by J. R. Tate
“Thanks for sticking around tonight, but you should go home.” Turning the key in the ignition, the engine died and they sat in the dark pickup.
“I’ll stay if you want.” Mary’s voice shook.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that. You have your own life.” Charlie reached out and touched her hand as he opened the door. The dome light illuminated the darkness, and he could’ve sworn he saw a tear in her eye. “This isn’t your problem.” It came out worse than how it sounded in his head and he regretted saying it.
“You’re one of my best friends, Charlie. I’m going to be here for you.”
“I know. I didn’t mean it that way. But don’t waste your time. Shit, nothing is coming out right.” Charlie ducked his head and slipped down from the seat, his boots hitting the gravel below. “I’m going to stop talking.”
Mary followed suit, getting out of the passenger side and making her way around to him. She pulled him in for a hug and Charlie didn’t want to let her go. It was the most genuine embrace he had felt in a long time.
“I know what you’re meaning, Charlie. And I’m sorry that you’re going through this.” Pulling away, the palm of her hand trailed down his cheek. “Let’s go inside. You should get some sleep.”
He was too tired to fight her. Following her inside, he padded down the hallway to his room, but paused at the entryway to the kitchen, his voice catching in his throat when he saw the food out on the cabinet.
“I was…” he stopped for a moment, trying to compose himself. “I was gonna make the kids homemade pizza tonight. Skylar used to like to help. She’d eat up all the pepperoni before we could get it in the oven.” He smiled, but it felt forced. What he’d give to have her standing in the kitchen, making a mess with the pizza dough right now.
“That sounds like fun, Charlie. What a good memory to think about.” Mary touched his arm as they both gazed into the empty kitchen. “As soon as she makes it home, you should do that with her.”
“Yeah…” he trailed off, finally taking a few more steps forward. Plopping down on the bed, he pulled his shirt over his head and fell back into the sheets. “My body is tired, but I guarantee I won’t sleep a wink tonight. I’m going to be watching the phone. Hoping for a knock on the door. But then again, that’s not necessarily a good thing, you know?”
Mary stood in the threshold, folding her arms over her chest. “Yeah. At least you can rest. I can stay and sleep on the couch.” She pointed over her shoulder toward the living room.
“Nah, Mary. Go home to your own bed.” He stared up at the ceiling. “You know how they say that the first twenty four hours are the most crucial when a kid goes missing?”
“Yeah, but is that just something they say on TV to up the suspense?” Mary asked.
“Not sure.” He heard the second hand of the clock on the far wall. “With every second that ticks by, the chances that Skylar will make it home alive get worse and worse. And I’m just going to sit here and listen to it just tick, tick, tick away.” He closed his eyes, and it was like there was a microphone on the clock. The second hand grew louder, like it was pounding away in his skull.
He felt the other side of the bed dip, and when he opened his eyes, Mary was sitting beside him, her brow creased as she looked down at him.
“I can’t leave you like this, Charlie. If you expect me to go home, you don’t know me very well. I just wish I could do more.”
“You’ve done more than I could ever ask for.” He meant it. During his marriage, Cassie had never cared about him as much as Mary did. “You can stay if you want. But don’t feel like you have to. I’m not exactly good company right now.”
“Nor should you be, Charlie.”
She turned the light off, and started toward the living room, but Charlie yelled out, “Mary, this bed is big enough for both of us.” Patting where she had just sat, he smiled.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m not asking to spoon with you or anything. If you insist on staying all night it’ll be a lot more comfortable than that damn couch will be. I even have some sweats and a shirt if you don’t wanna sleep in what you’re wearing. They’ll be huge on you though.”
“Thanks, Charlie. Now, get some rest and stop worrying about me. With some sleep, things will look different in the morning.”
Charlie felt secure with her nearby. He could use her positive attitude when nothing seemed to be going right. Maybe her good karma would give Skylar a fighting chance.
***
Mary woke up multiple times throughout the night. Charlie had fallen asleep, but it was restless. He mumbled several things that she couldn’t make out, and he tossed and turned. At around three AM she got out of bed and walked to the living room, looking out of the front window out to the street. It was dead and the moon was bright, lighting up what the streetlights weren’t.
Pulling Charlie’s shirt around her midsection, she pulled up the sweats with her other hand. He was right, they were huge on her, but they were way more comfortable than the skirt and tank top she had on before. Allowing her to stay, and sleep in his bed for that matter, was a nice gesture. At least she was getting some sleep there. If she had gone home, she would’ve been awake the whole night.
Going back to his room, she gently crawled back into the bed, trying her best to not wake him. Lying on her side, she propped herself up with her elbow and studied him. His eyebrows shot up as if he was surprised, and his legs kicked out. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he was dreaming about, especially with some of the things he was saying.
“Skylar?”
Mary wasn’t sure if he was awake, but his eyes shot open for a few seconds before his lids fluttered closed. His phone buzzed on his nightstand and she grabbed it before it pulled him from his slumber. Maybe he did need to wake up– he wasn’t getting rest from the nightmare.
Cassie’s name flashed on the display – it was a text message broadcasted right on the home screen.
