Disappearance

by Wiley, Ryan

  Right when I think I should start walking, I hear a car coming. It's a police car, thank God! Sure enough, it's Deputy Vogul who gets out of the car.

  "OK, let's see how you did." We both walk over to assess my work. "Very good, Andrew. Very good. This fire should die down soon. Come on, let's get out of here."

  We get in and I realize I've never been in the front of a police car before. There are so many gadgets and buttons, I feel like I'm in a cockpit.

  "Andrew, you're probably wondering why I've been helping you," Deputy Vogul says. She doesn't waste any time getting to the good stuff. "You see, as I mentioned before, I've been on this case for over ten years. There have been several unsolved murders. Many, I believe, are linked to the same person. There's been a lot of debate about that within the agency. My personal opinion, though, is that there have been twelve murders over the last ten years that can be linked to someone they call the black car man. In reality, that number could be less or far more. After all these years, we've had very little to go on. We've never found any fingerprints or anything of that sort. Eyewitnesses claim to have seen him right before the crime was committed, or seen his car driving away. We also have some crappy surveillance footage, but we haven't been able to get a license plate number or make on the car. We've never had anything sustainable to get a good idea of what he looked like or what kind of car he was driving." Deputy Vogul takes a deep breathe, then continues.

  "I've been working on this case almost exclusively, trying to find him. Nobody has ever made it out alive for questioning. Well, not until this time of course.

  "I knew this was my best chance. I knew if I was ever going to find this bastard it would have to be now, because you managed to survive. I don't know how or why, but you did. Apparently, the black car man put too much faith into this Zach Jones guy. He obviously didn't get the job done. Anyway, I knew if I got too closely involved it would only scare him off. I've kept a very close eye on you these past couple days, knowing he might come after you. I watched you go to that gun store, well done. I didn't know why you were there, but I guess I know now!" she chuckles. "I was going to keep you safe, maybe even plant a gun in your car for added protection. I have to ask, how did you know he was going to attack you? How did you know about the black car man?"

  "Abby told me. She said to kill a man in a black car and to not go to the police. She insisted I do it myself so I would have the element of surprise."

  "Hmm, that's interesting," she says. "Well, I guess she was right about that! That's all she told you?"

  "Yes, that's all she said. Kill the man in the black car."

  "She never gave a reason why?"

  "She said he was going to try to kill me," I say.

  "Well she was probably right about that. You're very lucky, Andrew. I've put your life in terrible danger, and I very much apologize for that."

  "No problem," I say. "It's worked out for the best.

  "You're darn right it has. I spent ten years of my life working on this, each and every day dreaming of the day this man would be put to justice. Then it happens by a guy who didn't even know what he was doing," she laughs.

  I give off a sheepish grin, and when I look over and see her giving a wide smile I start to laugh to. I'm not sure why; murder is the last thing on Earth that should be funny. There are so many thoughts racing through my head; something doesn't seem to add up from all of this.

  "Can I ask you something?" I ask.

  "Sure, go ahead" Deputy Vogul says.

  There are so many things I want to ask her but don't know where to begin, so I say the first thing that comes to mind, "How do you know this black car man was involved this time?"

  "Oh, you finally caught onto that, did you? It's simple. The black car man always leaves black hair near the body. Evidently, it's his calling card."

  "Oh," I say. Thinking how strange it is someone would do that. I consider asking more details about that, but instead I ask what I'm really interested to know. "Another question, why did you want me to hide the body and burn all the evidence?"

  She hesitates, which I know very well means she could be thinking of some story to make up. I listen to her, though, expecting the truth.

  "Well, part of it is because I feel like I owe you for putting you in harm's way. Being involved with two different murder cases isn't something you want to deal with. A lot of bad things could go wrong, and it doesn't make you look any more innocent. You're a hero, Andrew, but unfortunately it would take a lot of work to convince a jury of that. It's simpler this way and a lot less paperwork. I'll tell the department I'm giving up on the case. They'll say OK because they've wanted me off it for quite some time now. Nobody else will get murdered, which is all I really care about. Eventually, it will be forgotten about."

