On the Edge of Town

by Maria Walton

"I won't put you in jail."

  I hung up the phone and grabbed my keys, already running out of the apartment. I jumped into my car without thinking about anything else. I couldn't do anything from where I was at. I would need to go back home. I tried to clear my mind as I drove but it was pointless. Everything from the night before was playing through my mind. I needed to get a hold of Ryan. Just as I was about to lose hope, my phone started to vibrate. Jack had come through for me.

  "Hullo?" said Ryan.

  "Thank god, Ryan. Is Alyson with you?" I asked him.

  "Who is this?"

  "Jesus, this is Cass, Alyson's sister. No one can get ahold of her. Is she there with you?"

  "Um, no. I haven't seen her since last night. I dropped her off at her place."

  Something wasn't adding up and I needed to find out what it was. There was only one person who could help me and he was the last person I wanted to deal with, Sheriff Donovan Weston. I sighed and turned off on the exit for my home town. My sister's apartment was no longer my destination. Instead, I pulled off on the first road that lead to the sheriff's county office. I was less than thrilled to see that the place was moderately busy for a Saturday. As soon as I stepped out of the car, word would spread around the small town that I was back and looking for my wayward sister once again.

  "You better be okay Alyson, or I'm gonna kick your ass," I threatened as I stepped out onto the blacktop.

  I pushed open the front door and cringed when a small bell chimed out. Everyone turned to see who had come in. I recognized most of the faces, they were kids that I'd grown up with. Some younger, some older, and a lot of police officers. To them, I had turned my back on the town when I decided to join the bureau. Taking a deep breath, I walked over to the counter and smiled at the large woman behind the desk.

  "Well, hello Cassandra. How is the big city treating you?"

  I had to stop myself from gaping at the woman. She was the same age as I was but the years had not been kind to her. I hardly recognized her.

  "Lindsey, is that you? I'll be! How have you been?"

  "Not as good as you, from what I hear. You went out and made something of yourself. What brings you back to town?"

  "Well, it's about Alyson."

  Right away the woman rolled her eyes, "Oh lord. What has that girl gotten herself into this time? Don't tell me you've come to bail her out again? I tell you what Cassandra, you need to let that girl sit in there for a while before saving her. A little tough love."

  "Thank you, Lindsey, for that insight, but she isn't in jail," I interjected, "and, if she was in jail, I would hope that you would know since you are the sheriff's desk clerk. As a matter of fact, I wanted to see if I could speak with Donovan for a few minutes."

  She raised her eyebrow, "Sheriff Weston is a busy man. I don't think he has the time to see you. Maybe you should just leave a message here with me and I will make sure that he gets it."

  "Lindsey, this is about something important, not about our past relationship okay? And if you remember, he's the one who dumped me."

  She picked up the phone, "Only because you turned down his proposal."

  "Jesus Christ almighty," I whispered as she waited for the other end to pick up.

  Lindsey set the phone back down and nodded to the chairs in the corner. "Why don't you take a seat? He knows you're here but I don't know how long you will have to wait."

  "Oh, of course," I said sarcastically.

  She didn't say anything to me but I still wanted to slap the smug grin from her face. I started to walk over to the chairs but something inside of me snapped. I didn't give a rat's ass about small town politics. Something could be going on with my sister and I wouldn't let petty feelings keep me from finding out where she was.

  I turned and headed back towards the Sheriff's office, it was a route that I knew well. Lindsey was protesting, but I ignored her. Just as I reached out to shove open the door, it flung open and Sheriff Donovan Weston was standing there glaring down at me. I skidded to a stop. Donavan didn't look happy to see me at all.

  I cleared my throat and smiled at him, "It's been a while, Donovan. How have you been?"

  "Get in my office, now."

  I swallowed hard but did as he said without looking back into the lobby. I knew that everyone behind me was just waiting for the show that was about to start. If I could have been anywhere but the office of my ex-boyfriend, I would have taken it.

  Chapter Four

  Donovan slammed the door behind himself, making me jump a little. He was the calm, collected, type that rarely got upset. Seeing him angry was something else altogether. I leaned against the back wall as he sat behind the large but worn oak desk. He glared at me and then at the chair across from him. I took the hint and quickly sat down, my nerves on edge.

  "What the hell are you doing here, Cass?" he said in a flat tone.

  "I'm sorry for bursting in like this Donovan but I need your help. It's Alyson."

  He sat back and crossed his arms, "It's always Alyson, Cass. Why are you dragging me into more drama here? Whatever she's done, I can't help you get her off the hook."

  "She is missing and I am going to find her, with or without your help."

  Donovan said nothing as he spun his chair around to face the window. I took a deep breath and wondered what was coming next. He'd always been the diplomat in the relationship whereas I acted on instinct. Something told me that Alyson was in real danger and I didn't have the time to wait around and play games with him.

