Candy Apple Red-Book Two

Chapter 11 - Missing Person

After a few moments, I arrived at Dylan's house. I avoided the roads and detoured right through Mr. McGuffy's yard so that I could get here quicker. I dash up the porch steps and lean over to catch my breath. Lord, I'm out of shape. I ran track in high school, but I haven't kept up with it since I graduated. God, It's pouring down rain, and my clothes are soaked. I reach down to grab my phone and dial Mariah's number before I even attempt to confront Dylan. It doesn't even ring; it goes straight to voicemail. It's either dead or turned off. f**k! 

After I catch my breath, I knock on his door.  A moment later, he aggressively yanks it open. His eyes widened as he realizes it's me, "Brie! I'm not going to listen to any excuses, so don't even bother!"

This stubborn asshole! I will not let him dismiss me like this, so I push my way past him through the entry, "Where is she!?" 

"Where's who?!"

Frustrated, I throw my hands up in the air, "Mariah! Who do you think?!"

"I don't f*****g know. Why don't you ask f**k face?! Maybe she ran off with him! Did you call her?" he replies defensively.

"Yes, I f*****g called her, and no, she did not run off with f**k face! She ran him off! In fact, we both did! She was in bed sick all f*****g day! I was home, Dylan! I know she was not with him! Once you stormed off like a big baby, she told him to leave, and she sped off after you in her car. Momma got the call that the police found her car wrapped around a tree, but she was nowhere to be found! Where is she, Dylan!?"

"I don't f*****g know! She's not here!" he responds. 

I begin to anxiously paces the floor, "Was she ever here?!"

"No, I have been here alone the entire time!"

I place my head in my hands as I continue to pace the floors, "Oh my God! Something isn't right here, Dylan! Her phone goes straight to voicemail."

He raises his arms to lace his fingers behind his neck, "f**k! Call her Mom! Maybe she knows."

"Momma already did! She doesn't know where she is! Reagan is on her way up here. She's on a rampage."

He reaches out to comfort me as I begin to sob, "Wait, let's just think for a second... What could have happened to her?"

"What if she hit her head and wandered off and she's lost? She just vanished, Dylan! How does that even happen?" I reach into my back pocket to fish out my phone, "I need to call Momma and tell her she's not here."

Dylan anxiously paces the floors while I call Momma. It rings twice before she picks up, "Hello," she answers. 

"Momma, she's not here. Dylan hasn't seen her." I tell her as I hear Dylan speaking in the background simultaneously. I turn around to find him on the phone with someone. 

"I'm going to call the police and file a missing person report. I'm on my way," she says before disconnecting the call. 

I walk up behind Dylan and tap his shoulder as he hangs up the phone, "Hey, Momma is calling the police and filing a missing person's report. She is on her way over here."

"God, what the f**k!? Where did she go?! I can't live this life without her! I can't do it, Brie!" he cries out while striking his fists against the wall in frustration.

I gently pat his shoulder to comfort him, "We will find her."

"I hope you are right."

Moments later, Seth comes barreling through the front door, making a beeline for me. He wraps his arms around me tightly as I melt into him. I inhale audibly as the delicious aroma of his cologne invades my nostrils. Ahh...I needed this. He always knows how to calm me down, "Hey Brie, It's okay, darlin. We will find her. I promise." He whispers as he strokes my hair. 

Dylan interrupts, "Dude, where the f**k could she have gone?! Who walks away from an accident like the one she apparently had? She is going to be a nurse. Surely she knows better?" 

"Something isn't right," Seth whispers as he shakes his head from side to side.

Momma barges through the front door in tears a few moments later, "God, this is all my fault. I should never have suggested that she come here. I'm responsible for her. Her mother is going to come up here and rip me a new one!"

Seth chimes in, "Did anyone check the hospital? Maybe she walked there or hitched a ride?"

"Yes, I called. There's no sign of her," Momma chokes out.

"Has anyone called Aaron?" Dylan asks.

Momma raises her head, her eyes wide, "No, why would I do that?"

I knew he would do this before I had a chance to explain. I approach Momma and place my hand on her back, "Momma, he was at the house earlier, trying to win her back."

