Samantha Sanderson Without a Trace (11 page)

“Samantha!”

That got her attention. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What's wrong?”

“You girls need to get up and put on robes. The sheriff's deputies are here to talk to you both.” Mom sounded more than a little angry.

“What's going on?” Sam blinked to read the time on the clock on her bedside table. Midnight? “Is it Tam?” Had they found him?
God, please let him be okay.
She couldn't think of a single good reason to be woken up just hours after they'd gone to bed.

“Just hurry. Both of you.” Mom snapped her fingers
and pointed at Chewy. “Stay,” she commanded the dog before she shut the door behind her, plunging Sam's bedroom into darkness once again.

Sam jumped out of bed and woke Makayla, who resisted being awakened just as much, if not more, than Sam. In minutes, they were pulling fluffy robes over their pajamas and squirming into socks.

“Your mom didn't say what it was about?” Makayla whispered.

“No, but it has to be about Tam, right?” Sam whispered back, not sure why she was whispering when it was just the two of them in her room.

Makayla froze as she stood. “What if it's about my parents and sister?”

Sam's heart stuttered. Some friend she was—that it could be Makayla's family hadn't even occurred to her.

“Hurry up,” Makayla rushed her.

The sock rolled again as Sam tried to jam her foot into it. Forget it! “Come on, let's go.” Sam grabbed Mac's hand and they headed into the living room.

All three lamps were on. Mom and Dad sat side-by-side on the couch, both wearing their sweats and looks of irritation. Deputy Jameson sat in the chair across from the couch. He looked as grumpy as BabyKitty when it was time for her flea and tick treatment. Standing behind him, hovering like a creepy butler in a popular anime show, was Deputy Malone.

Everyone turned to look at them as they walked into
the room. Sam felt like she'd just stepped under a giant microscope. Makayla squeezed her hand.

“Girls, sit down.” Dad motioned to the couch beside him.

Sam sat next to him, Makayla on her other side.

“The deputy here has some interesting information about Tam.” No mistaking the hint of sarcasm in her father's voice. That wasn't good. Dad wasn't the sarcastic type. So when he resorted to it . . .

Makayla let out a long breath. Sam squeezed her hand. Her family was fine.

“We've been monitoring Tam Lee's email and texts and his social media sites,” Deputy Jameson said.

Sam's heart went freefalling to her toes. She felt Makayla go rigid beside her.

The deputy nodded. “By your expressions, I believe you've answered my question. Did one of you hack into Tam Lee's Facebook account tonight?”

Makayla gasped quietly under her breath. No way could Sam let her take the heat for this. Not when Sam had pushed her.

“Yes, sir.” Sam held up her chin, meeting the deputy's cold stare. She didn't exactly say she'd done the hacking, she just answered the question. That wasn't lying. Wasn't even really misleading. If they assumed she'd done the actual hacking, that was okay. She had a feeling they didn't care so much who actually did the deed.

“Why would you do that?” Dad interrupted to ask.

Sam glanced at her father, then her mother. “Because I was hoping there'd be some sort of private message exchange with someone that would give me a clue to where he is.” Her mom's lips were nothing more than a thin line under her nose.

“Oh, Sam.” No mistaking the disappointment in Dad's voice. A grounding was sure to come soon, but she couldn't worry about that right now.

“Anyone in particular?” Deputy Malone stepped out of the shadows and stared down at Sam.

“I, um, actually hoped to find a conversation between Tam and Jason Turner.” Sam could sense Makayla deflating beside her with every passing second.

The two deputies looked at each other, then back at her. “Why Jason Turner?” Deputy Jameson asked.

Sam shrugged. “Because his initials are J.T. like in the note.”

“I see.” Deputy Jameson pinned her with a look that sent the hairs on the back of Sam's neck to full attention. “And that's why you didn't respond when contacted to chat?”

“That was you?” Makayla blurted out.

Deputy Jameson nodded. “We've had Tam's accounts under constant monitoring. As soon as someone was in his account, we began tracking it.” He glared at Sam. “Imagine my surprise when the IP trace led me here, where a detective lives.”

