On the Streets for Alison
Copyright 2014 Paul Matos, Jr.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Contact
Other Books
Dedication:
I am so lucky to be able to have so many people in my life that need credit in my small journey. I will start with my four girls, Ashleigh, Sara, Dani and Layla. You four are a great joy in my life and I wouldn't change any of you. My wonderful mother, Maria for always encouraging me to pursue my dreams. My sister Janelle for making me laugh and bringing Drake and Aly along for the ride. Aaron for being a true friend and helping me with our many adventures. My cousin Naty for being an inspiration on this journey. Then there is my new best friend and my Love. Stephanie, you helped push me to get this book complete and make me want to keep writing. I love you for every single thing about you.
Chapter One
Rain was coming down pretty hard on this Tuesday morning in late February. Mac and I were sitting in our office having coffee and going through the usual routine, checking and responding to emails. Mostly trashing spam that always finds its way in.
“Why would you say something like that? Like it's my fault there is hair all over my back,” Mac said, just as someone walked in the office.
“Wow, just what I wanted to hear first thing in the morning.” The man that walked in said as he closed the door.
“Well, maybe next time you'll knock on the door before you just walk into someone’s office,” Mac said.
We both looked at the man who just walked in. I recognized him right away. “Sam Peterson, how the hell are you?”
“Not bad, Raph. I see you guys are still Siamese twins,” Sam said.
"Yeah, I'm still carrying him," Mac said with a grin.
"Sam, sit please. It’s been a little while since we've seen you," I said.
We sat there and caught up for about fifteen minutes. The whole time I could tell Sam had something else on his mind.
"So, it's great to see you and all, but is there something you want to get to. We could sit here all day yapping about yesterday, but I can tell something is on your mind," I said.
He sat back, let out a large sigh. “It’s my sister; she might be missing,” Sam said.
“Might be?” Mac asked. “How do you not know if that little girl is missing?”
“Well, she’s not so little any more. She’s twenty now,” Sam said.
At the same time Mac and I said, “Twenty!”
“I know, right? It has been a while since you’ve seen her. Hell, I am still dealing with the fact that she is not in high school anymore. But she has been going to Georgia Tech for a couple of years now.”
He had our attention now. Both Mac and I were listening intently. “Okay, so you think she’s missing?” I asked.
“She has not called my parents in almost a week. She has religiously called them twice a week since she left. I drove over there and her roommate says she has not come home in a week. She agrees it’s not like her to do that also.”
“Are you sure she didn’t just find a ‘friend’ and is shacked up for a while, having a good time?” Mac asked.
“First, I am the only gay one in my family so her ‘friend’ is most likely a guy. Second, even if that were so, she would still call my parents. We have always told them everything and if she called from her cell phone, then she wouldn’t have to tell them where she is. No, something is not right,” Sam said.
“Okay,” I said, “Have you checked with the police?”
“Yes, but they just seem to think that she’s a college girl and she hasn’t been gone long enough for them to worry about it. They say it is typical for college kids to go missing for a couple of weeks and then show up from a drunken stupor,” Sam explained.
Sam took a deep breath. “You guys are the only ones I trust. Something is wrong and I just don’t want to be too late, if we are not already. I mean she’s my little sister, guys.”
Mac and I looked at each other for a second and turned to Sam, “Okay then,” I said. “Where do we start?”
Sam let out a big sigh. “Wow, great. I guess we can go to her dorm room and start there. What do you think?”
“That would be my suggestion,” I said.
Mac was already heading out the door to get the truck.
“Maybe you could follow us, in case we need to separate later,” I said.
“Um, okay,” Sam said.
“Look, if Mac and I are going to do this, we will keep you informed, but we will be the investigators and you will be the client. We will report to you, but you can’t be with us all the time. You won’t have a clear head and it doesn’t help you to get emotional in front of people we are talking to. You understand?” I asked.
Another sigh. “Yes, I get it. You want me to just go home now?”
“No, I want you to introduce us around as the people looking for your sister,” I said. “Then we’ll see.”
“Okay, I came here for a reason. I might as well let you do what I came here for,” Sam said.
“Now you know what you’re talking about!” I said with a toothy grin. “Let’s head out.”
We went to Mac’s Suburban. “Georgia Tech then?” Mac asked.
“Yes, when we get close I will show you which dorm she is in. If you guys will just follow me,” Sam said.
Mac looked at me, “Um, okay,” he said.
Sam went to his car and I sat in Mac’s truck. “Does he have something better to do?” Mac asked.
“I asked him to introduce us around and then he would be done. I don’t want him to scare off anyone who might help.”
Mac looked at me for a long second. “That’s his sister. You really think he is not going to start checking on his own? What happens if he gets hurt?” Again, with the long stare.
I looked back, let out a big sigh. “Fine, you’re right.” I slammed the door open and went and got Sam. When I got back in the truck, Mac was just sitting there with a grin on his face. “Just drive.”
“As you wish,” Mac said with a chuckle.
So off we went to the school to look for Sam’s sister, having no idea where to start. But that was pretty typical of our business.
Driving into Atlanta was always an adventure, but at least it wasn’t rush hour. We drove down Interstate 85 south to the Techwood Drive exit, Techwood to Tenth Street, and then left on Hemphill Avenue. Then right onto Ninth Street, and then left onto McMillan Street and the dorm was two blocks down, at the end of Turner Place. Fulmer Hall is an all-girls dorm, which sounds like more fun than it is. Places like this always make me feel older than I should. The girls walk around wearing almost nothing and the way they talk just makes thoughts of them leading our country more scary than jumping out of a hot air balloon with a string attached to you.