She places her hand on my shoulders; confusion crosses her face, "Do you think she is headed back with him? Seriously?"

I roll my eyes and shake my head, "No, I don't. She told him to take a hike."

Momma exhales audibly, "Nevertheless, I'll call Reagan and get his number."

She fishes her phone out of her purse and dials Reagan's number, turning away from us as she speaks with her. Dylan, Seth, and I walk away to the other end of the living room to allow her privacy. I notice as Momma writes a phone number on her palm before she turns back around, "Who wants to do the honors and call?"

I raise my hand to volunteer, "I will." 

I dial the number that Momma has written on her palm and press speakerphone for everyone to hear. After the third ring, he picks up, "What?!" He yells.

I roll my eyes and sigh audibly. What a prick! "Aaron, this is Brie, Mariah's cousin." 

"What the f**k do you want?"

I clear my throat and glare at Dylan, "I called to see if you know where Mariah is."

"No, I don't, and I don't f*****g care. She's a f*****g w***e!" He growls.

Dylan charges towards me, "You listen here, d**k head. Don't you ever call her that again, do you hear me? I will break your fuckin nose, you little weasel!"

"f**k you, d**k head!" Aaron loudly yells in response. I pull the phone away, grimacing.  

"f**k you!" Dylan yells into the speaker once more before Aaron disconnects the call. 

Well, I hope this s**t head is happy! I cross my arms in front of my chest, glaring at him, "So, now that we have established that she's not with Aaron, do you feel better now, Dylan?" I ask sarcastically.

He quickly turns away, avoiding eye contact with me, "No, I don't. I need to know where she is!"

Dylan picks up his phone to call someone while I walk over to sit on the sofa with Momma. She begins to weep onto my shoulder, so I wrap my arms around her tightly, attempting to comfort her as tears stream down my cheeks. Once Dylan disconnects the call, he continues to pace the floors anxiously. Seth stands in place, watching and waiting for some direction.

The police show up at Dylan's house moments later, and Momma is the first to speak to them. Dylan approaches her as she speaks with one of them privately. I stand close to listen in, "Generally, we wait 24-72 hours before we can file a missing person's report, but since she's apparently vanished from the scene of an accident, the circumstances could suggest foul play. I don't want to alarm you, but I need a recent picture of her, and I need to know in great detail anything suspicious you might have noticed as well as a complete description of what she was wearing," The police officer explains to Momma.

I interrupt, "She was wearing a light blue tank top and black yoga pants."

The officer writes down the information, "Does she have any birthmarks or anything noticeable about her?" he asks.

"Yes, she has green eyes with a brown birthmark in her right eye, which takes up about a quarter of the iris," Dylan responds. 

"And who might you be?" the officer asks Dylan curiously.

"I'm her fiancé. The name is Dylan Hudson."

He nods his head as he quickly writes down the information. Without looking up, he continues, "Do you have any recent photos of her?"

"I do have recent photos of her at the house," Momma responds. 

"Is there anyone who may want to hurt her or someone she may have gotten into a quarrel with?" the police officer asks.

Momma shakes her head while Dylan responds, "Yes, Suzanne Rafferty, her Mother, Aaron, who is her ex, and myself."

"You?" He asks as he looks up from the notepad, pointing his finger at Dylan.

"Yes, sir, we got into a little quarrel earlier today because I thought she was cheating on me," Dylan replies.

The police officer rolls his eyes, "Ahhh, I see. Who is Suzanne Rafferty to her?"

Dylan clears his throat before answering, "She is an ex-girlfriend of mine who is jealous of Mariah. She has been making threats at her."

"What's her ex-boyfriend and Mother's name?" the police officer asks.

"Aaron Sizemore is the ex-boyfriend, and Reagan Knox is her Mother. They both live in Cincinnati, Ohio." Momma responds.

Nova and Maggie storm through the front door as Momma continues filing the report, "Anyone else you can think of that she's had any altercations with or anything out of the ordinary happening with anyone?" He asks.

"Well, there was this guy at her work that made her feel uncomfortable," Dylan tells him.

