by Jon Gerrard
“Excuse me, Mr. Harris, but I need to speak to Magda for a minute.”
Mr. Reynolds was standing in the doorway to Magda’s AP Government class. Although the principal had spoken to the teacher he was looking directly at her. Magda sensed a conflicting knot of emotions radiating from Mr. Reynolds, the clearest of which was worry.
Magda made herself stand up and move toward the door. In the hallway behind Mr. Reynolds were two people she didn’t recognize, a man and a woman. She studied the strangers quickly as she stepped into the hall. The man was average height with a pleasant face and dark, close cropped hair. The woman was a pretty brunette with an olive complexion and dark, intelligent eyes that seemed to be assessing her. They were dressed in business clothes and she didn’t think they were connected to the school. She sensed concern coming from them both, combined with a feeling of focused purpose. From the woman she also sensed…sympathy?
“This is Special Agent Peron from the FBI,” Mr. Reynolds said, pointing to the woman, “and her partner, Special Agent Bale. They’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Magda could sense that they were anxious to talk to her. Her first thought was that somehow they had found out about her and the others climbing the water tower over the weekend. But they wouldn’t send the FBI for that. Would they?
“Am I in some kind of trouble?” she asked as she started feeling nervous.
Agent Peron smiled. “No, Miss Wasilewski. But we could use your help.”
“I’m not sure what I—”
“If you don’t mind, Miss Wasilewski, we’d rather not talk in the hall,” Agent Peron said. “We’ll explain everything in Principal Reynolds’ office. It won’t take very long.” The FBI woman lifted her arm to gesture down the hall. As she did so her jacket opened and Magda glimpsed the grip of a handgun holstered at her waist. Magda suppressed a shudder.
Mr. Reynolds turned and led the way toward his office as the FBI agents flanked Magda on both sides. They seemed pleasant enough, Magda thought, but she couldn’t help feeling her heart beginning to pound.
They reached the main office quickly and headed straight to the principal’s private office as the secretary and school aides watched. Magda felt like she wanted to shrink down inside her clothes but she made herself walk calmly into the room. Mr. Reynolds closed the door behind them and started toward his desk.
“Actually, Principal Reynolds,” Agent Bale said, “if you don’t mind, we’d like to speak to Miss Wasilewski alone.”
Mr. Reynolds continued to his desk without a pause and settled himself into his chair.
“Magda is a minor,” Mr. Reynolds said calmly. “Without her parents present I think it would be best if I remained in the room.” He looked at Magda and gave her a wink. Magda could have hugged him.
“It’s okay, Steve,” Agent Peron said. “I’m sure having a familiar face in the room will make Miss Wasilewski feel more at ease.” She gestured toward a chair in front of the principal’s desk. “Please sit down, Miss Wasilewski.”
“My name is Magda,” Magda said as she sat down.
“My name is Callie,” Agent Peron said. “And this is Steve.”
Agent Bale nodded.
“Hello,” Magda said. “What can I do for you?” She was more curious now than nervous.
Agent Peron pulled up a chair and sat facing her. “We want to ask you about your friend, Matt DeLuca.”
Magda felt her stomach drop away. With everything that had happened over the weekend she had forgotten to try and text him again.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Matt?”
Agent Peron glanced at her partner then back to Magda. “Why do you think something might have happened to him, Magda?”
Magda looked at the two FBI agents for a moment before she answered. “He was supposed to meet us on Friday but he never showed up.”
Agent Peron nodded. “His parents told us he left to meet you at a party, but he never came home. They haven’t heard from him since then. Have you heard from him?”
“No. I tried texting him when we decided not to go to the party but he never texted me back.” Magda felt her heart beginning to pound even harder at the news that Matt hadn’t been home all weekend. Matt never went anywhere without letting his parents know.
“Do you have any idea where he might have gone?” Agent Bale asked. Magda twisted around to look at him.
“No. The last time we talked he was going to meet up with us at the party.”
“Does he do that a lot?” Agent Bale asked. “Not show up when he says he’s going to be somewhere.”
“Never,” Magda said.
“Magda, why did you and your friends decide not to go to the party?” Agent Peron asked.
“Robin was being a pain and didn’t want to let Paige in,” Magda said.
“Robin?”
“Robin Ersatz,” Mr. Reynolds said. “Her parents were letting her throw a beach party to kick off prom week. The entire senior class was invited.”
Magda looked at him in surprise.
“Of course I knew about the party,” Mr. Reynolds said. “That’s all most of the senior class has been talking about for the past month.”
“So where did you and your friends go since Robin was being a pain?” Agent Peron asked.
“Paige’s sister was home from college so we just hung out with her.” Magda tried to sound casual as she answered, hoping they didn’t ask her more specific questions.
Agent Peron was taking a few notes in a small pad. After a moment she looked up at Magda again. “So as far as you know, no one saw him that evening after he left his home for the party.”
“As far as I know,” Magda said.
“And you and your friends haven’t heard from him since then.”
“No, ma’am.”
Frowning, Agent Peron flipped her notepad closed and put it away. She reached into a different pocket, took out a business card and handed it to her.
“Thanks for your help, Magda,” Agent Peron said. “If you think of anything else or hear from Matt, please give me a call. That’s my cell phone and I have it with me all the time.” Even though the FBI woman was smiling at her Magda could sense the worry radiating from her. She glanced at the card in her hand. Above the phone number the card read:
SA Callie Peron
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Violent Crimes Squad
Magda felt a chill go through her when she read the last line.
“You can go back to class now, Magda.” It took her a moment to realize that Mr. Reynolds was talking to her. She stood slowly and walked out of his office, her thoughts a swirling confusion. As she was closing the door to Mr. Reynolds’ office she heard him speaking to the investigators.
“What do you think?” Mr. Reynolds said.
“It doesn’t look good, sir,” Agent Bale said.
“Is it the same person?” Mr. Reynolds asked. Magda didn’t need to use her ability to hear the worry in his voice.
“It’s the same pattern as the other abductions,” Agent Peron said. “We won’t know for certain until…”
“My god,” Mr. Reynolds said.
At that moment Magda remembered the news stories that had been popping up over the past few months. High school kids were being kidnapped all across the island. There was no connection between any of the kids as far as anyone could tell. They were both boys and girls, all different ethnicities, and from different towns across the island. The only things they had in common were that they were all high school age and each of the missing teens had turned up dead. The cause of death was always the same—each of the victims had been killed by having a knife blade shoved into the base of their skulls. And once they were dead the killer had removed their eyes.
Up to now no one had disappeared in their town. If the killer had come to Mayfair Park…
Magda felt her stomach beginning to churn. She raced from the office and darted into the nearest girls’ bathroom. She barely made it into
a stall before she vomited up what was left of her breakfast.