Dad shifted on the couch beside Sam. Oh, yeah. No question about it, she was in the doghouse for sure.

“So you can be assured that Tam isn't hiding out here.” Dad's voice was back to being calm and steady, but Sam could hear the hint of irritation in his voice.

“I'm sure.” Deputy Jameson flipped his stare from Sam to Makayla, back to Sam, then Makayla again. “I would think the child of a detective would know that hacking into someone else's account is illegal, as is interfering with a police investigation.”

Sam could feel both her father and Makayla stiffening. “I'm really sorry,” Sam started. “I just felt like maybe I could help in some way.”

“As if we are incapable of doing our jobs, and a seventh grader could do it better?” Deputy Jameson asked.

“You hadn't issued an AMBER Alert. You treated it more like Tam was a runaway, even though everyone told you he wasn't.” Sam's hands shook. She curled them into balls and set them in her lap.

“There are many ways an investigation is run, and I'm not inclined to discuss my methods with a kid.” No mistaking the irritation in his voice now.

“She understands that, Deputy, but you can clearly see how it looks to those outside law enforcement, not just children,” Sam's mother said, using her interview voice.

Sam wanted to air fist through the living room, but
thought better of it. Dad was already annoyed with her and, truth be told, he had every right to be.

“I think we've taken enough of your time,” Deputy Malone said.

Sam's parents stood.

Deputy Malone held his hand out to Sam's father. “Thank you for helping us clear up this matter.” He nodded at Sam's mother.

Deputy Jameson didn't say anything, just turned and marched to the front door.

Sam's mom locked the front door behind them then faced the girls.

“Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. Really. I just thought maybe they hadn't thought to look through Tam's Facebook closely because they thought he was a runaway. Well, until the message board thing came up.”

“Mr. Sanderson, I'm the one who actually did the hacking,” Makayla said.

“I figured, but we know who pushed you to do it.”

“Dad, I'm just worried about my friend and trying to help figure out what happened to him.”

“Sam.” Dad's tone left no room for argument. “You know better. We'll discuss your behavior and the consequences tomorrow. Right now, you girls get to bed. You have school in the morning.”

“Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

“Goodnight, girls,” Sam's mom called after them.

Sam shut her bedroom door and tossed her robe
onto the back of her desk chair. “I'm sorry, Mac.” Her dad was already mad at her, she certainly didn't want her bestie upset with her too. She bent to pet Chewy, whose whole body was wiggling.

“No, it's okay. I knew it was wrong but did it anyway.” Makayla shrugged. “I'm just glad to know the pop-up chat was the police.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Sam waited until Makayla had gotten situated before she turned off the light. “But I'm sorry for getting you involved. Dad's going to give it to me tomorrow, that's for sure. I'll probably be grounded.”

“You know what, Sam?”

Sam yawned. “What?”

“Well, just wait until he sees your post in the morning. That'll really upset him.”

Oh, boy.

CHAPTER TWELVE

S
amantha!
” Aubrey's shrill voice rose above the normal sounds of the kids in the cafeteria before school on Friday.

Sam gritted her teeth and turned to face the she-beast, as Lana liked to call her. “Yes, Aubrey?”

“Ms. Pape and Mrs. Trees want to see you in the office. Right now.” By her gleeful tone and expression, Sam was sure they weren't happy with her.

“On my way.” Sam turned to Makayla. “I'll talk to you later. Keep your ears open in case someone mentions Tam.” She rushed to the office, then stood outside for a moment to slow her breathing. She let out a long breath, then pulled open the door.

“Ah, Sam. Mrs. Trees said to send you right back to her office,” Mrs. Darrington said.

Sam nodded and headed down the hallway. It had
to be about her article, but really, it wasn't so bad. She hadn't mentioned the note, nor had she mentioned anyone by name or even initials. She'd kept to the facts. Really, there wasn't much they could get upset with her about.

She knocked on the principal's door, then pushed it open when Mrs. Trees said, “Come in.”

“You wanted to see me?” Sam asked, trying to smile at Ms. Pape, who wouldn't meet Sam's eye.