"What's his name?" he asks.

"Ethan Stoltz," he replies as Momma and Nova surround him.

Momma nervously fidgets with the gold chain around her neck, "Ethan? What kind of altercation did she have?"

"She said he was just always staring at her and making her feel uncomfortable. He had her cornered at the Music Festival when we were there, but I pulled him off her. He said something about me not being right for her, and he will make her see it. I don't know; he's a special kind of person, that boy."

Momma puts her hands on her hips in protest. Oh boy, she's pissed now! "Why didn't anyone tell me?" she asks.

"Sorry, I figured she would have Lori," Dylan replies. 

Her face is three shades of red as she trembles, "No! She has not said a word!"

The officer interrupts, "May we speak to this person?"

"Well, he was let go from Dolewood a while back for stealing narcotics from the residents. I haven't seen him since," Momma tells him.

"Is there any reason to suspect that they had any dealings with drugs? Was she buying anything from him, do you know?" He asks.

"Oh, God, no. Mariah never took any medications. She was in school to be a nurse. She works at Dolewood as my temporary activities director." Momma replies. 

The officer closes his notepad, hooking his pen on the inside of his pocket, "Okay, I think we have enough to begin our investigation. We will send out a search party to scope the area around where the accident occurred and question these individuals you mentioned. We will be in touch if we hear anything."

As the officer walks out the front door, Dylan walks briskly up to Seth, "Let's make a trip to Suzy and Ethan's house."

Dylan spins around, grabbing his keys, and stalks across the living room with Seth following behind him.  He waves at the four of us as he approaches the door, "Guys, we will be back."

I immediately jump up from the sofa, "I'm going with you. I will not just sit here and wait."

Seth places his hand on my back as I walk out with him. Dylan turns around once more before leaving, "You guys check back at your house and make sure she doesn't show up there. Maggie, please stay here in case she comes by. If she shows up, please call us right away."

We load up into Dylan's truck while Momma and Nova leave in their vehicles, with Maggie staying behind at Dylan's house. He turns the ignition and squeals his tires as he drives like a bat out of hell out of the drive. The first stop is Suzy's house. 

As we pull up, the three of us step up on the front porch; Dylan walks up and pounds on the door. We wait a few minutes, but since there's no answer, Dylan suggests we drive by Stags to see if she's there working tonight, so we pile back into the truck and take off down the road.

A few moments later, we pull up at Stags; the three of us jump out of the truck and rush inside. Thankfully, Suzy is waiting tables tonight. Once we get seated, she comes over moments later, focusing her attention on Dylan as if Seth and I were invisible, "Hey Dylan, how are you, darlin? Where's Miss Fancy Pants tonight?" She asks jokingly.

"Suzy cut the bull s**t! What did you do to Mariah?" He asks bluntly.

A look of confusion crosses her face, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, she's f*****g gone! She vanished."

She flashes an evil grin in my direction. What a f*****g cunt! "Well, hell, maybe she went back home where she belongs." She replies with a snarky undertone. 

The whole place grows quiet with all eyes on Dylan as he slams his fist down on the table, "No! She belongs here with me! I hear you have been makin trouble for her lately. I want you to know that the police are going to question you. If I find out you had anything to do with this, I will just assume spit on you, do I make myself clear!?"

She nods as tears running down her cheeks, "Honest to God, I'd never do anything. I just wanted to scare her off. I miss you, baby."

Dylan curls his lip in disgust and raises his hand in front of her, "Let me make this abundantly clear; I will never have anything to do with you!" He replies harshly. Seth and I glance at each other in shock as we watch this whole thing go down. I love that he's putting the b***h in her place. 

She storms off to the back of the restaurant, sobbing. While scooting out of the booth, Dylan motions to us, "Let's go. I doubt she had anything to do with this. No sense in beating a dead horse; she's just a bitter old cunt," he suggests as we leave the restaurant and pile into the truck.

Our next stop - Ethan's house. He lives in a rundown shack on the outskirts of town situated on an acre of land. There's a pole barn in the back with a couple of goats. It's his Grandma's old house; she left it to him when she died a couple of years ago.