I can never forgive you for this. Your daughter is missing and you have that tramp at your place?
Mary’s blood boiled. Cassie, or someone she knew, probably drove by and saw her car. It always felt like she was jealous of hers and Charlie’s friendship, which was odd, since their relationship had never progressed to anything more. She wanted to respond, but she left it alone. She wished she never would’ve picked up his phone and saw it.
Reaching over him, she went to put the phone back, but it vibrated in her hand, and Cassie had sent another text message.
I’m going to tell the cops you’re busy shacking up with her. This is your fault and this won’t make you look good.
Mary considered opening the message, but talked herself out of it. It wouldn’t do any good reasoning with Cassie, especially with the mindset she was in. It never crossed Mary’s mind that this could look bad for Charlie, even if she was just here for support. Putting the phone back on the table, she laid back down, keeping space between her and Charlie. How would he react to the text messages? And how could Cassie be so evil? As if Skylar’s disappearance and her concern for Charlie’s wellbeing wasn’t enough to keep her awake, she had to worry about what Cassie was up to on top of it all.
Charlie was restless – he continued to murmur Skylar’s name repeatedly, and Mary debated on waking him up. Checking on him again, his eyebrows rose and his eyes shot open like a few minutes before. He looked at her, but it was like he didn’t know who she was. It was hard to tell if he was awake.
“Charlie, it’s me, Mary. Are you awake?” She reached out, cupping his cheek in her hand, and his skin was cold and clammy. Sweat gathered on his forehead and he backed away from her touch, shaking his head. “Charlie, are you okay?”
Sitting up, the blank look on his face was finally replaced with a realization, and he swung his legs over the side of the bed, facing away from her.
“What time is it?” His voice was raspy like sandpaper.
“It’s almost four in the morning.”
“No. I was up.” Her stomach hurt. Should she mention the text messages? He would eventually see him, but maybe now wasn’t the time. “You want some water or something?”
She didn’t even give him a chance to answer. She was halfway down the hallway before she got the question completely out. Grabbing two bottles from the refrigerator, she gulped one down, savoring the cool liquid. When she got back to his room, her heart skipped a beat. He had his phone, and he was on the message screen. Putting the bottle of water on the nightstand, she sat beside him.
“Cassie knows you’re here.” He didn’t look up from the phone. “She thinks we’re…” he trailed off, motioning his hand forward. “She thinks we’re shacking up. That’s how she put it. Shacking up,” he repeated, and put his phone down, finally making eye contact with Mary.
“I’m sorry, Charlie…” She figured it was best to not let him know she saw the messages. One small thing and it could send him off the rails, and he didn’t deserve that.
“It doesn’t matter. We’re not married anymore. It doesn’t matter who I have over here.” He stood up and paced, stopping at the window, gazing outside. “But…” He glanced at Mary over his shoulder. “…she thinks it’s inappropriate considering the circumstances.”
“But we’re not shacking up, Charlie. She can think what she wants, but I didn’t want to leave you alone. You’re in no shape to be alone and I’m not leaving you here like this. I know you would do the same for me.”
He smiled and a sarcastic laugh escaped his lips. Turning on his heel, he sat back on the bed and patted her knee. “I know. Cassie is going to dig in with all she’s got, no matter what. Even if Skylar was safe at her place and she saw your car here, she’d use it against me with the custody battle. She knows damn well how close we are. She knows we’ve been friends forever. I’m not even sure how or if I should respond to the text.”
“Then don’t for now. It’ll just grate at her even more and she doesn’t deserve an immediate response anyway, not after blaming you for this.”
Laughing again, he stood up, the restlessness never fading. “I’m surprised I slept as long as I did.” Pausing at the door, he motioned for Mary to follow him. “I need a drink. You want a drink?”
She followed him to the kitchen and he poured two glasses of Woodford Reserve, gulping his down immediately. Mary sipped on hers, the burn strong down to her stomach. It was the same kind of whiskey he always ordered at the bar, only this time, he drank it quicker.
“Today is a new day.” Scoffing, he splashed two fingers more into his glass, offering the bottle to Mary, but she declined. “Maybe today we’ll find Skylar. Shit, listen to me. I don’t do positive very well, do I?”
Reaching across the counter, she gripped Charlie’s hand, intertwining her fingers in his. “You’re right. Today is a new day, Charlie.” She left it at that. She didn’t want to hand out cliché advice or spout off stupid quotes. It was what it was. Skylar was missing, Cassie was nagging at him, and he was not taking any of it well. All Mary knew to do was be there for him and hope that Skylar would be found soon. Everything else was out of her hands.
Chapter Four
Charlie and Mary had spent the morning looking for Skylar. He had retraced all of the places he had looked the afternoon before, assuming that he was flustered and might have missed something. He checked with friends and even went back to the school, but after several hours, they came up empty handed.
His phone buzzed on the dashboard of the truck and Mary glanced at it, a smirk on her lips. “Cassie again?”
“Yeah. I’d bet that’s the twentieth message this morning.”
“You might check it. What if it’s something about Skylar?”
Charlie glanced out of the side window and back to the road. Raindrops sprinkled on the windshield, falling steady. “Nah. She just wants me to reply about you being at my house last night. Her daughter is missing and all she can do is harp on that.”