  This answer doesn't seem good enough for me. What about remorse for the families of the victims? I almost ask this, but instead drop the subject. The last thing I need is for Deputy Vogul to turn on me. She has my life in her hands.

  "Do you have any other questions, Andrew?"

  "Uhh, I can't think of any. Well, I guess where do we go from here?"

  "Oh, right. So, now I'm going to take you to the hospital. I'm sure Abby will love for you to pay her a visit. I wouldn't mind seeing her and asking a few questions, but I can do that later. For now, what we're going to say is I stopped by your house because I had a few more questions. I'll just use some of the answers you gave me during our last meeting. Then, you told me you wanted to see Abby. And, since we are here to serve and protect, I gave you a ride to the hospital. How does that sound Andrew, pretty simple story?"

  "Yep, thank you so much Deputy Vogul. I really can't thank you enough for all you've done."

  "No problem. I'm really not a dirty cop or anything. I know it must seem like it. The same way you're not a bad person. Sometimes our actions don't align with our true selves. I've always thought that."

  I'm not sure I agree with Deputy Vogul but I nod my head and smile. I do think Deputy Vogul is a dirty cop. There are so many lies, who knows what else she's covered up. If she's a dirty cop, though, I guess that makes me a murderer. For now, I'll just temporarily agree with Deputy Vogul's statement. I'm still a good guy.

  When Deputy Vogul and I make it to the hospital, I ask her if there's anything else I need to do.

  "Nope, Andrew. I'll take care of everything. You don't have anything to worry about." I love hearing her say that. We wave goodbye and she drives off. I think about how extremely grateful I am that she entered my life.

  When I enter the hospital, there's a bit of a panicked reaction when they realize who I am. Questions stir up about how I got here, but when I tell them Deputy Vogul's story they buy into it right away and no more questions are asked.

  I'm told Abby is starting to get better. It's something I've known all along but I act surprised. I'm allowed to go in and see her, and I tell her parents that if it's all right with them I'd like to go in alone. Before I do that something occurs to me.

  "Shit! I forgot to call my parents." I look down at my phone, which has three missed calls. I'm sure my mother is upset, and when I call she seems to be in a state of panic.

  "We were this close to calling the police, Andrew. This close!"

  I apologize, and tell her my story. Well, not the real story. I tell her I forgot to call, and then Deputy Vogul came over, so I was preoccupied. When she hears I'm OK and at the hospital, she eases up. She'll forgive me. It's not the first or the last time I'll forget to call her. If she still loves me after all these years, this little mishap isn't going to push her over the edge.

  When I enter Abby's room, she's lying on her back with her eyes open.

  "Hey sweetie, how are you doing?"

  "Hey Andrew, it's great to see you. Did you do it? Are we going to be safe now?"

  "I did it. He was parked right outside the house," I whisper. "I shot him dead. Then, the craziest thing happened. Not too long afterword, a police car came up. I started
to freak out but fortunately it was Deputy Vogul, the woman who interrogated me when I was still here at the hospital. I couldn't believe it but she helped me hide the body somewhere deep in the reservoir."

  She looks at me in shock, which I can totally understand. If I were in Abby's shoes I wouldn't believe a word I'm saying. "Oh my God, Andrew. Are you going to get caught?"

  "I don't think so. Well, Deputy Vogul doesn't seem to think so. I think she has things under control."

  With those words, Abby lets off a big sigh of relief.

  "Oh, Andrew, I missed you. This has been horrible. It was my ex-boyfriend who kidnapped me... right in the middle of my office. He threw me in the car and drugged me. I've never been so terrified!"

  "I know, sweetheart. I'm sure it was terrible, but you're safe now. You don't have to worry about it anymore." I hold her and kiss her cheek, then wipe a tear from her eye. "Everything is going to be all right."

  When she looks up at me, I think she believes me. The truth is, I'm not even sure I believe myself. So many things could go wrong. If any of the neighbors saw what I did outside the house, I will have some serious explaining to do.

  "So what happens now, sweetie? Have the doctors come in?" I ask.

