Chapter 4
Disappeared
Monday, yes that was the day.
Everyone hated Monday.
What better day to disappear.
One bag.
No clothes from her closet. She would go to the Thrift Store and get two outfits. Nothing would be recognizable……even the bag.
Sunday night, after everyone was asleep, she would go to her bank, take out all she could.
Then she would take the one lump sum from her Visa…..grand total $2500.00.
As she sat musing her plan, to enact in 5 days, she could think of no reason to change her mind.
By the time she was missed she will have been gone 16 hours if everything went according to the plan.
Why was Anne walking away? Life had thrown her several curves, but she always managed to stay on top.
She was tired, yes, as she thought about the why of her plan, that’s what it boiled down to.
Tired.
Tired of being the fall guy.
Tired of keeping up a front.
Tired of fighting.
Tired….just tired.
She needed a holiday, but a real planned holiday was not in the cards….all she could scrape together was $2500.00 lousy bucks, for this little disappearing act.
Her son would be fine, he would have help. Norman was old enough. She was just holding him back. Someone would be better at guiding her son for the rest of the way than she was. He needed more than she had to give. Such was her reasoning.
Thursday: Shop…pack…put bag at bus station.
Friday: Go to the bank.
Saturday: Write notes….goodbye notes, to leave in places they will be found….car…purse.
Sunday: Go to church like normal.
Then….early morning…leave a note.
“Had an early work call, should be home by 4:00. Do your chores. Luv Mom”
….normal occurrences.
Colour and cut hair in the gas station washroom.
Leave the car at the garage.
Walk to the bus station.
Get bag.
Walk to the truck stop.
Get a ride.
Disappear.
Alex was at her desk going over the notes from her last case. Just too neat, how did a case wrap up so perfectly? Almost with a bow!
“Natalie, could you order supper, make it from Terry’s Diner, I feel like Home Cooking, and I’m not getting home. Order yourself something as well, I am going to need your help. Oh, and call Gladys, give her big SORRY’s….oh…call Glace as well, and order him a supper … Thanks.”
Alex was seldom perplexed but something from the last case stuck in her mind, and would not let go.
Even the distraction of helping Jason Fisk, did not get one small detail off of her mind.
In the hearing, Jerry made it abundantly clear that he had an accomplice, but there was no sign of another person. Even the nosy neighbour had never seen anyone else. The only indication that there was someone else were the two different sized pants…both rumpled, both messy from what Jerry said was the inside of a culvert.
Without a witness to another person, all fell to Jerry, and ultimately to the kingpin, William Karnal. Alex figured she should let it go, and get on with the new case at hand. She reluctantly set the file aside and opened the new one.
Anne Kingston, age 55. Disappeared from her home early Monday, August 28th. It was Tuesday, and last night the family had brought this to Alex personally. Norman Kingston had been in Alex’s Sunday School class when he was 10, seven years ago. It was his request that Alex take the case to find his Mom. He and his older sister Sasha, who was 21, had woke to a note from their Mom about an early work call. They saw nothing out of the ordinary about that. It was not until 5:00 pm, when there was still no sign of Mom, that Sasha had texted her Mom to ask what she should cook for supper. The phone sounded, in the laundry room, at the house. Mom would not be on a work call without her phone.
Sasha called the police. Missing persons would not act until 24 hours was up. That did not sit well with Norman. He knew there had to be something wrong. So did Sasha. Mom’s purse, all her work things were at home. Something had happened. Norman told his sister to call Alex.
Monday night was spent going over things at the home. A note was found in Anne’s bedroom. Just a goodbye, no reasoning, nothing. It was not until Tuesday evening that the note in the car was found…complete with explanation, and Anne’s will. The garage attendant called in an abandoned car. Anne’s car. By this time Anne had been gone over 36 hours. The police opened a missing persons but by now she could be anywhere… anywhere.
