Cookies with a Side of Danger

by Meredith Potts

  My criticism of the show aside, the series was a big ratings hit. It was currently in its fifth season and it didn’t show any signs of going off the air anytime soon. When the program aired each week, millions of viewers tuned in. Usually, David and I were not part of that audience.

  That evening, I found myself drawn to particular episode that was airing.

  I put my hand up and turned to David as he was about to change the channel. “Stop.”

  David’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Why do you look so surprised?” I asked.

  “Because you never want to watch Sassy Sleuth.”

  I stared at the TV. “It’s just that I recognize the case that this episode is based on.”

  David turned his attention to the television screen. “I remember this case too.”

  “Don’t change the channel yet,” I said.

  David put the remote control down.

  ***

  My husband and I watched the show until the next commercial break. Once an ad for a fast food chain began running, I looked away from the TV. There was a question that I was desperate to ask my husband.

  “I’m not really like that, am I?” I asked. “Please tell me I’m not as pushy or as bossy as Victoria Sassy is.”

  “Sabrina, it’s a TV show,” David said.

  “That is based on my life.”

  “While that’s technically true, it doesn’t resemble your actual life at all.”

  “So I’m not overbearing like that then?”

  David shook his head. “No.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “As a matter of fact, overbearing is the last way I would ever characterize you,” he said.

  “How would you characterize me exactly?” I asked.

  “You’re a wonderful woman. Loving. Caring. Generous. Kind. And gorgeous,” he said.

  I blushed. “You’re so sweet to me.”

  “I’m just telling you the truth.”

  “I have to admit, you’re pretty amazing as well.”

  He leaned in and gave me a kiss.

  When he pulled back a few seconds later, he changed the channel on the television.

  “I think it’s time to watch something else,” David said.

  “The episode isn’t over yet,” I said.

  “I know. I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be watching this show.”

  “Because it’s so unrealistic?”

  “I was going to say, because it’s making you self-conscious. But it also isn’t terribly accurate.”

  I scoffed. “Who are you kidding? It isn’t even vaguely accurate. They have taken so many creative liberties with my life story that I don’t even recognize myself onscreen anymore.”

  “I know. What a shame too, because you’re an incredible woman.”

  “Tell that to Hollywood.”

  “I’m pretty sure they won’t listen.”

  “You’re probably right. Hollywood just does its own thing.”

  “That’s their loss.”

  “Are they really losing, though? I mean, the show still gets good ratings.”

  David flipped around on the TV. “How about I put on a cooking show?”

  “I’m sorry to bum you out. It’s just that I thought having a TV show based on me would be a lot more fun than it is,” I said.

  “I know what you mean. But look on the bright side. With the money they paid you for your life rights, we were able to buy that cabin on Lake Ashford.”

  “And create a college fund for Jessica.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I just wish there was some money left over. I really could go for a Hawaiian vacation right now.”

  “In that case, pray that we win the lottery.”

  “Honey, let’s be honest. If we win the lottery, we aren’t just going to take a vacation to Hawaii. We’re going to buy a place there.”

  “Sounds like a good plan.”

  “Now we just have to win the lottery.”

  “I can’t help you with that. But I can put on a baking competition show.”

  “That works for me,” I said.

  Chapter Eight

  Unfortunately, shortly after switching over to a baking show, David got an unexpected call on his police radio.

  My stomach sank. Whenever someone contacted him on his radio, it was always bad news. Especially when the call came during his off-hours.

  While I wondered what the call was about, David got up from the couch to grab his radio. I said a quick little prayer as my husband answered the call.

  My prayer wasn’t answered, however.

  Just as I feared, when David finished speaking with the police dispatcher, he had bad news to share with me.

  “I have to go,” he said.

  My eyes widened. “Now?”

  David reluctantly nodded.

  “Why? What’s going on?” I asked.

  “I’m needed across town,” David said.

  I immediately worried that another murder had taken place. But I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. There were a number of other reasons that he could have been called in to work after hours. I listed off a couple of them.

  “To make an arrest? To handle a domestic dispute? Or is this drug-related?” I asked.

  He grimaced. “The details are a little sketchy right now.”

  David was usually very open with me when it came to sharing information. So, for him to be responding in such vague terms was very odd to me.

  I got tired of beating around the bush. “There hasn’t been another murder, has there?”

  “It’s hard to tell right now,” he said. “I’ll let you know when I get more information.”

  As I looked into my husband’s eyes, I knew there was something he wasn’t telling me. What I couldn’t figure out was why he was being so cagey with me.

  Even though I could have forced the issue, I mustered some restraint. David would tell me the truth eventually. In the meantime, he had work to do.

  “All right. Be careful out there,” I said.

  He gave me a quick kiss.