  "Yeah, when I woke up this morning they came in. They said it was a miracle how good I am today, that they've never seen anything like it. They want to keep me here for a few days, obviously, but they said it's possible I could be home by the end of the week if everything goes smoothly."

  "That's great, sweetie! Great news to hear."

  Chapter 25

  The next few days do, indeed, go well. Abby's progress stuns her doctors. I've never seen her parents so overjoyed. By Saturday, she's ready to come home.

  For me, the days haven't been as great. Sure, I'm ecstatic Abby will be home soon. On the inside, though, I'm in a state of panic. I have a terrible feeling a police officer is going to come in and take me away. Evidence piled so high against me even Deputy Vogul can't cover it up. There are too many things that could go wrong. While I've been here, I've checked the local papers for any reports of fires at the reservoir. I haven't found any, but that doesn't mean there weren't. I have no idea what Deputy Vogul did with the gun. Is it really taken care of?

  My thoughts turn to my neighbors. I presume if they did see me do it, they haven't notified the authorities yet. If so, I would be in a jail cell by now. If they did see me, they could blackmail me at a moment's notice. I make a mental note to be extra nice the next time I see them.

  If nobody did see anything, well, that's just perfect. It was past nine in the morning on a weekday, so it's quite possible. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced everything is going to be fine. I only wish I could speak to Deputy Vogul one last time, just to get a quick update and hear everything is taken care of. I don't plan on seeking her out for fear of causing suspicion. If she needs to talk she'll come to me.

  When I bring Abby home, she's tired but we still celebrate. Both of our parents are here for company. It's a bit awkward having them together as they have nothing in common, but we are all in good moods so the atmosphere is terrific. We have a few drinks, watch some football, and get some much-needed relaxation.

  By evening, our parents leave and it's finally just Abby and me home again. It seems like it's been forever since it was just the two of us here. This past week, I know, will change us forever.

  Sunday is our first day back to normal. I've called my bosses and told them I'll be back to work on Monday. Personally, I don't want to go because I never want to leave Abby again. Also, I'm dreading seeing how people act around me. I'm sure I've been the talk of the office. I'll get funny looks and people coming up to ask questions (questions I don't feel like answering yet). Abby thinks it's best for my sanity if I get back to work, and she's probably right.

  As for her, the doctor said she's ready to go back whenever she wants. I told her to take a couple weeks off and her boss said to take a whole month off. Abby is stubborn, though, and enjoys being out of the house. I had to convince her not to go back tomorrow. We compromised on a week.

  Since my dad already went to the grocery, there's nowhere we need to go today. It's a very lazy Sunday watching television. I carry my cell phone in my pocket, checking it constantly to see if I missed a call or text from Deputy Vogul. My mind would be so much more at ease if she called. The call never comes.

  When I wake up on Monday morning, I turn over to look at the clock. "Shit!" The power must be out. Did I sleep in on my first day back to work? I hope my bosses understand. After all, I have had a rough couple of weeks. When I turn over, Abby isn't there. Oh no, this isn't happening again, is it? Am I in another coma? Is this just a dream? I rush out of bed.

  "Abby," I shout. No answer. My heart starts to beat out of my chest. "Abby," I shout again, this time even louder.

  "Over here." It's Abby's voice. I walk into the kitchen and see her. Relief pours over me.

  "Is there something wrong with the power?" I ask.

  Abby walks over to the light switch and flicks it on. To my surprise, the light comes on. "Nope, seems fine. Can I get you anything, Andrew? How 'bout some orange juice?"

  "Sure, that sounds great." She gets some OJ out of the fridge and pours both of us a glass. When she hands it to me, she says, "Drink up, you have a big day today! Can I make you some breakfast?"

  "I'm fine, thanks. I'll just have cereal," I say as I gulp down my drink.

  "It's going to be alright, Andrew. I'm sure it's not going to be as bad as it seems. Wait right here; I have a little surprise for you."

  I smile, a surprise? I have no clue what it might be and I'm very interested to find out. When she comes back, though, my giddy excitement turns to shock. She moves towards me, a gun in her hand pointed directly at me.

  "Why don't you have a seat, Andrew."