Anne’s plan went perfectly. No one would recognize her. Her short jet black hair was covered with a ball cap. The green cowlneck sweater was almost too hot for August, but the nights were cool, and she was not sure how much of her trip would be on four wheels. The baggy cargo pants tucked into cowboy boots at the legs, was the final touch. She looked 25 pounds heavier and more male than female.
After retrieving her bag at the bus station she wandered to the nearest truck stop. She had to approach from the woods because she could not walk down the highway, but that was fine. She went in to get some breakfast. It was 5:23 am. She had left the house at 1:35 am. and the past 4 hours were an eternity.
It was on this same date that Greggory Peterson figured enough time had passed for him to come out of hiding, and get on with life. With 250 grand to his credit, he could do as he pleased. He opened several bank accounts, with several thousand in each. He stashed $10,000 in various places. On his person, in his truck…he even buried a money box in the woods behind his parents’ old place. The truck he had purchased was nothing fancy, he did not want to draw unnecessary attention to himself. A little Ford Ranger…black. He was going to hit the road and see the country. He packed his meagre belongings and headed East. His first stop was the truck stop on the highway for breakfast. It was 5:30 am, but he was hungry, and traffic in the food line was slow. He stood in line behind a pretty lady near his age. She was obviously disguised. Gregory wondered why. She was a bit rough around the edges looking, but he could see the hint of comedy in her eyes as she laughed at the server dealing with a customer two spaces ahead of them.
“The kid does not know what he wants, probably just woke up from the back seat of the family van” Greg suggested.
“Yes”, Anne agreed. I can relate, little sleep last night, and I have been walking for a couple hours, tiredness makes it hard to think.”
Anne went to order her lunch. One thing she did not count on. Her ATM had given her $50’s. This truck stop would not take $50’s.
“Here, let me get that”, Greg offered when he heard the lady’s dilemma.
“No, really, I can’t let you do that”
“Sure, you have to eat, and if you like I can make some change for you.”
“Well, you are right, I do have to eat, but I could not bother you to make change. I will sort out something.”
Greg ordered his breakfast on the tab with Anne’s. and paid the server.
“Let’s discuss this over breakfast, come on, there is a table by the window, we can watch the sunrise.”
Greg thought as they ate. Who would be out walking for hours this time of the morning, why the $50 dollar bills, why the obvious disguise? Maybe she would be a good cover. If Jerry was looking for him, he would not be looking for a couple. Greg had never been able to keep a girlfriend…that was, in his estimation, Jerry’s fault. He had kept him so busy that no girl would ever stand for the lack of attention….but now, he had all the time in the world. He was a decent looking guy. These thoughts were interrupted by Anne’s question.
“Where are you heading”, which was not heard the first time, or the second time…, and Anne, puzzled by the lack of response, was speaking a bit louder, and asking the third time.
“Oh, sorry,” responded Greg, motioning to hush abit and speaking in a whisper. ” I am on an adventure, heading nowhere in particular, just had some cash saved, and wanted to explore a bit.” Greg rose from the whisper to a normal tone.
“Where are you headed?”
“I was thinking of going East, and from there, who knows. The same thing, nowhere, just need a holiday….this may seem wild…but could you use some company?”
This was not Anne…she was normally so cautious, but this seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up, and anyway, when anyone would be looking for her, they would not be looking for a couple. Such was her reasoning…little did she know it was Greg’s reasoning as well.
“Well, I’m not opposed to the plan. I was kinda looking to be alone, but if you can just let me go where I please, with not a whole lot of suggestions to stop at every hick town’s tourist site, then maybe we can have a deal. Not that I am opposed to touristy stuff, but, I do have my limits to corney.”
By this time Anne was laughing, “Well we are certainly on the same wavelength, I like to see things…but real things, not “Bills Corn Field Maze”, or the such, but real attractions would be great.”
“Sounds good to me, let’s finish eating and disappear. “
Alex knew something was up, and by the time supper arrived, almost synchronously with Glace, like, did he deliver on the side? Alex was filing away paperwork from her last case, Jason Fisk.
