by Ryan P. Ruiz
“Okay, you twisted my arm, Ol. Go grab a game, and we will play in here on the floor. How about Sorry?” said Cody.
“Yes!” the little girl said excitedly.
Olive skipped into her room and went under her bed to grab the board game. While she was gone for the brief moment, Cody removed his drawing from under his sketch pad and put it in the secret compartment in the bottom drawer of his desk.
Olive ran back into her brother’s room and almost tripped because of how excited she was to spend time with him and play the game.
The two siblings played for a couple of hours. Even when Cody was actually trying, Olive beat him every time.
The time flew, and it was already time for dinner.
“I’ll meet you at the dinner table, Ol. I will clean up the game,” said Cody.
“Thanks for playing with me. Sorry you’re not good at Sorry,” she said, trying to sound sincere.
Olive gave her brother a hug and left for dinner. Cody smiled and put away all the game pieces back in the box.
Dinner was quiet and peaceful. Cody’s mother and sister had a conversation about unicorns while Cody chimed in a little bit.
“Mommy, if we ever do see a unicorn, can we please keep one?” asked Olive.
“Yes, Olive. We will put him or her in the backyard,” Georgiana told her daughter.
“I’ll help you train it, Ol,” said Cody before taking a forkful of his corn.
“Yes!” exclaimed Olive.
Olive had a smile on her face from ear to ear.
It was a normal Sunday night, and Cody felt good for once as he spent time with his family.
After dinner, Cody helped his mother clean up and headed upstairs to bed. Olive came in and hugged her brother before she went to take her bath. Cody gave her an extra-long hug.
“Good night, Ol, I love you!” said Cody.
“Night, brother. Love you too!” his sister replied.
Cody showered, dressed in to some comfortable sleeping clothes and laid down in his bed.
Afterwards, he dressed into some comfortable sleeping clothes and lay down on his bed. Before he could remember the day’s events, he was out. Like always, the dreams started—this time, only weird ones.
The first dream was strange and made no sense. Cody was sitting on some sort of rooftop. He was really high up and could see all the cities around him. There was a fishing rod next to him. Cody picked up the rod and cast it out. Slowly he reeled in the line. Over and over again, he cast out the rod. Each time, the line came back empty.
Another dream was more real. He saw Olive waiting at the bus stop with Phyllis. The yellow school bus pulled up, and the doors opened. The bus driver was the man in the black Cadillac. Cody was watching from inside his house and ran outside to try to stop Olive from getting on the bus. He was too late, and Phyllis just laughed at him. Cody was angry and threw a lawn chair at the babysitter. The dream ended with Cody back in his room.
The final dream that he would remember had Zach in it. They were riding their bikes on Lincoln Street. The black vehicle was parked at the top of the street. The two friends rode over the car over and over again. The man saw them and came running out of a store, yelling and screaming at the boys to stop. They stopped and looked at the man in the dream.
“It’s him, Zach!” said Cody. “That’s the guy.”
“What are you talking about, kid?” the man asked. “That’s my car you guys keep riding on.”
The boys rode as fast as they could at the man and trampled him and kept on going. The dream jumped ahead to the boys being chased by the car. The man hit Zach with his car and ran him over. The dream ended.
Cody woke up in another dead sweat. He looked at the alarm clock on his desk. It was 2:05 in the morning. The boy suddenly thought of one lingering question. What car was underneath that tarp in his neighbor’s garage? Cody sprang from his bed, threw on a sweatshirt, and pulled out a flashlight from his desk drawer.
Opening his bedroom door as quietly as he could, he tiptoed through the hallway and down the stairs. The house was super quiet, and he could have heard a pin drop. Still moving ever so slowly, Cody walked toward the back door. The boy grabbed his shoes off the floor and held them in his left hand. Like he was in slow motion, he twisted the dead bolt on the door then turned the knob.
Cody’s heart began to race as he took a step outside into the drafty cold air. He put on his shoes quickly and walked toward the fence. The crickets were loud, and the night was pitch-black. Turning on his flashlight, Cody pointed it through the slits of the fence toward his neighbor’s garage. It was tough to see anything.
He needed a better look.
Cody walked behind his garage where there was a stack of firewood that would be a good boost to hop over the wooden fence. The boy placed his right foot on the stack then his left and grabbed the top of the fence. He peeked over. Mr. Durkbridge’s house was completely dark.
He pulled himself over the fence and dropped down to the yard. Cody looked around to see if anyone had heard the thud. He turned the flashlight back on, cupping it in his hand. With his heart still beating fast, he crept over to the garage. There was a padlock on the door. There were two dirty windows on the wooden garage. Cody got up on his tippy-toes and shined the light through the windows. There was a car in the garage, but that’s all the boy could tell. The tarp was once again covering it. As Cody peered closer through the window, he noticed something.
The tarp had some sort of lettering on it. He couldn’t make out what it said. Cody got off his toes and looked around by the fence. He found a cinder block that would give him a step stool to see better. He placed the block in front of the garage and stepped up. Peering through again, Cody shined the light at a better spot on the tarp in the garage.
