Chapter 3: Ghost from the Past

A knock on the bedroom door woke up Sarah. “Sarah? Are you awake? I brought coffee.” It was the sweet voice of Tanya.

Sarah was dizzy due to lack of sleep. She had barely managed a wink before it was morning. She dragged herself from bed and flung open the door.

There stood Tanya. Her eyes were full of sympathy, and there was a mug in her hand. “Hey,” she murmured and passed the mug to Sarah. “I thought you might need one,” she said.

Sarah gladly accepted the mug and breathed in the strong aroma. “Thanks,” she muttered. “How did you get in?” She suddenly blurted out in alarm.

“Oh, Jinx was here. He let me in.” She looked at her swollen eyes and asked, “Did you manage to get some sleep last night?”

Sarah shook her head. “No. Couldn’t. Kept thinking about Mark.”

Tanya squeezed her hand in a tender gesture. “We will get to the bottom of this, okay? I have already filled out the missing person report. Detective Sandra Johnson will be here soon. She is amazing, and I am sure she will help us.”

Sarah nodded at her. She knew Tanya’s father had some connections. Tanya was doing everything in her power to help. She felt grateful to her best friend.

The aroma of cooking bacon drifted up from the kitchen downstairs, accompanied by the ringing of pots and pans. “What is happening downstairs?” Sarah asked.

Tanya smiled, “It’s Jinx. He is preparing food.”

Sarah’s eyes grew wide at this. “Yeah, that little freak.” She believed Jinx could not be trusted for certain. She reminded herself to get the house keys from him immediately.

Tanya nodded. “I realize he’s not your favorite person, but he is just a lonely boy trying hard to please. And honestly, I could use a decent breakfast for a change.”

Sarah sighed heavily. “Okay. Let’s see what culinary wonders Jinx is working on.”

They followed the smell of the food and arrived in the kitchen. Jinx was moving around frantically. He was cooking pancakes and scrambled eggs with impressively proficient motions.

Jinx greeted them with a sheepish smile. “Morning, ladies,” he started. “Hope you’re starving. I have cooked enough to feed an army.”

“Smells terrific, Jinx.” Tanya gave him a warm smile. She pushed Sarah towards the table and took her seat.

Sarah eyed Jinx suspiciously as he dished up towering piles of pancakes. He also served crunchy bacon and soft scrambled eggs to go along. It all smelled wonderful. Sarah could not help but admire his skills.

They started eating soon. Jinx began boasting about his most recent skateboarding exploits. He was trying to lighten the mood with self-deprecating jokes. The more he tried, the more Sarah felt irritated at him. She thought he was trying to make Tanya laugh with his silly tricks. Tanya was enjoying his attention and his stupid jokes.

Sarah watched their interactions suspiciously. She was sure what game Jinx was playing. As Tanya has pointed out, he was too eager to please. Almost desperate. Maybe she was thinking too much. Perhaps he was just a troubled teenager looking for acceptance. She might have felt sympathy for him, but only if he could keep his wandering eyes under check. Even now, his eyes were glued to Tanya’s large breasts.

“Jinx,” Sarah cut into his tales. “How did you end up with my house keys?”

Jinx hesitated while chewing on his pancakes. “Oh, uh ... I have always had them. Boss made a spare one for me.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “I see. And when was that, exactly? Because I don’t recall Mark ever telling me about this.”

He shifted in his seat. “I ... uh ... Silly me. I don’t know when it was. Maybe a couple of months ago. I have been taking care of chores even when neither of you were at home. A little bit of maintenance around the house and garden ... yes, lawn and garden ... and pool...

Sarah wasn’t buying it. She could tell that Jinx was hiding something. “Stop lying...”

The ringing of the doorbell stopped her from questioning Jinx. She attempted to smooth out her pajamas and walked towards the door.

There stood a tall woman facing her. She was dressed in a clean suit. Her blonde hair pulled back into a bun. She had the shades on and meant business as she flashed her badge. “Detective Sandra Johnson, ma’am. I’m here to ask you some questions regarding your husband’s disappearance.”

This was it. The moment of truth. She moved out of the way and allowed the detective into her house. “Come on in,” she whispered.

As she led Detective Johnson inside the house, she realized that her life was about to change irreversibly from here on. The ideal facade of her happy life was about to shatter. Her illusion of stability was about to be broken for good.

Sandra gathered everyone in the living room. “Mrs. Thompson,” she started. “I would appreciate it if you cooperated with us. Do you have any idea where your husband is? Have you seen anything unusual going on in his life recently?”

Sarah swallowed hard. She glanced over at Tanya for support. To her surprise, her best friend was shaking her head. There was a look of disappointment in her eyes. Sarah felt confused.

Sarah started slowly. “I don’t know where Mark is. He seemed distracted and preoccupied, but nothing was alarming about it.”

Tanya cleared her throat loudly. “Sarah? Honey, you need to be honest with us. We are your friends and want to help you.”

Tanya then spoke to Detective Johnson. “I think Sarah’s been keeping some secrets.”

She then looked at Sarah and asked, “Am I right, dear?”

Sarah felt like Tanya had slapped her. That goody two shoes was at it again. She felt betrayed by her very best friend. How could Tanya do that to her?

Detective Sandra noticed Sarah’s obvious defensive stance. She shifted her tactics. She pulled out a small notebook and pen. “Let’s start from the basics, Sarah. Tell me about your husband. What is his full name and birth date?”

“Mark Elliot Thompson,” Sarah recited. “He was born on April 12th, twenty-eight years ago.”.

Sandra’s pen stalled in mid-air. She looked at Sarah in surprise. “Mark Thompson? The former firefighter?” She examined Sarah closely for any signs of dishonesty.

Sarah swallowed hard. “Yes, that’s him. He worked for the city fire department but left after an accident three years ago. He has some awful scars on his back due to the fire burns.”

Detective Johnson was already typing away at her phone with furrowed brows. When she looked up, her eyes had pity in them. “I am well aware of that incident. Let me verify something before we talk about Mark. In the meantime, there is another person here that I need to talk to.”

Jinx panicked, wriggling uncomfortably in his seat as Sandra looked at him. “Long time, no see, Jinx. Now cut to the chase and get on with it. Why are you here?”

Jinx was unsure how to proceed. He trusted his boss and followed his guidance. “Well, you see ... I work for Mark. He pays me cash and teaches me life skills.”

“Interesting. Is that why I haven’t seen you getting in trouble?” Sandra asked with curiosity.

Jinx smiled and tried to keep quiet. It did not work though.

Sandra was relentless. She grilled Jinx on ... well, everything. What type of errands did he run for Mark? What did Mark teach him? How much did Mark pay him? The questions were endless.