“Oh good, food, and Glace, of course you are here same time as the food, no surprise there. Natalie, get me the file on Anne Kingston.”
“Thought we were working an old file, Karnal, and that Jerry fellow. Why Anne Kingston….never mind, it’s that gut feeling again. Well this aught to be a good one.”
” Yes, it’s a feeling. There is no way Jerry worked alone, and all this time, four months, there has been no sign of the money Karnal said Jerry stole from him…and those pants, they were 10 sizes smaller. Some skinny accomplice….I’m sure of it. I just don’t know how the cases fit, but they do.
What I want to do is start looking for a couple, a skinny guy, about 50, and Anne…but Anne with a disguise, maybe as a guy. I figure the accomplice would be younger than Jerry, but not too young. “
“Sounds reasonable, so where should I start do you figure? “
“Well, Anne’s car was found at a garage down on the south end. Start there. There was no sign of struggle, so she walked….where? Check the bus station, train station, hotels, all in a couple miles. I don’t think she would have walked more than 5 miles. I mean she’s 55, not 25.”
Natalie and I will go chat with to Norman and Sasha, her kids, in the morning. They may have some more thought, now that they have had time to settle, knowing the investigation is on. Who knows, maybe they came across something that they don’t know is something.”
The trio sat in silence eating supper, then Glace went off quickly to the task at hand. It was going to be a fitful night.
Anne and Gregs trip the day before did not take them far. While Anne was snoozing in the Fords uncomfortable seat, snoozing, and snoring, Greg was heading to his family hunting cabin, just a few hours away from the truck stop. He figured that the time passed would make any search for them, start farther away. Anne jumped, woken by her own snore.
” Oh my, I’m so sorry. I was more tired than I thought, how long was I out?”
” Well, it’s 9 ish, We have been going just over three hours, just about time for a pit stop, any preferences?”
“Well, not someplace big, and preferably off the highway…but you know by now.”
Anne had filled in her benefactor a bit of her disappearing act. She figured that soon someone would be looking for her and that the police would be looking.
” Yes, well I know a place just north a bit, about 20 miles. Maybe a good spot to take a break. Maybe even a couple days rest. You can decide when we get there.”
Anne’s inner control freak went a bit wacko.
” How far off the beaten path? What kind of place? Anyone around?”
“Whoa…relax. It’s not nowhere, just quiet. My Dad had a hunting cabin up here. It’s a tourist spot, but we are off season. No one will wonder. You don’t need to worry, I’m not a nut job. I understand you want to hide a bit, well to tell you the truth, so do I. I’ll fill you in when we get stopped and have some supper. Grans Place makes the best fries this side of the ….well this side of anywhere. Here, take my phone and look it up. Grans Place, Dusty Narrows. It should pop up, this way you will know right where we are. Is that better?”
” Yes….better. Thanks.” Anne looked up the diner. It looked nice, homey, good food. ” Here is your phone.”
“No, you hold on to it. I’m sure it will make you feel better. The charger is in the glove box….all yours.”
The two drove up the small side road. Anne’s family, just waking, still oblivious to her disappearance.
So when Anne was noticed missing, and her son Norman called in Alex, Anne and Greg were settled for a break in the hunting cabin. Glace wandered the streets around the garage where Anne left her car, looking for clues.
Glace’s search was interrupted by a phone call. His niece. A new case. He had to take this, Alex was going to have to find Anne on her own.
Someone else was interested in Gregs’ location as well. Mike Le’Mon, an associate of Karnel, who was supposed to get a payback. He managed to stay out of the picture when Karnel and Jerry were arrested, mostly due to the fact that, if either of them said anything, Mike would know how to repay their ‘kindness’.
Mike was also looking for Greg. He was tailing Glace and had found out about the picture of the helper that Jerry insisted he had. Time. all he needed was time.