w a t e r s o n g

jumping to conclusions

Miranda stared at the screen.

She couldn't believe it, but there it was--proof of Wade's involvement in my eldest daughter's death and my younger daughter's disappearance. Well, maybe not proof, but certainly a strong indicator. Why else would he be following this weirdo called TheKraken?

Unless... unless he was TheKraken.

One thing was for sure. Miranda needed to talk to him, and fast. Every moment Serena was gone, she was more likely to disappear forever. That's what Miranda got out of those crime shows she used to watch late at night, when she couldn't sleep due to the horrors she encountered at work.

"Is that him?" Eliza asked, pointing to Wade's profile. "Regina's ex?"

Miranda nodded. "According to Serena, anyway. We have to talk to him. But first..." 

She went to her closet and dug out her cell phone. "We need to call the police."

After dialing the number, she sat waiting, her left arm curling around her stomach. She felt nauseous. She couldn't remember the last time she ate anything. She'd been existing on caffeine and adrenaline, and it was starting to catch up with her.

"Aurora Police Department. How may I direct your call?"

Miranda thought of the kind police officer who had offered to help. "Officer Keenan, please."

"One moment. I'll see if he's available."

The woman's voice was replaced by a recording delineating the police department's hours of operation and the directive to call 911 if it's an emergency. Miranda had briefly considered calling 911, but they would probably just tell her to wait and call back if Serena didn't return home. Officer Keenan knew them, would understand the gravity of the situation.

While she waited, she looked around Serena's room. It was much neater than Regina's. There were no stray socks or underwear on the floor. Her bed was made. Every book was tucked evenly into her bookshelf, arranged alphabetically by the author's last name.

All but one.

A single volume stuck out slightly from the rest, as though Serena had just been reading it and quickly returned it to its home without the usual care with which she tended her books. Before she could look and see what it was, a voice in the phone startled her.

"Tom Keenan here. How may I help you?"

Miranda exhaled, relieved to hear his voice. "Officer Keenan, this is Miranda, Regina's mother? You were here yesterday. I'm calling about my daughter."

"Yes, of course. Do you have any more information about Regina?"

"It's not, not Regina," Miranda stammered. "My other daughter, Serena, has disappeared."

His voice dropped an octave. "When did you last see her?"

"This morning," she said. "She's vanished into thin air and she doesn't have her phone. I'm afraid..." She knew it sounded alarmist, but she couldn't help herself. "I'm afraid that she's been kidnapped."

He was silent a moment. "Miranda, I know that you're going through hell. But the standard policy is to wait twenty-four hours before we take action on a missing person's case."

"Even if her sister was murdered?" Miranda asked.

"You're jumping to conclusions," Officer Keenan said. "We haven't officially ruled Regina's death a murder. Look, I'll pass on the concern and we'll keep our eyes open for her, but that's about all we can do at this time. I suggest you relax and wait for her to come home. It's likely she's just at a friend's house."

Miranda knew she shouldn't have called the police. This was wasting precious time, time that she should be tracking down Wade Simmons, the common denominator in the whole equation. She thanked Officer Keenan hollowly and hung up the phone.

"They're not going to do anything," Miranda said bitterly. "They want us to wait twenty-four hours and call back."

"We can't just do nothing," Eliza replied. 

Miranda was glad they were on the same page. She went over to Serena's computer and checked Wade's Facebook page again. His father's name was Russ. She pulled up a search browser, looked up his address, and scribbled it on a post-it note.

"Not too far from here," Miranda observed.

She briefly considered how bizarre it would look, showing up at a student's house unannounced. Going to Crissy's house was one thing. She and Fiona had been friends once upon a time, but Miranda had no connection to Wade's family. They may not even let her talk to him. But she had to do something. It was the only lead she had.

"I'll come with you," Eliza insisted. "I feel like this is all my fault."

Miranda knew that Eliza wanted to be absolved of any guilt she might be feeling, but she just didn't have the energy. She thought it would be a good idea for her friend to come along, though, just in case anything happened. She wanted a witness.

"All right," Miranda agreed. "You drive. I'll call Raph and fill him in. He can wait at home in case Serena turns up."

As they left Serena's room, Miranda's eyes fell upon the book that was sticking out of her daughter's bookcase. It was Little Women, a classic from the girls' childhood. She remembered reading it to her daughters, a chapter every night before they fell asleep. She paused on the way out of the room to push the book back in with her index finger, remembering when her life was full of promise and happiness, rather than imitating a horror movie.