Jane Doe

II

I tell my brother goodbye and we both leave the room, each going our separate ways. I page Ron and tell him I need to go home for the day  for a family emergency and to sort everything out with the investors. He isn't happy, considering there are still a few adjustments we need to make to the contract, but I insist and offer him a weekend bonus and of course, he complies. As if I don't already pay the man enough, though. Yet money is always the answer with Newton.

As I'm driving to my house, all sorts of things run through my head. I'm just about home when a black dog runs out in front of my car. I slam hard into the breaks and wait for it to continue walking. My heart accelerates as it just stares at me. My mother going missing and now a black dog? I need to tell Sabrina and get her help.

I step inside the building of my penthouse where the concierge greets me. I give him a quick smile and press the floor to my house. When I walk in, Sabrina is just sitting on the couch, watching Beauty And The Beast, eating popcorn. I throw my legs over the couch and plop down across from her, grabbing a handful of the popcorn. No matter how I felt, I would always eat popcorn, as would Sabrina, which is why we are the best of friends and roommates.

Sabrina paused her movie to study my face. "What's wrong?" She tried to question me, and even though I had planned on asking her about it, I just really didn't want to talk about it. I ignored her comment and went to grab for more popcorn when she moved it away from me. "Unh uh. You don't get to just ignore me when I know something is wrong. Tell me or so help me God, I will pry it out of you."

I got up from the couch and wandered to the kitchen. I wasn't ready to completely reveal myself yet. "Everett came to my office today." I looked down at the black marble counter and traced circles on it with my finger. A nervous habit of mine that I couldn't kick. Sabrina followed me to our ridiculously large kitchen and sat on the barstool that was adjacent to me. "Everett? Your super hot, millionaire brother, Everett?" I rolled my eyes. "Yea sure, that one, I uh-I guess" I hated it when people to me my brother was hot, because how the hell was I supposed to respond? But for some odd reason, Sabrina was the exception and I was only mildly annoyed. She rested her chin in her elbows, eager looking. "Wait, but I thought he lived in Japan?" I gave my back to her and set my palms on the counter. "Well, he's taking some time off and staying in America."

Sabrina got off the stool, and went to face me, pinning me against the counter so I had no where to go. "Okay, now what's the real reason he's here?" I let out a long sigh. "My mom and dad went on their annual anniversary cruise and when my mom was showering, she vanished. Dad said there was no logical way for her to leave." Sabrina's eyebrows raised. "Okay, now what's really troubling you?" God, she was good. "Right before I pulled up, a black dog ran out in front of my Audi and just stared at me. Rin, I'm scared. First my mom's vanished and now I saw a-" I paused, collecting my breath.  "A black dog? What the hell is happening?" Sabrina unpinned me and padded over to the couch to sit back down. "Go get your dad's journal. It's going to be a long night."