“Sit down, please, Sam,” Mrs. Trees said.

It was only then that she noticed a girl sitting in a chair almost in the corner.

“This is Darby French, Sam. She's most upset, you see.” Mrs. Trees looked at the girl, who had clearly been crying. “Why don't you explain, Darby?”

“Look, I know you know I was supposed to meet with Tam the day he disappeared because Marcus told me that he told you.” Darby French sounded angry.

“Um, okay.” Sam didn't see her point.

“So why would you post that article? I've already told the police everything I know, and you know it. Marcus said you called him and he told you everything.” Darby's bottom lip protruded a little. If she wasn't pouting, she was missing a perfect opportunity.

“You think the article was about you?” Sam shook her head.

“Who else could it be about? Everybody keeps telling me I need to come clean, but I already have.”

“Darby, the meeting I mentioned wasn't about you at all,” Sam said.

“Then who?” Mrs. Trees asked.

Uh-oh. Now she had to tell the principal she'd been referring to the note, and Mrs. Trees was apt to, as Makayla put it, have a hissy fit.

“Well, Sam, if you weren't referring to Darby, what were you referring to?” Mrs. Trees probed.

“I have it on good authority that it's possible Tam had something else planned the morning he disappeared.” There, she could say that much.

“You're sure you weren't implying me?” Darby asked.

“I'm positive.”

“Darby, go on back to the cafeteria now,” Mrs. Trees said.

“Yes, ma'am. Thank you.” Darby shot Sam a quick look before disappearing out of the office.

“Okay, Sam, tell me what you meant,” Mrs. Trees said.

Well, the principal would find out eventually. “I was referring to the note found in Tam's locker.”

“What note?” Ms. Pape sat up straight in her chair.

“Yes, Sam, what note?” Mrs. Trees asked, but her eyes reflected that she knew exactly what note Sam was talking about. Was she asking to see if Sam would lie to her? Sam had never lied to Mrs. Trees.

Misled, possibly. Avoided answering, most definitely.

“Sam?” The principal wasn't going to let her slip out of this one.

“The note found in Tam's locker. The one that said everything was set for in the morning. The note signed by someone named J.T.” Sam blurted it all out so fast that her words almost tumbled on top of each other.

“How do you know about the note?” Mrs. Trees asked.

“I saw it. It was lying on the table in the conference room before Deputy Jameson picked it up.”

“You were snooping?” Mrs. Trees took off her reading glasses and set them on her desk.

“It was lying on the table, right out in the open. I didn't go looking for it.” True. She was already where it was, she'd just had to work to get a better view of it. “It wasn't like I was digging through drawers or something.”

“Because it was lying in the office, you thought it would be okay to read and use the information as you saw fit?” Clearly, the principal was not amused.

“I just . . .” Sam shook her head. “I'm sorry, Mrs. Trees. I saw the note, couldn't help but read it, and since I'm worried about Tam, I posted the article. I thought it would be okay because I don't actually mention the note itself, or who it's signed by. I wasn't revealing anything that would hinder the investigation in any way.” She let out a breath.

Everything she'd said was true. This was probably the first time she'd gone out of her way to keep so many facts secret. Usually she posted everything in her
articles, but this time . . . well, she was more worried about Tam than anything else.

Mrs. Trees stared at her. Sam remained silent, holding the principal's gaze. She'd done the best she could, but she couldn't help thinking if the police had acted faster . . .

The tardy bell rang loudly, signaling the beginning of the school day.

“I can appreciate your concerns for your friend, Sam, and I do appreciate how you didn't actually mention the note or the name.” Mrs. Trees lifted her reading glasses and tapped the end of the earpiece against her chin. “Ms. Pape, what are your thoughts?”

Ms. Pape visibly jumped in her seat. “What?”

“Your thoughts?”

“Oh. Well, I believe that Sam, acting as a journalist, used the information she believed to be reliable. She used it in a manner that didn't reveal too much, nor did she mislead the public. She requested anyone with information to contact the authorities. In my opinion, her intent was clear and she should be commended for her reporting.”