  "Fine," I said as I stood up, "don't help."

  "Wait Cass," he said as he turned back around. "I'm sorry, but what did you expect to happen? You come back here after six months without a word and you don't even stop to ask how I'm doing."

  "I'm sorry Donovan. I know this can't be easy for you. It's not easy for me either but I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was serious. I know Alyson has given you a lot of trouble in the past but this time is different. She needs my help."

  "Cass, I want to help you but you have to understand my position. This town has had to deal with a lot thanks to that kid sister of yours. Everything was going good there for a while, what happened?"

  I shifted awkwardly in my seat. I knew that Donovan wasn't going to like my plan. He would probably have me thrown into a holding cell just for suggesting it but I had to try. At least later when I did everything myself I could at least tell myself I tried to do things above the law.

  "See, that's the thing. She was happy with her boyfriend, Ryan."

  Right away he rolled his eyes, "Jesus, another one? When is this going to end."

  I glared at him, "You make her sound like a harlot. She has had a couple misses. And this guy might be another one. He says he dropped her off last night at her apartment but her roommate didn't see her."

  His cheeks flushed red and he suddenly sat up in his chair. "Jenna said that?"

  I grinned, "Jenna? I didn't know that you two knew each other."

  He cleared his throat, "Well yeah, she is always with Alyson so naturally our paths crossed."

  "Is that so?" I said as I leaned back. "Well Jenna is the one who told me she wasn't home. They had some appointment together and she didn't show up. I would take her word over Ryan's any day."

  "So, what is it that you want, Cass?"

  I swallowed, "Well, I don't have any jurisdiction but I think Ryan should be brought in for questioning."

  His face changed a dozen times until finally he started laughing. I wanted to climb across the desk and slap him but he probably wouldn't have stopped long enough to even feel it. I couldn't believe the way that he was acting.

  "I get it okay! You don't want to help and that's fine. Just let me go then."

  He stopped laughing and wiped his eyes. He shook his head, "Oh Cass, you and I both know that if I let you walk out of here, you are going to go right over to the poor bastard's house and start grilling him."

  "Then bring him here and save yourself all the extra trav
el!" I shot back.

  "He hasn't done anything wrong! A woman known for her wild side is missing. I can't bring the poor guy in for his bad taste in women."

  "Then you better lock me up because I'm going to find that little bastard and his tattooed face friend, too."

  I spun around to storm out the door when he stopped me, "Wait, what did you say about tattoos? Did he have numbers across his forehead?"

  I glared at him but nodded my head. "Yeah, I saw them arguing last night at the bar. Ryan said something about his brother owing a debt. It's the only connection I have to Alyson."

  Donovan shuffled through a stack of papers on his desk until he pulled out a police photo. "Is this the guy you saw last night?"

  I nodded my head, "Yeah, who is he?"

  "No one that anyone with half a brain wants to get mixed up with. His name is Marcus. He peddles everything from loans to prostitutes and drugs. He is a dangerous man. I thought you said this new guy of hers was on the straight and narrow?"

  "He is, he said he was just covering for his brother."

  Donovan shook his head, "I don't think so. If Marcus was out there in that club, then he was there because of someone he was after. Why would he be talking with this Ryan character if it was his brother he wanted? Something doesn't add up. You might be getting your interrogation after all, Cass."

  It felt like a weight was being lifted from my chest. I knew that Ryan would lead me to my sister and together we would put this whole thing behind us.

  "That's great news! When are we going to go pick him up?" I asked.

  Donovan shook his head, "No way, not a chance. You are not coming along and you won't be part of the interrogation either. If you promise to be good, I will let you watch from the observation room."

  "What? This is my lead!" I yelled.

  "Yeah? And this is my town, my jurisdiction, and my office."

  I hated that he held all the cards. At least I would be able to watch the interview. I watched Donovan and two of his men as they walked out the door. I didn't mind being left behind, I still had to tell my parents what was going on. I had waited as long as possible. I was just about to dial my mom's home number when I heard her voice coming from the waiting room.

  "Mom? What are you doing here?" I asked as she hugged me.

  "Lindsey called me as soon as she found out, do they have any news?"

  I glared at Lindsey briefly before turning back to my mother. "Mom, you should go back home in case she goes there. You can't do anything here."

  "What about you? Are you part of this too?" she asked.

  I nodded my head, "I am this time, Mom. I promise you that I am going to find her though okay?"

  "Okay," She whispered.

  I led her back to the door and watched as she got into her car. As soon as she started pulling out I turned my attention to Lindsey.

  "If you ever pull that shit with my mother again I will slap that smile right off your face, do you understand me?"

