saw your folks, I got the impression that they were in good health and they had lots of respect for you. Has something changed?” I asked.

  “No, they are still healthy. Our relationship has not changed any.”

  “Well,” I said, “it will today.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Because we are going to talk to them and you will tell them what is going. Unless you can give me a good reason they don’t need to know that their daughter is missing. You told us that Alison was usually in contact with them and you. What have they thought about her not talking to them?”

  “There is no good reason, Raph. I was just hoping this would not turn into something so big. I was hoping she just ran off with some dude and has been having a good time. She never rebelled or just had a blast. I was hoping she was just getting it out of her system and would be back soon. But by the time I realized something could be wrong, I had been telling them that she was just studying and didn’t have time to call,” Sam said.

  I took another deep breath, “Sam, I can only imagine what you are going through. Nevertheless, this is not my first time looking for someone who is missing. I promise you that the truth is what is best here. Please don’t forget you came to us for a reason. I can’t promise you a good outcome, but no matter what the outcome, if you’re honest with me we will be with you no matter what.” He had tears in his eyes by now. “You’re a friend, Sam. You don’t need to lie to me. Let us help walk with you through this.” He made no sounds, but tears were falling steadily down his face. He just nodded his head.