“You hear anything from the cops?” Mary asked, tapping her finger on the door handle.
“Nothing. I have to wonder how much they’re working on this. If Cassie is bugging them as much as me, maybe they are doing their jobs.” He pulled the truck to a stop at a red light and faced Mary. “You don’t have to tag along for this. I know you’re exhausted. You should go home and get some rest.”
“I’m fine, Charlie. I want to help you find her. I want to help in any way that I can.”
“All I’m doing is driving in circles. You should get some sleep before work tonight.”
Mary bit her bottom lip and pointed at the light. “It’s green. And I’m taking some vacation days.”
“You shouldn’t waste them on this, Mary.” He appreciated the gesture. Mary was his best friend and it meant a lot to him, but his conscience couldn’t let this happen. “Really… don’t use them because of all of this.” He spread his hands over the steering wheel.
“I have a million saved up. I never take them. I think this is a perfect time to use them. And I don’t care what you say, Charlie. I’m going to help you.”
She meant every word of it, and Charlie knew that. She was stubborn, hard headed, and it was partly why he liked her so much. He never knew other women who were anything like her.
“I guess we’ll argue about this later.”
He turned the corner onto his street and let out a sigh when he saw the police cruiser in his driveway. It was unmarked, but had cop written all over it. It could mean something good or bad had happened, and he hoped that he’d see Skylar in the backseat of the car, but it was empty as he parked the pickup. Pulling the keys from the ignition, he and Mary didn’t get out right away. She held his hand and squeezed, a small smile parting her lips.
“What do you think it could be?”
Charlie shrugged and enjoyed the smooth feel of her palm against his. It was more supportive than she ever intended it to be.
“Not sure. I don’t know if I want to get out and see.”
Fighting the resistance, he released his hand from hers and got out, approaching the two detectives in suits who were leaning on their car.
“Can I help you? You got some information about my daughter?”
“Mr. Wright, we’re going to need to ask you a few questions about your daughter’s disappearance. Who is this?” The male detective motioned toward Mary.
“That’s Mary. She’s a friend of mine.”
He nodded back at his partner, his eyes squinting as if they knew exactly who she was. “How about we step inside? We just need to piece some stuff together.”
“I’ll come back later, okay? I’ll go grab a shower and stuff. You need anything before I head back?” Mary asked, her brow creased with worry.
“Take your time, Mary. I don’t need anything. Thanks for your… thanks for everything.”
He watched her walk to her car, and once she drove away, he led the detectives into his house. He wasn’t sure how this all worked. Should he get a lawyer? Should he even let them inside? He wasn’t guilty of a damn thing, but was this normal police protocol? He gave them everything he had when they reported Skylar’s disappearance yesterday.
“So, what do you need to piece together?” Charlie leaned against the counter in the kitchen, offering them a seat at the kitchen table. They obliged, both of them watching him like he was a zoo attraction. He tried not to have his defenses up. These guys were here to help. At least he hoped so.
“Mr. Wright, can you please come sit down?” The female detective finally said something.
Stepping toward them, Charlie got a good glimpse of her. She was fairly pretty, but somewhat plain. Maybe that was a requirement to be a cop – no makeup, hair pulled back, but she had delicate features.
“I’m Detective Milson and this is Detective Garza,” she pointed at her male partner with her pen. “We understand you spoke with Officer Leven yesterday at the station?�
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Charlie nodded. “I did.”
“And your wife was with you?”
My ex-wife was, yes,” Charlie corrected her.
Detective Milson wrote down some things on her notepad. “What time did your daughter go missing?”
Straightening his posture, Charlie chewed on the inside of his cheek. “I told this to Officer Leven yesterday. Don’t you correspond with the uniform cops?”
“This is a follow up, Mr. Wright. When you first reported this, you were flustered. Maybe you’ve had a chance to rehash details and think more clearly.” Detective Garza held his hand up. “Now, what time did she go missing?”
“It was after school. I went to pick up Gavin, my son, and when I got back here, she was gone.”
“She was here alone?” Milson asked, not looking up from her notes.
“Yes. She had gotten a ride and showed up early. She claimed her mother let her stay home alone a lot, and since the bus stop isn’t too far from here, I didn’t figure I’d be gone that long.”
“Cassie told us that you left her alone too, but she claims she has never let Skylar be alone like that.” Detective Garza glanced at his partner and back to Charlie. “What happened before you left her here? You two get into an argument about anything?”
Charlie thought about the afternoon. It was all such a blur that he had to take a few seconds to organize the thoughts in his head.
“Why do you want to know that? Do you think I hurt her?”
“No, we just want some sort of ground to stand on. Maybe she left because she was mad at you. Maybe she just ran away. We have nothing to go on about what could have happened.”
Charlie stared at Detective Milson for a moment, taking a deep breath. He had to stop reacting that way – he’d look guilty for sure. “I took her phone because she wasn’t paying attention to me. She didn’t like that too much. But I wouldn’t say it was a fight. She was perfectly fine when I left. She got her phone back and I was letting her stay home alone. She got her way.”