So he took a seat once more and waited. The police said they should have a match on a fingerprint found on the door to the changing room. If the guy had a record, they could get his name. Only a few more minutes, he told himself. The results were said to be in at 4.
No sooner had he started pacing again when Sergeant Mills opened the door. He glanced around at his sleeping friends, and motioned for Brian to come into his office. Brian was about to follow him, when he glanced at Sara. So he walked back to her and shook her awake.
"Sara...wake up," he whispered. She opened her eyes and looked around, and then slowly pulled herself up.
"The results?" She asked dazily.
"Yeah...come on," he pulled her up and helped her into the office. Mills shut the door behind them, and all three sat down in chairs.
"I'm going to show you this computer screen, and I want you to tell me if this is the man," Mills said, looking directly at Sara.
"Okay..." She said. She took ahold of Brian's hand. They looked at eachother as Mills turned the monitor around. Sara looked at the screen. Michael Jefferson, it said. His mug shot was right below his name. Sara's breath caught in her throat and she squeezed Brian's hand harder. Brian got the hint.
"That's him," he said.
"Good, that's a start. We have his last known address here, 22 Millow Lane. We've sent some guys out to it to check....although I think I should warn you....the chances of him being there are very slim."
"He wouldn't have taken her there," Sara spoke up, "he would have known cops would be all over it."
"That's why I warn you that the odds are against us," Mills answered.
"Is there anything else? Any more leads?" Brian asked, rubbing his bloodshot eyes.
"I'm sorry sir...I'll get an APB out of his description, since you ID'd him....and after that we wait."
"We wait? And what....Kate just waits, too? Do you have any idea what that man could be doing to her?" Brian shouted, jumping out of his seat. Sara covered her face. "We have to do more....you have to go to his mother, his brother, his sister, his father...go to his uncle for all I care....he must have told SOMEBODY..."
"Sir, if you'd please sit. We're doing everything we can. We've gone over the dressing room fifty times....he has no relatives, save for a second cousin out in Pheonix, Arizona. There is nothing more we can do - "
"The HELL there isn't...if I were in that uniform I'd go over the dressing room fifty THOUSAND times! I'd strap that jerkoff cousin into a chair and drill him myself for a week! I'd...I'd...find my baby..." Brian collapsed to his knees on the floor, and shoved his head into his hands. "Oh God just find my baby..." he whispered, so soft no one could hear it.
Nick came in and pulled Brian into the waiting room, and Brian cried into his shoulder. Casey and Sara took a seat across the room. Casey put her arm around Sara, and the two girls had tears in their eyes.
"You know I had a dream last night," Casey said. Sara didn't anwser. "Remember last year when we stayed up all night to watch Titanic?"
Sara laughed. "God Kate hated that movie...she only watched it for you."
"Yeah I know....she kept laughing at the romance parts. But I saw her cry once..."
"So did I...I didn't tell her though, she would have died."
"I know...and my dream...me and you were watching the movie but Kate wasn't there. And I never realized how pathetically stupid it is....unless you have someone to make fun of it."
Sara laughed again, but it was a hurt laugh, and in the middle of it she buried her face into Casey's shoulder and sobbed. Casey tried to comfort her, but her own eyes were filling up with tears.
On the other side of the room, Brian picked up his head and wiped at his eyes.
"You okay, Bri?" Nick asked him.
"No," Brian whispered. "Where's the phone? I have to call someone."
"Use my cell," Nick said, handing it to him.
Brian grabbed it and walked outside where he could be alone. It was cold out there, but he hardly noticed. He dialed Kevin's number.
"Hello?" Kevin answered.
"Hey Kev, it's me."
"Oh hey...how you holding up?"
"Not too good."
"I was just on my way down with D and Bone."
"You don't have to....I'm about to leave, anyway."
"You need a ride?"
"No. I just need to talk to you for a minute. Cuz as much as Nick's my best friend, you're my cousin."