  Chapter Five

  I paced back and forth in the observation room as I waited for them to bring in Ryan. I felt like we were losing precious time with each passing second that I didn't have a lead. The door finally opened and I pressed against the one-way glass.

  "Not in handcuffs I see," I thought to myself. "I would have dragged him in kicking and screaming."

  "Take a seat Ryan, thanks for coming in. We are trying to find Alyson, so if you wouldn't mind walking us through last night, I'd appreciate it."

  "Sure thing," Ryan looked confused, "am I under arrest?"

  "You should be, you asshole," I hissed.

  Donovan shook his head, "Not at all. Just want to have a timeline, if you don't mind."

  "Right, well we left the bar and she was pretty drunk so I had the driver drop her off at her place first. I watched her go inside and then I left. Sorry, I can't be more help."

  "Why don't you tell me about Marcus," said Donovan.

  Ryan was noticeably shaken at the mention of the man's name. How was he connected to Marcus? Donovan wasn't pushing him hard enough. This was going to take all day!

  "There isn't anything to tell, he's just a guy my brother knows."

  "Let me guess, your brother hooked you up with Marcus and a loan and now he's looking to collect?"

  Ryan nodded his head to my horror. "I didn't know what I was getting myself into okay? I just wanted to be a real writer. I thought I would make it big. Alyson didn't know. I didn't even know Marcus was looking to collect until last night when he showed up."

  "Is it possible that Marcus took Alyson? Maybe he was trying to get your attention?"

  I shuddered at his words. The idea of my little sister being bound and gagged somewhere scared the hell out of me. If anything happened to her, I would blame myself forever. I should have gone home with her last night. She had wanted me too but I couldn't wait to get out of this depressing little town.

  Ryan was shaking his head vigorously at the question. "No way, no. Not Marcus, sure he is a bad guy but he and Alyson were friends!"

  I gasped, there was no way that my sister, even with all her flaws, would be friends with a man like that. Everything about him was wrong and if I could pick up on that, then she could too. I tapped on the glass but Donovan just glared in my direction. He wasn't going to let me anywhere near Ryan.

  "How did you know they were friends? What kind of relationship did the two of you have?"

  Ryan shrugged, "We've been dating for a little while. She was the one who hooked me up with Marcus in the first place."

  "Did she ever tell you how the two of them met? Anything that could give us a link here?"

  The young man shook his head. "He was just kind of there one day. I don't know how the two of them met, can I go now?"

  Donovan nodded his head, "Yeah, you are free to go. One last thing, do you know where this Marcus guy lives?"

  I watched as Ryan wrote down an address on a piece of paper. Donovan was trying to cover it from my view but he had underestimated me. By the time Donovan was heading out of the interrogation room, I was already halfway down the steps and jogging to my car. I whispered the address repeatedly, trying to remember it. As I sped past the office and down the main road, I quickly grabbed my phone and dialed one of the few people I trusted in my life, my father.

  "Have you heard anything yet?" he asked me.

  "No, but I have a lead. How is Mom holding up?"

  He sighed, "She is okay but worried. We both are. I'm going to stay here with her until we hear something. It just makes more sense this way."

  "Okay, thanks Dad."

  Their relationship still surprised me. I didn't know how a couple that was divorced could still be so close, but my parents defied the odds.

  "Are you coming over here too?" he asked.

  I paused, "I don't think so, Dad. There are a few things I need to take care of."

  "Cassandra, you need to leave this up to Donovan and his men okay? They will find your sister. It's not worth risking your career over. She probably just ran off."

  "No Dad, this is different. Something isn't right. I just can't put my finger on it. I know you want me to stay out of it but I can't, not this time."

  "This could cost you your career Cassy, you know that?" he asked.

  "I'd rather lose my job than my sister. I'm going to talk to a man who may have something to do with her disappearance. I'll let you know if I find out anything more."

  "Cass," he started to say.

  "Bye Dad, love you," I spoke quickly and hung up the phone hoping that he wouldn't stay mad at me for long.

  Speeding past the houses, I thought about Alyson and Marcus. There was no link that made sense. Alyson was wild but not anywhere on that thug's radar. The only way the two of them hooked up for any reason would be if they were fighting about something. Then I remembered Donovan talking about the prostitutes. If Alyson thought for even a single second that she could help those women, she would. For all her faults, Alyson
had a heart of gold.

  "Don't worry, I'm going to find you," I said quietly.

  I drove in silence for a few minutes. I tried to clear my thoughts, to focus on what my next move was going to be but it was proving to be difficult. Marcus wouldn't be alone and all my training hadn't prepared me for a gunfight where I was certain to be outnumbered. If he had Alyson, I could run the risk of hurting her in the firefight and that wasn't something I was willing to accept. My phone lit up and I glanced down.

  I sighed and answered the call, "Sheriff, what can I do for you?"