The first letter was C as he moved the flashlight down the line of letters. The tarp was hard to read. He tried to make out the second letter. It looked like either an H or an A. He wasn’t sure. Cody tried to lean in closer to make out the letters. Losing his balance, the block slipped from under him, and he tumbled to the ground. Cody let out a painful scream as his ankle twisted against the concrete.
A light turned on in his neighbor’s house on the top floor. Cody grabbed his ankle and sprang to his feet. It hurt, but the boy’s adrenaline was flowing. He pushed the block back over to the fence and hobbled out of the backyard and down the front driveway. The upstairs light in the house turned off.
Cody walked on the sidewalk and back up the driveway of his house. He opened the wooden gate and rushed to the back door he’d left unlocked. He quietly opened the door and removed his shoes as he was safely back in his home. The boy returned to his room and passed out on his bed.
CHAPTER IX
A Missing Girl
Monday morning came quickly. Cody did not get a decent night’s sleep, and it was filled with weird dreams. He remembered a few dreams but didn’t recall the realistic nightmares he had been having for the last couple of weeks. He did, however, recall the dream about Olive. He also had a very sore ankle.
After getting ready for school, Cody grabbed his book bag, hobbled gingerly downstairs, and sat at the kitchen table. Olive was eating a bowl of cereal, and Phyllis had just walked through the front door.
The babysitter always arrived in the morning so Cody’s mom could catch the bus for work. Phyllis acted so fake in front of the kids’ mother.
Cody pulled his math homework out of his book bag and started working on it.
His mother looked at him with disbelief.
“Tell me that’s not homework that was supposed to be done already?” Georgiana said to her son as she grabbed her purse and brief bag.
“Um, not really. Most of it’s done, Mom,” said Cody, lying to his mom.
She glanced down at the sheet of paper.
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br /> “You’re lying, Cody. You can’t pull a fast one on me. I’m your mother,” she said. “You better get that done by the time you leave,” Georgiana informed him. “And don’t lie. I cannot stand liars.”
“Okay, Mom. Sorry,” Cody said meaningfully.
His mother set down a mug with his tea in it. Cody gave Olive a playful stare. Olive just smiled, remembering her brother put down his homework so they could play Sorry.
Cody took a sip of the hot tea his mother had just set down for him on the kitchen table. It was twenty after seven. Georgiana said good-bye and headed out the front door. Her bus stop was just at the corner of their street.
Cody finished his math homework by just guessing and jotting down random numbers under the problems. He jammed the paper into his folder and stuffed it in his bag.
After saying good-bye to Olive, Cody headed out the front door. He took the long way to school. Cody caught up to Zach right before the playground. Zach had headphones on and was listening to a cassette tape on his Walkman.
“Hey, buddy!” yelled Cody.
“Oh, what’s up, dude?” said Zach, removing his headphones.
Zach noticed his friend hobbling.
“What happened to you?” asked Zach.
“Oh, nothing. Ol and I were playing tag, and I twisted my ankle trying to catch her. No big deal, it’s just a little sore,” replied Cody.
“Oh well, that sucks,” said Zach.
“Wanna shoot some hoops after school?” asked Cody.
“Yeah, dude. We could use a break from this work we have been doing,” replied Zach, looking at his friend in disbelief. “Are you sure you’re okay to play?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine by after school. Do you want to play or what?” said Cody.
“Yeah, let’s play some b-ball after school at my house,” replied Zach with a smile.
“Okay, cool. I’ll call Phil from your house after school and tell her,” said Cody.
“Sounds like a plan,” replied Zach.
The two headed into the school building just as the first bell rang.
For a dreaded Monday, which every student hated, the day went by quickly for Cody. Two of his teachers were sick, and the substitutes in each class were cool. They just let the class do anything they wanted within reason.
During a few classes, Cody thought about his neighbor’s garage. Could Mr. Durkbridge own the car the boys had been looking for? Was that even possible? But who was the man they saw at the church? Thoughts and questions ran through Cody’s mind all day about his adventure a night ago. The pain in his ankle also reminded him of it. Things were starting to confuse the boy. Cody met up with Zach after school by the playground, and they headed to Zach’s house.
The house was a little smaller than Cody’s, but it was very homey. The house was white with green shutters. It had a porch with two green columns. Zach’s driveway was fairly big and made a great basketball court. Zach had gotten a mounted basketball hoop when he was in fifth grade. Zach was a great basketball player, and it was his reward for making the team.
“Let’s go inside and put our book bags down. I’ll give you a T-shirt to throw on,” offered Zach.
Before Cody could respond, Zach’s mother interrupted.
“Are you guys watching this?” she asked, pointing at the television.
“No, what is it?” responded Cody.
The news was on the TV, and there was a flashing emergency alert sign going across the bottom. Zach’s mother turned the volume up on the television.
“Again, everyone, we have breaking news. An eight-year-old girl is missing in Sheldon Township. Her name is Mandy Coefield, and she was last seen walking home from school by friends earlier today. If you have any news or information regarding Mandy, please call the Sheldon Township Police Department. Or call 1-800-MISSING with any tips,” the newscaster said through the television’s speakers.
