Homecoming Shadows

Chapter Forty Eight: The Missing

November 2005, Asheville

Cay

I returned home from my classes, my mind preoccupied with concerns about Ruby. She had looked pale and lost all day, and it pained me tremendously to see her like that. I knew exactly who was to blame for her current state.

As I started to prepare dinner, the phone rang, shattering the silence in the room. It was a call from the police station. They wanted to know if I had any information regarding Miles Prescott's recent disappearance. My heart skipped a beat as I denied having any knowledge of the case. The police seemed surprised by my response, explaining that Ruby had visited them earlier that day. She claimed to have seen Miles in the woods, wearing a distinctive maroon hoodie that was unique to our small town. Her insistence had convinced the police to search for evidence, using me as a potential witness.

I let out a deep exhale, cursing myself for the situation I now found myself in. I couldn't bring myself to reveal the truth to the police. Yes, it was true - I had seen the maroon hoodie in the woods with Ruby. But I couldn't allow myself to become involved in another investigation so soon, not with my father still missing and the secrets he held.

I felt a deep sense of regret and apologized under my breath to Ruby, knowing that she would eventually find out that I had not supported her new information. But I had my reasons, and they were tied to my father's disappearance. I intended to keep his absence hidden from the prying eyes of the public for as long as possible.

"No, officer," I finally responded, my voice laced with a mixture of apprehension and guilt. "Ruby must have misunderstood. We didn't see anything unusual in the woods today."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before the officer spoke again. "Ruby Connell is devastated, young man. She hasn't slept for a whole week because of Miles Prescott's disappearance. She's vulnerable, and you must understand that anything could appear before her weary eyes."

I swallowed hard, waiting for the police to support my decision. "Yes, sir. Thank you for understanding. No need to apologize. Yes."

As I hung up the phone, a heavy cloud of unease settled over me. I knew that by withholding the truth, I was setting in motion a series of events that could have far-reaching consequences. Ruby would not forgive me easily, and the guilt within me intensified, threatening to consume my every thought.

Ruby
two weeks later

After Cay had lied to the police, withholding crucial information, I felt broken. I didn't know I could feel any more devastated after Miles' sudden disappearance four weeks ago. But apparently, I could. The weight of the truth bore heavily upon me, and I was determined to uncover the secret Cay was hiding.

The first thing I did was try to talk with him and understand why he did what he did. We had both witnessed the same thing, and yet he denied it stubbornly. It perplexed me. His answer left me speechless.

"I can't be involved in this, Ruby," Cay confessed, his voice trembling. "You need to understand, that Miles isn't coming back. He left. And he won't return. I can't risk getting into interrogation again. I'm interrogated nearly every week for my dad's disappearance. Imagine if the town's golden boy's disappearance would also be connected to me."

His words hung in the air like a dense fog, obscuring the truth I desperately sought. My heart ached for Cay, realizing the burden he carried. His father's mysterious vanishing had cast a long shadow over his life, and now, with Miles gone, he feared being further entangled in the web of questions and accusations.

But something about Cay's explanation didn't feel right. He had always been honest with me, and yet his recent actions spoke otherwise.

Determined to uncover the truth, I delved deeper into the mysterious events surrounding Miles' disappearance. I retraced his steps, revisiting the places he frequented, hoping to find any shred of evidence that could lead me to him. But every lead turned into a dead end.

The more I investigated, the more I noticed peculiarities in our small town. People were behaving strangely, as if they were hiding something. The once friendly neighbors averted their gaze when I approached, and whispers floated through the air whenever I entered a room.

...

The sun set behind the horizon as April, Ned, and I continued our relentless search for Miles. The small villages near Asheville blurred together as we sped down empty roads, our eyes strained for any sign of our missing friend. Ned's expertise in investigation and April's unwavering support kept me going, although I could feel my hope slipping away with each passing day.

April took the wheel as my trembling hands no longer allowed me to keep control of my car. The anxiety threatened to consume me, making it difficult to focus on anything else besides the relentless image of Miles' face etched in my mind.

We stopped in the quiet town of Rosewood, a place seemingly untouched by time. Hungry and tired from hours of driving, we stumbled into the local diner, hoping to find solace amidst warm plates of comfort food. As we settled into a booth, I noticed a stack of local newspapers near the counter.

The sight of Miles' face jumping off the front page stole my breath away. It was a corner article, discreetly tucked amidst pages of mundane local news. My heart pounded in my chest as I reached for the paper, my fingers trembling as they grasped the cold surface.

The headline read "Asheville's Dark Secrets: String of Incidents and Missing People."

Unable to tear my eyes away, I scanned the article for any information that could lead us closer to Miles. The piece first highlighted the mysterious disappearances of several individuals over the past few months, each case growing more perplexing as the days went by.

I squinted my weary eyes at the article, the words blurring together as a heavy sigh escaped my lips. The local newspaper said: "Miles Jay Prescott, 20 years old, had gone missing on October 31st in Asheville. The city's municipality put the investigation on hold due to the lack of any significant leads, and at the request of the distraught family. All search parties have been called off, leaving the family to come to terms with their son's fatal disappearance."

They won't search for him anymore?... No one will?...

I blinked and crashed down, collapsing on the floor of a diner. The smell of coffee and grease filled the air as I struggled to gather my bearings. My mind was in a haze, memories jumbled together like a broken jigsaw puzzle. I couldn't remember how I got here or why and who was shaking my shoulders right now.