"I understand....what's on your mind?"
"Do you think she's dead, Kev?"
There was a pause. On the other end, Kevin took a seat on his couch. "I'm not going to lie to you, Bri...the truth is....I'm not sure."
"What does your gut tell you?"
"No."
"Mine to. And then I think if she IS alive....what is he doing to her?"
"You can't think like that, B....it'll tear you apart if you do."
Brian sat down on the cement steps. "It's tearing me apart, anyways. To think she's anywhere but with me....oh God, Kevin....what am I going to do if something happens to her?"
"NOTHING is going to happen to her. Look, I don't want you driving. I'll be down to pick you up, OK?"
"No...I got Nick and Sara's car here, either one of them can give me a ride, and then Casey could drive mine home."
"OK....but promise me you won't drive."
"I promise. Bye."
"Bye." Kevin hung up the phone and stared at it. He wiped at his wet eyes, and hung his head down to his chest. God, I miss her, he thought.
At the station, Brian hung up the phone and stood up. He turned around to find Casey standing there. "Hey," he said softly.
"Hey," she answered. And they both stood there, not really knowing what else to say. until finally: "I have to tell you something, Brian."
"Okay..."
Casey rubbed her hands together. "Jeez it's cold out here," she said, but she shook her head when Brian offered her his jacket. "Alright, look....I know Sara thinks Kate never talked to me about Michael....but that's not true. See, the thing is she ALWAYS talked about him to me. Even more so than Sara....I don't know why. I guess in some way she thought Sara would be dissapointed."
Brian raised his eyebrows. "Dissapointed at what?"
"Everything he had done to her. More than what Sara told you. More than what Sara even knows."
"I don't understand?"
"She didn't tell Sara half the stuff he did to her. But she told me. There were many a sleepless night when she'd come in my room and tell me everything."
"Tell you...what? What else was there?"
"Stuff you shouldn't know about. But there's something else."
"What?"
Casey glanced toward the door, and then back to Brian. "Where he took her." She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Brian. "It's a letter she wrote to me about a year ago. I was in Europe when it first started. Read it. And then go find her."
Casey hugged him, and he hugged her back, clutching the letter in his hand. She pulled away and wiped tears from her eyes. "I'll tell them where you're going," She whispered, and he nodded.
She walked inside, and he was left alone. He sat down again and unfolded the letter.
Case -
It's been so long - too long. Don't they have phones in Europe? You better have a good excuse...me and Sara are waiting!
Look...there's something I need to tell you and I haven't told Sara yet. I'm telling you in confidence, please please please burn this letter after you read it. You know that man I told you about? The one I met at that concert? His name was Michael. Well something's wrong and I don't know what to do....God I wish you were here, Case - my life is falling apart.
It's so horribly lonely here when Sara's at work...sometimes he drops by. By 'dropping by' I mean he's drunk to the max and ready for some action. At first I told him no. But then when Sara got home she asked me where the bruise had come from. Are you following me? The bruise isn't it...
I don't know how to tell you this, and I hope you're sitting down. Casey, I'm pregnant. Please don't crumple up the letter....don't throw it in the trash....I know I'm a horrible friend. Maybe I should have fought harder when he threw me on the bed....or maybe I could have told Sara about what he was doing....all I know is that now I'm carrying the child of a man that I hate more than life itself. But you know how I feel about abortion - what am I supposed to do?
I know the day. He took me to a Motel 84 (the one on route 6) when we were on our way to Disneyland. Then he left me, and I was forced to call Sara for a ride. She saw the bruises, but I convinced her it was the first and last time, and she put off going to the police. She doesn't know I'm pregnant.
Oh God, Casey - I don't know what to do and I pray you'll come home and help me.
Love you -
Kate
Brian refolded the letter and placed it in his pocket. Tears were falling down his face, but he payed no attention to them. He got in his car, and started driving to Motel 84, forgetting about his promise to Kevin.