Dylan parks the truck down the road, and we watch as Ethan darts out of the house, down the porch, and towards the pole barn while waving his hands around erratically as if talking to himself before he disappears inside.  Dylan reaches across me to lightly smack Seth's arm with the back of his hand to get his attention, "Seth, let's hurry and sneak inside to see what he's up to before he gets back. Brie, you stay here and scoot over so you can be the get-away driver in case things go south. Something tells me this mother fucker is up to something."

Without hesitation, I scoot over as the boys climb out of the truck and sprint towards the house. I sit and wait for what seems like forever for the boys to return. I notice some movement out of the corner of my eye, and I turn to look; I notice that Ethan is running back towards the house with a pistol in his hand. I crouch down so he doesn't see me. f**k! I need to warn the guys he has a gun. Why the f**k does he have a gun? Does he know we are here? 

The moment he disappears inside, I grab the keys and run as fast as my legs can go in the direction of the house. I don't know what the f**k I'm going to do to stop this, but I'm going to have to try. As I run up the porch steps, I notice a shovel leaning up against the house's siding. It's no match for a pistol, but it's something. I quickly grab it and barge inside.

The minute I walk through the doors, a putrid smell lingers in the air and invades my nostrils. I reach up to cover my nose with the back of my hand. Flies swarm me as I walk through the living room. Holy s**t! This guy is disgusting.  I nearly yak when I notice a urinal full of piss on the kitchen table.  What is wrong with him? Why in the hell would he save that?

I'm startled as I hear a commotion downstairs, so I follow the sound of the muffled male voices. They lead me through the kitchen and downstairs to the basement. God, I pray nobody can hear my footsteps. I tiptoe down the steps through the dark, dingy basement and quietly follow the muffled voices in the back. Once I approach, I notice Ethan has his back to me, but he's pointing a gun inside the room. He begins yelling before he shoots the gun up at the ceiling, and my body jolts from the initial shock of the ear-piercing noise of the bullet being fired from the chamber. Drywall dust falls all around him as I can hear Seth and Dylan attempting to reason with him. 

I stand frozen in place for a moment. I'm freaking out, but I realize what I have to do. I have a perfect shot to take this son of a b***h down before he shoots all of us. So I creep up behind him as he stands in the doorway; I raise the shovel above his head. Then I close my eyes and...Whack! I hit him upside the head with every bit of strength I can muster, and down he goes onto the floor in front of me. I curl my lip in disgust as I look down at the filthy disgusting pig. 

The boys stand frozen in place, eyes wide, mouth opened slightly. Seth immediately kicks the gun across the room as Dylan exhales audibly, "Thanks, Brie," he tells me before turning around and darting towards the cot behind him. 

My entire body trembles as I notice a body sprawled out on the cot. My heart races, and I feel the bile rise in my throat...Oh, God! No! It's Mariah! I watch as they attempt to untie her, and I raise my hand over my mouth while tears stream down my cheeks. Her face is almost unrecognizable, and she has a lot of blood between her legs,  "What did he do to her? Colie?!!! Are you okay?!"

Dylan looks up at me, his eyes wet with tears, "I don't know, Brie," he chokes out before turning back to look at her, "What did he do you, baby?" he cries out.

I begin to sob uncontrollably as Dylan picks her limp little body up in his arms. He turns to me, "Brie, Seth, you guys stay here and call the police; I'm taking her upstairs away from that f*****g animal. Make sure to tell them we need an ambulance right away."

I immediately get on the phone and call the police while Seth has his eyes glued to Ethan, making sure he doesn't move while Dylan carries her upstairs. 

After a few moments, Ethan begins to stir. Seth gently grabs my arm and protectively pulls me behind him while Ethan curls up in the fetal position, rubbing the back of his head while he begins to sob uncontrollably. Not even a moment goes by, and Dylan leads the police downstairs to where we are waiting with Ethan. They question us and ultimately place Ethan in handcuffs and carry him out of the house. 

Once he is taken away, the three of us climb into the truck, and Dylan pulls out like a bat out of hell towards the hospital.