Samantha Sanderson Without a Trace (2 page)

“I'm showing he was marked absent for every class today,” Mrs. Darrington said, standing up behind her desk.

“But I dropped him off here myself.” Mrs. Lee's voice rose and her face got paler.

Mrs. Darrington turned to Sam. “Please go get Mrs. Trees.”

Sam nodded and rushed down the office's hallway. It was a rare thing for her to be in a hurry to go to the principal's office since going there usually meant she was in hot water—but not today. Not now. She was worried about Tam. Where was he?

Mrs. Trees had her keys in her hand and her purse on her shoulder as Sam barged into her office. “What is it, Sam?”

“Mrs. Darrington needs you. Tam Lee's mother is here and Tam is missing.”

The principal dropped her keys and purse onto her
desk and hurried to the front office. Sam kept at her heels, but quietly. The last thing she needed to do was draw attention to herself and be sent away. She moved to the backside of the office, where she'd been putting the flyers in the teachers' boxes.

Mrs. Darrington quickly explained the situation to Mrs. Trees in hushed tones.

“I'm positive I dropped him off at exactly seven fifty. I know because I checked the time when I saw the gate wasn't unlocked and I was worried I might be too early,” Mrs. Lee said. “I remember thinking that you were late unlocking the gate and that I might need to call the office again.”

Sam bit her lip as she eavesdropped. Mrs. Lee had touched on something that annoyed Sam's dad too. Students were not supposed to be dropped off before seven forty-five. The school didn't unlock the gate so kids could enter by the cafeteria until that time. However, there were many times the security guard didn't unlock the gate until closer to eight, or sometimes even after. Dad had complained several times about buses letting students off with the gate still locked, and that there was no place for the students to safely wait. Sam had always thought Dad was just in “cop mode” when he complained, but maybe he'd been right.

“I'll check with my staff to see exactly what time the gate was unlocked this morning, but is it possible that
Tam skipped school and is now at home waiting for you?” Mrs. Trees asked.

“No. My son doesn't skip school.” Mrs. Lee's voice sounded confident. “He never has. He doesn't have a reason to. He's a wonderful student.”

Sam silently agreed from behind the wall. Tam was one of the smartest kids she knew, and he loved school. He always had a smile and was willing to help anyone, even the bratty sixth graders.

“Besides,” Mrs. Lee said, “I've already called home, just in case. There was no answer. No answer on his cell phone either.” Her face turned even redder. “I called his father, and he hasn't heard from Tam since this morning.”

“Well, he wasn't marked present in any classes today,” Mrs. Darrington said.

“Then something happened to him this morning after I dropped him off. When you didn't have the gates unlocked on time . . .” Mrs. Lee's voice rose again. “I'm calling the police.”

Sam peeked around the wall as Mrs. Lee put a cell phone to her ear and began talking. Mrs. Trees looked at Mrs. Darrington. “Get both of the security guards in here, right now.”

As Mrs. Darrington rushed to the walkie-talkie, Mrs. Trees spied Sam. “Sam, you need to go now.”

Sam put the last of the flyers in the slots. “Yes, ma'am. I'm just about finished.”

“Now, Samantha.” No question she meant Sam was finished right now.

Sam nodded and swallowed. She grabbed her backpack from the desk, slung it over her shoulder, and moved slowly toward the door.

“The police said they'd send someone over immediately,” Mrs. Lee said, sliding her phone back into her purse.

Sam paused at the door. “I hope you find Tam soon. He's my friend,” she told Mrs. Lee, then stepped out into the open breezeway.

She bounded down the stairs just as one of the security guards approached, a graveness showing on his face. The buses were already gone, so Sam rushed to the parking lot. She drew up short for just a moment as she spied Dad's truck instead of Mom's car.

“Hey, pumpkin,” Dad said. “I was about to come looking for you. How was school?”

She tossed her backpack onto the floorboards of the backseat. “Why isn't Mom picking me up?”

“She's finishing up her last piece before vacation. The power cutting off put her a little behind schedule.” Dad reached for the keys in the ignition. “Hop in.”

“Dad, the police are on their way here right now.”

“Why? What's going on?”

Sam quickly filled him in, then ended with, “Can you please go find out what's going on? I'm scared for Tam.”

“It's not my case.” But his eyes looked weighted
down in the corners. “The sheriff's office has jurisdiction here.”

“Can't you just go in and offer support or something until they get here? Mrs. Lee was really upset.” Her own fear for Tam twisted in her stomach. “And Mrs. Trees knows you.”

He sighed, then pulled the keys from the ignition. “Just to keep everyone calm until someone from the sheriff's office gets here.”

“Thank you, Daddy.” Sam slammed the passenger door closed and had to double-step to keep up with her dad's long stride.

As she passed the gate and followed her father into the office, her mind wrapped around one question and one question only: where was Tam?

CHAPTER TWO

D
etective Sanderson,” Mrs. Trees said as they walked into the office. For once she looked relieved to see him rather than her usual look of annoyance at his presence. Which, to be honest, usually meant Sam had done something questionable.

“I don't mean to interfere, Mrs. Trees. I just thought perhaps I could assist a bit,” he said in that calm and steady voice of his. Sam loved that about her dad—he seemed to ooze confidence that made people less likely to panic around him.