  “I will,” he replied.

  Chapter Nine

  While David darted across town, I sat on the couch in living room, contemplating how much things had changed over the years. Before Jessica was born, I was a much different person. I had a reputation for throwing caution to the wind. For diving headfirst into cases. It was safe to say that those days were long gone.

  With a five-year-old to take care of, I had to be far more cautious. My steps needed to be calculated. In that instance, it meant staying at home and patiently waiting for David to return.

  That wasn’t easy to do. Not only did I hate playing the waiting game, but patience was also something that I had very little of. That fact was on full display as I sat on the sofa.

  I just couldn’t seem to calm down. My nerves were frayed. To the point where praying didn’t bring me much peace. In addition, the television wasn’t much help either. It didn’t matter what show I put on. Nothing was able to distract me.

  I ended up spending the better part of two hours fidgeting and worrying relentlessly until David returned home.

  ***

  When my husband arrived back home later that evening, a sense of relief washed over me. He was alive and in one piece, without any noticeable scratches on him. That was always a plus.

  Just because he wasn’t injured didn’t mean that he was in good spirits. In fact, the opposite was the case. He looked like he had been through the wringer.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked.

  David took a deep breath, but he didn’t respond. I blurted out my worst fear.

  “Is someone dead?” I said.

  He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  I squinted. “I’m confused.”

  “So am I,” he replied. “It has been a crazy night.”

  “What happened?”

  “All I know for sure is that Claire Blakel
y has gone missing.”

  My eyebrows rose. What terrible news. No wonder David looked like he had been punched in the gut. A case like this packed a real wallop. Especially since Claire was only seventeen-years-old. Even though he didn’t know her well, she wasn’t a stranger either. We saw her family at church nearly every Sunday.

  I was in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

  David nodded. “Unfortunately.”

  “When you say missing, how long has she been gone?”

  “It’s hard to tell.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When her father left for work this morning, Claire was apparently still asleep in her bedroom. But when Justin Blakely returned home this evening, Claire was gone. And there’s no sign of her anywhere.”

  “That’s terrifying.”

  “It sure is.”

  “Did you check the front and back door for signs of forced entry?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “And?” I said.

  “At first glance, I didn’t see any. Then again, I couldn’t call out the forensics team to check for fingerprints,” David said. “You know just as well as I do that a missing-person’s case can’t be opened until Claire is gone for at least twenty-four hours.”

  “Right,” I said. “And currently, she has only been gone for maybe ten hours.”

  “At the absolute most.”

  “That said, a lot can happen in ten hours. I mean, she could have been abducted. Or have gotten into an accident. Or have been followed somewhere.” I grimaced. “There’s all sorts of disturbing possibilities.”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  “What if she is being held for ransom?” I asked.

  David put his hand up. “Let’s not go jumping to conclusions.”

  “It’s difficult not to.” I exhaled. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m sitting here, praying that she is still alive. But that is far from a guarantee.”

  “Instead of focusing on the unknown, let’s talk about what we do know.”

  I shrugged. “Which is?”

  “Even though it’s not an official missing-person’s case yet, I took a quick look at Claire’s bedroom.”

  “Did you find anything suspicious?”

  “I did find it curious that her laptop was gone.”

  “I don’t suppose her purse was there either.”

  David shook his head. “Her phone was also gone.”

  “Speaking of her phone, I assume that Justin tried calling his daughter a number of times.”

  “He did. He also texted her about half a dozen times,” David said. “She hasn’t replied to any of his messages.”

  “What about Claire’s friends?”

  “He called everyone he could think of.”

  “And?”

  “None of them have heard from Claire all day,” David said.

  I bit the corner of my lip. “Wow. So, you don’t have a single lead then?”

  He shook his head. “Not at the moment.”

  I let out a groan. “Talk about discouraging.”

  “It isn’t the best start. But there’s always tomorrow.”

  Chapter Ten

  That night, I prayed hard. When David gave Justin Blakely a call in the morning, it became clear that my prayer wasn’t answered. Justin hadn’t heard a word from his daughter. Nor had he heard from anyone who may have been holding her captive.

  While David began the process of opening up a missing-person’s case, my mind went into overdrive. I found myself ruling out the possibility that she was being held for ransom. To start, if someone was holding her in hopes of getting a large payout, her captor probably would have reached out to Justin with their demands by then. That said, the ransom theory was always a bit of a longshot. Justin wasn’t exactly a wealthy man. Nor did he wield any power or influence within the community. He was just a regular working-class man trying to get by.

  Ransom aside, the remaining possibilities that could explain Claire’s disappearance were all terrifying. But before I got too deep into thinking about this case, there was a desperate matter that I needed to attend to. I couldn’t dive head first into this investigation until I knew that my daughter was safe.