“This is just terrible. There are some evil people in this world, kids. You just never know anymore. God bless that little girl and her parents,” Zach’s mom said.
Cody and Zach looked at each other, very worried. Sheldon Township was just two cities away from the town of Tippwood. In fact, one part of Tippwood actually bordered Sheldon.
Zach set down the basketball. The boys went up the stairs to Zach’s room and shut the door.
“Dude, you don’t think…” Zach’s voice trailed off.
“I don’t know, man, this is too coincidental. It’s two cities from us, and the girl was walking home from school,” replied Cody.
“We should go to the police,” said Zach.
“No, we can’t. No one knows what we’re doing. Our moms will kill us if they found out what we were up to,” Cody said.
“We are not police officers, dude. We are twelve years old and in seventh grade,” replied Zach with an edginess to his tone.
“I know, but trust me—we are better off continuing our own investigation,” fired back Cody.
Zach could tell that Cody was obsessed with the man in the black Cadillac. For some reason, Zach completely understood the pain and determination on his friend’s face. Zach dropped it.
“What next, then?” asked Zach.
“We need to figure out where that man we saw lives,” said Cody.
There was a long pause in between.
“I have an idea, dude. It may not be the best idea, but we may have a shot,” said Zach.
“Okay, let’s hear it,” said Cody.
“My brother… He’s going to be home this weekend, I heard my mom talking to him on the phone. He has a car, dude. We can see if he would drive us to Lincoln Street on Sunday,” said Zach with excitement in his voice.
Cody knew Zach’s brother but not well. He was a freshman in college at a school two hours away from Tippwood. Cody was intrigued by the idea.
“Go on,” replied Cody.
“We could tail the car with my brother’s help. This is a long shot, but it’s a shot. We are going to have to let him in somewhat about what we are doing, though,” responded Zach.
“I think it’s a great idea. The only thing is, we need to hope and pray that the Cadillac is there this Sunday. Do you think you could convince your brother?” Cody asked.
“I don’t know, man, it’s worth a shot. Maybe we could give him some money or something? I don’t know,” Zach said in a worried tone.
“You need to be the best salesman on the planet,” Cody said.
“I know,” replied Zach.
The boys talked more about the missing girl in Sheldon. It made Cody sick to the stomach that the girl was exactly Olive’s age. Cody was angry and upset over the whole situation. Zach understood exactly why.
The two friends went back downstairs and made a snack. Zach’s mother was still watching television. The emergency alert flashing sign was still streaming across the bottom of the color television.
“Do you want to play basketball now?” asked Zach hopefully.
“No, I’m going to head home. I have a lot of homework and reading to catch up on. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Call me if you think of anything else for our project. Bye, Mrs. Madden,” said Cody.
“You got it, dude. See you tomorrow,” replied Zach.
“Bye, Cody,” said Mrs. Madden. “Wow, you two are really serious about this project. I can’t wait to see it when it’s done,” she continued talking to Zach.
“Yeah, can’t wait,” Zach said convincingly.
Cody started walking and took Thomas Avenue home. He started to hum his favorite song and also began thinking about the missing girl.
“Poor Mandy, don’t worry, little girl, I’m going to help find you,” he thought in his head.
When he arrived home, it was past 4:00 p.m. Cody glanced down the dr
iveway of his neighbor’s house and saw an older blue car covered by the tarp. It had a bow-tie logo. The car was a Chevy. A sense of relief came over Cody as he continued to walk toward his house. Phil was furious with Cody and was already yelling before he stepped foot in the driveway. Cody had forgotten to call his babysitter and let her know he went to his friend’s house after school.
“Where were you?” she screamed.
“At Zach’s house, sorry I didn’t call,” said Cody.
“Well, you are in big trouble, boy. Your mother will hear about this, don’t you worry,” explained Phyllis.
Olive was behind the babysitter, making funny faces while she was yelling at Cody. He couldn’t help but smirk a little. The smirk sent Phyllis over the edge.
“You are grounded, I’m definitely telling your mom, and get up to your room,” she screamed, her voice getting louder and louder.
Cody took his shoes off and ran up the stairs into his room. He didn’t care that his babysitter grounded him; it didn’t mean anything. His mother would be home soon, and he could explain everything. He was certain his mom would understand.
Cody went straight to the alarm clock radio in his room on his desk. He tuned it to a local AM news station. The reporter on the news was talking about Mandy Coefield.
There was urgency in his voice.
“If anyone has any information regarding this missing girl, please call authorities,” the reporter said.
Cody sat at his desk and turned off the radio. He thought about what Zach’s mom had said.
“There are some evil people out there,” he remembered her saying.
Cody thought about Sam Jennings, the missing girl from five years ago. He thought of an article in the newspaper he read of how her kidnapper kept items that Sam had on her at the time she was taken. The girl had a multicolored woven bracelet her mother had given her with an inscription on it that authorities were certain her abductor took as a souvenir. Just the thought of that made Cody’s stomach cringe.
“There are some sick and evil people in this world,” he thought, “and I’m going to catch one of them.”