  I freeze up, not having a clue what's going on. "Abby, what are you doing? Where did you get that gun?"

  "Have a seat. I want to have a little chat."

  I do as I'm told, sitting down at the kitchen table. Abby slowly starts walking toward me, keeping a safe distance away. The gun is still pointed at me.

  "You and I need to get our stories straight. I want to know what you think happened the day I was kidnapped."

  I can't believe this is happening. What has happened to my Abby? Where did she get a gun? I didn't even know she knew how to shoot.

  "Wha..what do you want to know? Abby, why do you have a gun?"

  "Never mind that!" she interrupts. For the first time, I'm truly scared of her. She doesn't look herself, like she's another person. "What happened when you got to the reservoir?"

  "I...uhh... when I got there, I saw there was the huge hole. So I walked up to it and saw you were down there. Then, I saw you point up. Someone came up behind me. I'm pretty sure it was Zach. I thought I grabbed him and we fell down the hole together. Apparently, though, that's not what happened. Deputy Vogul showed me the photos. I guess I killed Zack... and pretty gruesomely. I don't even remember doing it."

  Abby looks down like she's trying to put puzzle pieces together. For a brief moment, I feel at ease, like we're on the same team trying to un-code a mystery. Then she does something I don't expect. She starts bursting out laughing. Not the kind of laugh after you've heard a funny joke, but the fake kind of laugh that has a hint of evil behind it.

  "You're so stupid, Andrew. You're not a hero. Did you really think you came and saved the day?"

  "I...umm... I don't know what's happening anymore."

  "Well, I'll tell you. I'll tell you exactly what's going on. You see Andrew, I'm not who you think I am. I'm not little goodie good Miss Priss wife. I have a dark side. I kill people."

  I look at her, not knowing what to say or whether she's telling me the truth. The gun pointed at me must mean she's serious, though. "What do you mean you kill people?" I say.

  "You know the man in the black car, the man you killed? He's my accomplice, or I
guess I should say was. You see, I met him before you and I were together. He showed me how to kill, how to research people, how to attack when they're at their weakest moment. We made an excellent team, killing dozens of people over the years, hiding each and every body at my place at the reservoir. You wouldn't notice, because you're so stupid and unobservant, but there are bodies buried all around that area. It was such a rush bringing you there when you had no clue what was nearby. It ended up coming in handy, too.

  "You're probably wondering about Zach Jones and where he fits into all of this. That little twerp piece of shit took me off guard, I'll admit. He's always been a little stalker, and I guess it turns out he's been following me around. He found my place at the reservoir and said he was going to bury me along with all the other bodies I left there. He came to my office. Not real subtle, but I give it to him he always had courage. He threw me in his car and put something over my mouth that made me pass out. Right before he threw me down into that hole, my eyes opened and I could see where I was. That's why I called you. You're the only one who knows how to get to my place at the reservoir -- well, except for the man in the black car. I was too out of it to call him, though, and I wasn't sure I could trust him. Turns out I was right about that.

  "So you get there and see me in the hole. It was Zach who came up behind you. I wonder what he was planning on doing with you. He probably would have dumped you in the hole with me. You said you wanted to be cremated, sweetie. We were almost buried together."

  Abby paces back and forth, making sure to keep me in the corner of her eye while she continues. "It's only a guess, but I'm ninety-nine percent certain what happened next. The black car man must have found out I was kidnapped and came out to the reservoir to look for me. He must have had a little fight with Zach -- no surprise who came out ahead there." Abby starts laughing, "He has quite the temper sometimes," she says affectionately.

  "If he were here now he'd probably thank you, Andrew, for bringing that ax. I heard Zach was in pieces! That's never really been my style; I try to be as clean as possible with my kills. The black car man likes to use his imagination. He thinks it's important to let the police know the murders are his, so he leaves a patch of black dog hair by the bodies. He told me some bullshit that it symbolizes the victim was no better than a mutt. Personally, I thought it was stupid... and sloppy. I like to be as inconspicuous as possible, but I didn't dare tell him otherwise. He seemed kinda crazy, ya know?