Sally Singletary's Curiosity (The Sally Singletary Book 1) (7 page)

Another thought occurred to her. Could it be Yasif had an interest in her? Had he been dropping hints and she just hadn’t noticed? The idea of something romantic between them seemed so…odd. They were good friends, and she didn’t want anything to jeopardize that.

Besides, they couldn’t afford to entertain the idea of romantic involvement right now, not with everything that was happening. They needed to stay focused on the task at hand. If it came down to it, she would just have to tell him that things needed to stay professional between them. With graduation coming up, they had far more important things to focus on.

Was it even something she’d consider? Before now she’d have said no, but the thought of not seeing him after she went off to college actually made her stop and think. How did she feel about him?

She cared for him, but it was nothing more than friends, right? Yes, she decided. They were just friends. This investigation was what they should be focusing on, not some silly relationship that had no chance of long-term success. She would set the record straight between them and then they could both move on with their lives.

She nodded resolutely and made her way into the hotel, her mind lost in thought as she rode the elevator. She rehearsed what she’d say once she arrived. She was so distracted when she opened the hotel room door she barely registered the two men standing inside.

“Good evening, Miss Singletary,” one of the men in the room addressed her.

Yasif sat on the bed with his hands on his lap, a look of intense fear on his face. She recognized them. They were the guys she’d seen at the diner. Had they been following her?

The man who’d addressed her held out a business card printed on clear plastic. “I’m Agent Dawkins with Division 51, and we’d like to ask you a few questions.”

JAKE WALKED ALONG THE SIDEWALK,
squinting into the setting sun, his stomach stretched from the fries—it had been so long since he had eaten so much in one sitting. Even with it being so late in the evening, the sun felt warm, comforting—much more welcoming than the cold darkness of his home.

He ambled along in no particular hurry, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his baggy jeans—they had fit him once, back before he had let his life spin out of control.

He thought about what Sally and Yasif had said to him. What was it that bothered him the most? The fact the two had discovered his secret, or the fact they hadn’t cared? He’d been broken for so long, convinced by his father that something was wrong with him, that he was somehow obscene because of whom he cared for. He’d expected a similar reaction from Sally and Yasif, but when they’d figured it out, they hadn’t even batted an eye. It was as if it didn’t matter to them that he had a relationship with Daniel.

It had been so long since he’d even thought about the evening he and Daniel had spent together. There were those rare times when he allowed himself to fantasize about what might have happened had Daniel’s parents not found out. The guilt that followed, however, was often too much for him to bear. He didn’t even know what’d happened to Daniel after their last encounter.

His vision blurred with tears and his chest heaved as he was filled with emotions he’d buried in a haze of alcohol and drugs. The sob that escaped sounded more like a cough. He cleared his throat, wiped his eyes, and glanced around to make sure no one was nearby.

Before he’d realized what had happened, he found himself in the lobby of Sally and Yasif’s hotel. He glanced around, wondering why he was there. Confused, he headed straight for the nearest bathroom so as not to draw attention.

Inside, he stared at the haunted face in the mirror. He used to be a good-looking guy, by most standards—not that he ever really felt that way about himself, but he was certainly better looking than what stared back at him now. He couldn’t look away. It was though something wanted him to burn this image into his memory, to force him to realize what the past two years had done to him. Was this why he was there? The hope of new friends, new possibilities, a reunion with the person he’d once cared for?

He turned off the water and then dried his face. There had to be some way to make up for his past, make things right. If anything, he had to at least try. Sally and Yasif offered purpose, something he could do other than wallow in self-pity. He took a deep breath, took one last look at himself in the mirror, then headed to room 247.

LANI TANAKA SAT
in the cafeteria of Hidden Lake Preparatory School, watching as awkward teens crossed the commons in tight groups. It was odd to Lani. This was so different from a Boston public school.

