The Demigod Business

Chapter 2

Sam

"I'm Agent Plant and this is Agent Bonham," Sam said, gesturing to Dean and tucking his fake FBI badge back into his coat. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about your son's disappearance."

Dr. Smith clearly hadn't been expecting visitors today. The man was dressed in sweatpants and a paint-stained T-shirt, and his face looked as tired as his clothes. Sam couldn't even begin to understand what he was feeling, with his son missing for two days.

"I already talked to the police," Dr. Smith said, opening his door wider and frowning.

"We've been following another case and we think it might be related. We just have a few routine questions, if that's all right," Dean said.

Dr. Smith regarded them carefully for another long moment and then nodded. He stepped back to allow them entry into his home. It was a modest one-story building, with a neat garden in the front, a small garage, and solar panels on the roof. Dr. Smith was a senior researcher at the nearby university's library.

Sam let his gaze linger on the framed photos around the house of Devin Smith, Dr. Smith's missing son. He picked up a few quick facts—the kid played soccer, enjoyed mint chip ice cream, and loved to read. Not surprising even with his dyslexia, given his dad's profession.

Dr. Smith led them into his living room and onto the couch. He sat in an armchair next to them. They sat in silence for a moment while Sam pulled out his notepad.

"Oh," Dr. Smith said, patting his legs like he was about to get up. "Um, would you like anything? Water? Coffee?"

"We're fine, thank you," Dean said with a polite smile.

Dr. Smith nodded. "What, uh, what would you like to know?"

"Walk us through what happened," Sam said, his pen poised over his notepad. He didn't really need it, but he'd come to learn it was expected of him by civilians.

Dr. Smith swallowed hard. He touched a photo of his son, then cleared his throat again. "Well, Devin had soccer practice after school. Sometimes his friend Jimmy's parents give him a ride home—that was the plan, that day. So I was worried when I got home from work and he wasn't here. I called Jimmy's father, and he said Devin was already gone when they picked Jimmy up. They thought I'd picked him up."

"And what did Jimmy say? Did he see where Devin went?" Dean asked.

Dr. Smith shrugged helplessly. "He said Devin went to the locker room to change and never came out. He thought he'd left through a different exit."

"That's when you went to the school yourself and found the evidence?" Sam said, checking his notes from the official police report.

Dr. Smith nodded. "I went to the locker room and found Devin's bag surrounded by that weird dust. He was gone—" he choked, his eyes welling up.

"It's okay, you don't have to keep going. We have the report," Dean said with a grim face.

"That's when I called the police," Dr. Smith said through his sniffles. "But they haven't found anything yet."

"That's what they told us. We just wanted to double-check, in case you remembered anything new," Sam said.

Dr. Smith rubbed his eyes and looked up at Sam. "You said you've been following a similar case?"

"Yes. Similar story—missing kid, the strange stone fragments left behind. It's a few cities away, but it's possible they could be related," Sam admitted.

Dr. Smith sighed, looking at his hands in his lap. "Is there anything else you need from me?"

Sam exchanged a look with Dean. It was never easy asking their weird questions.