Sam walked us to Alison’s room. We knocked on the door to find yet another cute girl wearing almost nothing. When the door opened Sam said, “Hi, Rose. These are the guys I told you about.” He pointed at me, “This is Raph and this is Mac,” he said pointing to Mac. “Can you please answer any questions they might have for you?”
“Of course, Sam,” she said with her arms around Sam, “Whatever I can do
to help.” She turned to us.
“Well, while you are both here can we make a list of everyone she knows?” I asked. “We will try and be discrete.”
“Sure, if it will help,” Sam said.
“Well, you never know,” Mac said. “Can we sit for a few and ask a couple of questions?”
“Of course,” Rose said.
The three of them sat and I walked around. “Is this Alison’s side? I just wanted to look around.” Rose nodded her head and I kept looking. Fashion magazines, modeling magazines, and some books on biological engineering were on her nightstand. On her pin board there was a small poster of the periodic table and a calendar of runway models. I opened a couple of her dresser draws, but just got embarrassed. I didn’t have the nerve to go through them. I don’t remember the rooms being so small, but college was a little while back for me. I thought of lifting her mattress, but that seemed a little much.
I turned to the group and noticed they were all waiting for me. I looked at Mac, “What the hell? You don’t know how to ask questions? You need me to hold your hand?”
The others just laughed and Mac shook his head and I gave them a toothy grin. “So what’s with the fashion and modeling magazines? I mean, I know you all want to be fashion conscious, but you look like you wear nice clothes and I don’t see anything like that on your night stand.”
Rose smiled a little, “Well, it’s sort of a hobby for her. We all work so hard and sometimes you need a distraction from studies and that is what she used. I like fashion, but I can just borrow her magazines.”
“Okay, what about the modeling?” I asked.
“Well,” she said, somewhat sheepishly and turned from Sam. “I’m not really supposed to say.”
Mac took the clue for what it was and stood up and lifted Sam up from under his arm and said, “Sam, come with me for a minute please.”
“What are you doing? I want to hear what she has to say,” Sam said with a little force. He tried to get Mac to let go of him, but Mac was like a dog with lock jar. Once he had a grip, it was up to him to let go.
Once the door closed, I sat next to her, “Okay, go ahead and tell me.”
She turned to me quickly as if the secret was killing her. “You see, even though her family has money, she doesn’t like living off them.”
I grinned a little. “Of course, who would?”
She looked at me funny. “Sorry, continue.” Sometimes I only amuse me.
“Anyway,” she really dragged it out, “she didn’t like living off them so she thought she could make some money modeling so she was sort of studying modeling. She spent all her free time looking at magazines and websites about modeling. She was hoping to get some work soon.”
“Do you know if she had anything lined up?” I asked.
“I don’t think so; she didn’t mention anything to me,” she said.
“Was she working someplace else?”
“You know, I’m not supposed to talk about any of this,” Rose said shyly.
“Rose, you understand why we’re here?”
“Yes, she hasn’t been heard from in a couple of weeks and Sam is worried.”
“You’re not worried?”
“I am a little, it’s not like her to not even call or something. I mean, we’re not best friends, but we check in with each other just to let the other know we are alright,” Rose said.
“Okay, did she tell you where she was going last?” I asked.
“Yeah, to work.”
“Work? She has a job?”
“Yes, that’s one of the things I wasn’t supposed to talk about. She got a job at the sports bar a few blocks from here. And as far as I know, that was the last place she was.”
“And that was over 2 weeks ago?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Okay, when did Sam come see you first?”
“I actually called him about a week ago. Like I said, it’s not like her to not call me or her parents,” Rose said.
“A week? What did you think she was doing for that week before you called?” I asked.
She looked at me funny again. “Well, could you please promise me you won’t tell her family?”
“No, I can’t promise, but it depends what we find out,” I said. “If she’s in trouble then they will need to know.”
“Yeah, you’re right. She was talking about a guy she met at work. She never gave me any details. I don’t know anything about him. Not even his name,” she said.
“You don’t know anything about him, the way he looks or something?”
“She said he was like six feet three. She was excited because since she is so tall, it’s hard for her to find someone she likes that is taller than her. She also mentioned that he has dark hair.”
“Okay, that’s something.” I reached in my pocket for one of my cards and handed it to her. “If you think of anything else, I want you to call me. Not Sam. Can you do that for me?” I said.
“But what if Sam asked me to do the same thing?” she asked.
“I will talk to him when we leave and explain that it’s in everyone’s best interest that everything should go through me. So even if she comes home, please call me first. I don’t care what time it is. I always have my cell and always answer it, so if you need anything just call.”
“Okay,” she smiled. “What if I wanted to ask you to dinner? Do I need to wait until daylight to ask you that?”
I gave her another grin. “No, you can ask me anything at any time, but just to let you know, I’m um, a bit older than you and probably going to have to turn you down because of that. I’m not a big fan of having decades of age between two people. You are surely something to look at, but after that wears off there should be something for us to talk about besides how good you look.”
“Well, if I’m going to get turned down, at least it was sort of nice,” she smiled again.