She was perplexed. Never before had she been so baffled by a story. Three kids disappearing? Sure, it wasn’t exactly unheard-of news, but the circumstances around the disappearances just didn’t add up. She’d already interviewed several students, and it was clear the teacher, Mrs. Conley, was not well-liked. Despite the growing consensus she’d abducted the boys, something felt off; there wasn’t a shred of evidence. In fact, there wasn’t even a shred of evidence to support the disappearance itself. No one saw them leave their rooms and the security cameras seemed to have completely missed their escape. The only eyewitness was a guard who happened to see them bolt into the library just before they’d vanished.

It was being called a missing persons case with inconclusive circumstances. Such fancy words for, “We don’t know what the hell’s going on.” Of course Lani had no better answers than the police. She’d already spoken to every employee at the school—including the janitors—and interviewed every student she thought might have had a connection to the three boys, but had turned up nothing. All she could do now was interview some of the less obvious choices.

Where to start? The school wasn’t big, but three hundred and fifty kids was still a lot of people to sift through.

“Are we gonna be shootin’ today?” her cameraman asked, blundering over to the table. He hadn’t bothered to shave, and Lani could swear it wasn’t the only matter of personal hygiene he’d neglected. She kept him around because he was a whiz with lighting and camera angles and always managed to make her look good on screen.

“No, Oliver, I don’t think so,” she answered, taking a sip from her coffee.

The guy smiled and ambled toward the dessert case. Lani rolled her eyes to herself, then glanced up at the news feed up on the Hi-Li screen.

It was impressive, the integration of the social feeds and news sources, all providing up-to-the-second information and firsthand accounts. It was an accomplishment. How long before it was bought out by one of the major news outlets?

That was when it hit her. Damn! I must really be getting old! The kids who ran the Hi-Li might at least have some useful information; these kids were bright. She had dismissed them solely out of pride. Spotting a small mousy-looking boy walking by she called out, “Hey, kid!”

He stopped and stared at her, his green eyes wide with fear. He was a pale kid, his face dotted with freckles, his hair dark and curly.

“Who runs the news feed?” She pointed at the screen.

The boy stammered. He was young. Fourteen? Fifteen, at the most. It didn’t help that he wore a baggy blue-collared shirt and oversized jeans. “I…I…I think it’s some girl named Sally.”

Lani brought her mug to her lips. “You don’t know her last name?”

He shook his head, his eyes shifting nervously. “She’s a senior,” he said as though that explained everything.

“Thanks, kid.”

He didn’t walk, he ran from her as though she’d suddenly burst into flames.

Lani sipped her coffee. “Sally, huh?” She retrieved the student list the headmistress had given her. There were three Sallys in the school. Only one was a senior.

Lani smiled. “Sally Singletary, let’s see just how good a reporter you really are.”

EVENING LIGHT STREAMED THROUGH
the sliding glass door at the opposite end of the hotel room framing the two men, making it difficult for her to get a good look at them. One of them had handed her a business card printed on clear plastic. The embossed logo was unfamiliar, a shield with the number fifty-one imprinted on it.

“Division 51,” the man repeated as though he thought her incapable of reading it for herself.

“Never heard of it,” she replied, giving him her best nonchalant expression.

The man’s partner snorted a laugh. “Wouldn’t think so.” Sally immediately didn’t like the man. Even with his boyish face and southern accent, he seemed cocky and arrogant.

“It’s not important who we are, Miss Singletary,” Agent Dawkins continued. His accent was more difficult to place. Miami? California? “We’re here because we believe you know something, which may be helpful in our investigation.”

“How did you know we were here?” Yasif asked.

The second man turned toward him. “That information is classified.”

“My partner—Agent Thompson—and I are investigating the disappearances at your school. We are not permitted to share the details, but I can assure you it could be very dangerous for a lot of people if we don’t find what we need.” Dawkins paused as if trying to sum up her reaction. “Do you have any knowledge of the disappearances, Miss Singletary?”

The sunglasses annoyed her. She couldn’t see his eyes and couldn’t get a sense for whether he was pulling her leg or not. They couldn’t know what she’d seen. She hadn’t told anyone, except Yasif. “What gave you the impression we know anything about that?”