  After placing a call to my parents, they agreed to watch Jessica. I quickly packed up Jessica’s things and drove her over to my mom and dad’s house. After thanking my parents and kissing Jessica good-bye, I then headed over to the police station.

  During the drive over to police headquarters, a wave of emotions hit me. It was almost impossible for a case like this not to hit close to home. After all, the Blakely family had already been through so much. About five years ago, Justin’s wife had died of brain cancer. To this day, I didn’t believe that Justin had ever truly recovered from losing her. And now, his daughter was missing. Talk about a nightmare.

  As a mother, it was my worst fear to have my daughter go missing. While I prayed that something like that would never happen, I did know what it was like to lose a family member.

  Even though it was impossible not to think of my sister at a time like this, I didn’t want to focus on her too much. Mostly because I wanted to refrain from crying. I knew that one tear would lead to another. Then, before I knew it, I would have gone through an entire box of tissues.

  It would be hard, but I had to find a way to keep myself together, for Claire’s sake. She was out there somewhere. I knew that my husband would do his best to find her. At the same time, I also knew that he would need some help.

  When I arrived at the police station, the flurry of activity had already begun. David had officially opened up a case file on Claire. He had also called a press conference.

  While speaking with the local media, David shared what little details he knew. But mostly, he used his time at the podium to make a plea to the public. He welcomed any and all information, no matter how small the tip might be. He also shared a recent photo of Claire. Before long, that image was plastered across town.

  Chapter Eleven

  Justin Blakely was forty-seven-years-old, but as he sat in a chair at the police station that morning, he looked like a scared little kid. My heart went out to him. While I didn’t know what it was like to have a daughter go missing on me, I knew how excruciating it was to lose a sister. I didn’t envy him in the least.

  The man was just trying to keep his head above water. And he was struggling mightily. It took a lot of strength to survive an emotional tidal wave like this.

  Having been in similar shoes as him, I knew the feelings he was wrestling with. It was a nasty stew of fear, anxiety, and terror. At a time like that, hope was hard to come by. But it was also essential. If he was going to get through this, he needed something to cling to.

  I tried my best to comfort him, but words could only do so much. In the end, the only thing that could truly bring him relief was finding his daughter alive.

  I couldn’t give him any guarantees, but I could give him at least one reassurance.

  “I just want you to know that my husband is going to do everything in his power to find your daughter,” I said.

  “I realize that. The question is, will it be enough?” Justin asked.

  “I sure hope so.”

  “There’s a big difference between hoping and knowing.”

  “I realize that,” I said. “That’s where prayer comes in to play. There are some things that are out of our power. That’s why I’m going to turn to God for help.”

  “I hope he answers my prayers. I just want my daughter back in one piece. I would give anything to make that happen.”

  “I know you would.”

  He grimaced. “I still can’t believe this is happening. It’s an absolute nightmare. I feel so helpless.”

  “I realize this is the last thing you want to hear right now, but you need to be patient. A case like this takes time to solve.”

  “Tell that to my heart. I feel like my guts have been ripped out of me. It’s just so nerve-wracking, not knowing where my dau
ghter is or what has happened to her.”

  I put my hand on Justin’s shoulder. “Hopefully, we’ll get answers sooner rather than later.”

  Chapter Twelve

  David and I figured that talking to Kristina O’Brien might be a good way to get some answers. After all, Kristina was Claire’s best friend. And at that age, sometimes close friends knew much more about a person’s life than a parent did.

  Before we were able to determine if that was the case with Kristina, we had to calm the seventeen-year-old down a little. When we told her that Claire was missing, Kristina absolutely freaked out. She immediately burst into tears. After going through half a dozen tissues, Kristina’s eyes finally dried up.

  As Kristina did her best to compose herself, I became uncomfortable watching her. The teen years were an emotional time for any girl. But that was especially true when something terrible like this happened.

  I knew that from experience. After all, I was only eighteen-years-old when my sister first disappeared. So, not only did I know exactly what Kristina was going through right then, but her raw emotions really hit a nerve with me.

  Once Kristina’s eyes were dry, she threw out her arms. “How could something like this happen?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to find out,” David said.

  “It just doesn’t make any sense. Where could Claire be?” Kristina asked.

  “We were hoping you could help us with that,” David said.

  Kristina squinted. “Me?”

  David nodded.

  “I don’t see how. I don’t know where she is. I didn’t even know she was missing,” Kristina said.

  “You’re her best friend, though, right?” David asked.

  Kristina nodded.

  “Which means that you probably know more about her than anyone else. Even her father,” David said.

  “I guess,” Kristina said.

  “That’s why we’ve come to you. We need information,” David said.

  “What kind of information?” Kristina asked.