Chapter 2

I called my sister, Elizabeth. Her voice sounded strained when she said, "Hello."

"Beth, it's Shirley. What's wrong?"

She said, "It's Todd. He's missing. His clothes aren't gone nor his phone nor keys nor anything except Todd. The doors to the house were still locked. I don't know what to do."

I said, "Shit! I'm calling because Nat called me. Brian is gone, too. His room was locked from the inside but he was gone. Nat called the police. They can't find any evidence of foul play. He just vanished from his room."

Beth said, "I'm officially worried now. I'm going to call the police though don't know what they might do. Isn't there some kind of forty-eight hour rule?"

I said, "He just vanished. They should be willing to check things out." We got off the phone.

She called me back in an hour. "I talked to the police and they came out. They had no ideas but are worried because he left everything. They see it as a missing person case though they don't know what happened." She paused.

"Beth, I'm scared. May I come over?"

"No, Sis. I will come over so we can worry together. I will leave a note for Todd."

Half an hour later, she was with me at Brian's apartment. Neither of us knew what to do. Brian was too steady a guy to vanish without leaving a note or something if he could. Todd didn't, in my opinion, have the type of personality to vanish without notice either. He would want drama and a "noble" reason.

We spent the afternoon together and enjoyed a good time. It reminded me of our times before Beth and Todd met. Todd had problems with me and with Brian in particular. We didn't totally agree with his religious views and Todd made it clear that we had to choose his way or the highway. Brian had chosen the highway. I avoided Todd so hadn't had a clash with him thus far. Beth had been patient for the four years of their courtship and marriage. Her separation from Brian had been painful for her. My sister was a logical person and her husband's reaction to Brian hadn't impressed her. It hadn't impressed me either.

We called our mother and, after talking about it, our father. Neither of them had heard from Brian. Beth called Todd's parents. They told her to come to their house for a prayer vigil. Beth was polite at first until Mister Moore told her it was required. Beth had put the call on speaker. She said, "Mister Moore, that tone doesn't work with me. I have contacted the police and left a note for Todd should he return to our house." I noticed that she never called it a home. "They admit that it's a mystery. I have called you and that is all I need to do. I am staying with my younger sister since our brother is missing under mysterious circumstances, too."

He responded, "Elizabeth, you need to engage in prayer with believers. Your brother and sister are sinners in need of salvation."

I had to bite my tongue. Beth said, "Mister Moore, that was not only lacking in compassion but distinctly failed to persuade me. Shirley is right here with me. We will stay together. Good bye. I will call if there are any developments."

She hung up. She said, "Now, you know where Todd gets it. I didn't tell the police but we had been tense for a while. His attitude toward you and Brian is not going to fly. I gave him an ultimatum two days ago. I told him that we could wind up divorced."

I had to say it. "I don't guess he liked that bit of information."

"No, he didn't. He said that he wouldn't permit it and I informed him that he couldn't stop me in Tennessee. I have talked to a lawyer from the education association. He told me that a "no fault" can't be stopped by the defendant.

"Shirley, he wasn't like this until after we had been married about half a year. Since then, he's grown progressively more unbending and unreasonable. He's been wanting me pregnant. I have two sets of pills because I don't quite trust him. One is where he knows they are located. The real ones, I keep hidden. I don't want to check the fakes because, if I found he was switching them, I would be way beyond angry. That would be the last straw. We can't afford for me to be out of work anyway. Todd's job doesn't pay well enough."

She paused. "Shirley, what are you going to do if Brian doesn't come back?"

"I was waiting for him to return from vacation before telling you both. I got the fellowship! I could become a r. a. to cover the rest. I have an offer to do that though the interview was not fun. I wanted to talk to Brian. I think having his little sister living with him is stunting any romantic possibilities for him. It wasn't doing me any good in that regard either." I grinned. "I will miss having him give my dates a once over. He has kept me away from some real disasters when I let him."

Beth said, "I can imagine. He tried to keep me from dating Todd. I have to admit that he may have been right." She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "What are we going to do if Brian doesn't reappear?"