“We know a great deal about you, Miss Singletary,” Agent Dawkins said. “We know you are seventeen years old, are the chief editor of your school’s newspaper, and are friends with the boys who disappeared.”

Sally held her gaze. It had only been a couple days since the disappearances. How could these guys know so much already? Something fishy was definitely going on. “I’m sorry you came all this way. We came down here to visit a friend. I heard about the disappearances, but I don’t know anything that would help you.”

“Are you sure, Miss Singletary? We could really use your help here.” Agent Dawkins’ voice was sincere enough, but she caught movement from behind the dark lenses. It was almost as though he were reading something. Her eyebrow went up slightly as she examined them more closely. Little things were out of place. Their suits were tailor made, the lapels smaller, the material unfamiliar. They were more like uniforms than something off-the-rack. There were other small details as well—a button that didn’t quite match the others. Hidden camera? Microphone under the lapel? How much tech did these guys have? Even the dark glasses weren’t normal, the temples thicker than she’d expect. Heads up display? These guys were definitely packing some major surveillance gear. She was mad at herself for not noticing it sooner.

Uneasiness worked its way into the pit of her stomach. Division 51? She couldn’t help but think of Area 51, but these guys had to be NSA, or Homeland. She didn’t need to see his eyes to know they were not to be trusted.

“I’ve already told you. I don’t know anything. We came down here to visit a friend.” She held his gaze, giving him no reason to doubt her statement.

The man’s eyes shifted again underneath his glasses. She imagined the amount of personal information that must be scrolling past his vision. He was probably looking for something he could use as leverage. Sally knew they wouldn’t be able to fool these guys for long. If they were going to stay ahead of them, she and Yasif would have to start finding some answers quickly.

Agent Dawkins seemed to have come up empty. He held out his hand. It was cold when she took it in hers and shook it. “Please call us if you find out anything.”

“I will,” she lied with a smile.

The man nodded and made his way to the door, followed by his partner. He stopped just before leaving and turned to her once more. “Oh, one more thing, Miss Singletary. Should you find yourself in possession of information relevant to this case and you neglect to share that information with us, we will have no choice but to charge you for withholding information in an federal investigation.” He smiled. “Good day, Miss Singletary.

“What the hell was that all about?” Yasif asked as the door closed.

“Dunno,” she replied.

A few moments later, a knock startled her. Eyes wide, she glanced back at Yasif. He shrugged. Were they back again? Had they found something she’d withheld already? She reached for the handle nervously and opened it.

“Jake!” She was definitely surprised to see him.

“Those guys friends of yours?” He pointed back down the hall with his thumb.

“Long story,” she replied. “Look, we’re gonna have to head back sooner than we thought. Did you need something?”

Jake hesitated, glancing at Yasif, then back at her. “I, uh… I just wanted to…” He took a breath. “Can I come in?”

Sally let him in and closed the door.

“I know that I probably don’t have anything you need.” He talked with his hands, but stared at the floor. “I just want to do something to help…anything.”

“There’s really not much you can do right now, Jake,” she replied.

“Unless you’re some master programmer who can prevent government agents from hacking our server,” Yasif said, somewhat flippantly.

Both she and Jake looked at him, curious.

Yasif explained. “With as much tech as those guys had on, we’re gonna need to set up more security if they start investigating the Hi-Li.”

“You noticed that too?” Sally asked.

Yasif nodded. At least he wasn’t still angry with her. She needed to apologize, but felt odd with Jake in the room.

“I’m pretty good with computers,” Jake said.

Yasif scoffed, “Yeah, I doubt that.”

Jake frowned. “My dad is part owner of a telecommunications company that installs all kinds of computer equipment. I know my way around some pretty impressive machines, but I’m not sure I understand what it is you need.”

Sally was hesitant to give him details, but if there was a chance he could help… “Those guys were government agents for something called Division 51.” She showed him the card.