“Of course. Detective Sanderson, this is Mrs. Lee.” The principal gestured to Tam's mother who sat on the bench across from the front counter.

“I understand you can't find your son,” Dad said to Tam's mother in his soothing tone as he eased onto the bench beside her. “I'm not here in an official capacity as
this isn't my jurisdiction, but I'm happy to help in any way possible.”

Mrs. Lee nodded. “I appreciate that. I can't imagine where Tam is.” She started wringing her hands, literally. Sam thought that only happened in movies or books.

Dad noticed too because he laid his hand on top of hers. “Do you have a picture of Tam? The sheriff's office will need a recent picture.”

She blinked several times. “On my phone, but I don't have a paper picture.” The panic eased back into her voice as she tapped her phone and showed him a photograph.

“It's okay. We can print one off your phone.” Dad took her cell phone and handed it to Sam, giving her a nod.

Sam was able to identify the school's printer easily enough and send the picture to print. She handed the phone back to Mrs. Lee, then pulled the picture from the printer. Her heart skipped a beat as Tam smiled up at her. Had he been safe during the bad storm?

She laid the picture on the counter and shifted to stand against the wall on the other side of the counter. Maybe if she stayed out of Mrs. Trees' direct line of sight, the principal wouldn't make her leave or wait somewhere else.

“We've sent the security officers out to look over the campus,” Mrs. Trees offered.

The office door opened, and a Pulaski County
sheriff's deputy in a brown uniform filled the space. He was tall, taller than Sam's dad, but a bit heavier. He spoke out of the corner of his mouth from under a droopy moustache. “Someone needs to fill out a missing person's report?” he asked with a voice as thick as his black hair.

Mrs. Lee nodded. “My son. He's missing.” She went back to wringing her hands.

“I see.” The deputy set his clipboard on the counter.

Dad extended his hand. “Detective Charles Sanderson, LRPD.”

“Deputy Orson Jameson.” The deputy shook his hand. “Your son?”

“No. I just happened to be here when Mrs. Lee couldn't find her son.”

Sam pinched her lips together and tried to blend into the wall beside the counter.
Please don't ask us to leave.

“I see.” The deputy looked at Mrs. Lee. “Tell me what happened.” He lifted his pen over his notebook.

“I dropped Tam off at ten before eight this morning. I'm positive about the time because I checked the clock in my car when I saw the gate wasn't unlocked yet.” Mrs. Lee threw the principal a hard look. “The gate is supposed to be open at seven forty-five, but it's hardly ever unlocked on time.”

“Now, that's not—” Mrs. Trees started.

“We'll get to you in a moment,” the deputy
interrupted. He nodded at Tam's mom. “Please, continue. You dropped him off. Did you see where he went, what he did, who he was with? Tell me everything you remember.” His tone was much softer when he talked to Tam's mom. Sam liked that.

Mrs. Lee mashed her lips together for a moment. “He got out of the car and walked toward the gate area. There were several other kids sitting on the stairs and bunched around the table there.”

“Did he join any of the other kids?” The deputy still held his pen above the notebook.

Mrs. Lee shook her head. “He leaned against the wall, on the side opposite the gate.” She looked at Deputy Jameson. “He was alone and gave me a wave as I drove off.”

“Did you recognize any of the other kids you saw there?”

“No. I couldn't even tell you how many boys or girls there were.”

“That's okay,” he said with a smile, his tone very gentle. “What was he wearing today?”

Without pausing, Mrs. Lee replied. “Jeans and his gray t-shirt with SENATORS in gold. He wears black sneakers.”

Dad handed Deputy Jameson the picture Sam had printed. “Here's a recent photograph of Tam.”

“Thanks.” The deputy looked at the picture, then slipped it into his notebook before smiling at Mrs. Lee
again. “After he leaned against the wall and waved, what happened?”

She shrugged. “I drove off, just like I always do. I went to work, then came to pick him up like every day. Except he wasn't here. He's gone.” Tears filled her eyes.

Sam blinked herself. Tam was a good guy, certainly not one who would make his mom worry like this. Where could he be?

“Have you tried calling his cell phone?” the deputy asked.

Mrs. Lee shook her head. “He leaves his phone at home on the charger. It's one of his dad's rules—no cell phone at school.”

The security guards came into the office, filling the already-crowded entryway. “No sign of anyone,” Officer Burns told Mrs. Trees. “Only kids out there are the ones who are supposed to be, and are with their coaches.”

“Tam was absent from every class today?” Deputy Jameson asked.

Mrs. Darrington nodded. “I've checked the online attendance. The teachers update in the system daily, so the records are accurate. Tam was marked absent in every single class.”

Deputy Jameson turned toward Mrs. Trees. “I noticed cameras when I came in. Do you have any pointing at the gate area?”

Mrs. Trees shook her head. “Not yet. We've ordered two more cameras, but they haven't come in.”

“Is there a teacher on duty in that area at seven forty-five?” Deputy Jameson asked.

“Not a teacher, but one of the security guards is in the cafeteria after the gate is opened, while the other is in the circle to watch children crossing the bus line.”

“What time was the gate unlocked this morning?”

Mrs. Trees looked at Officer Burns. “What time did you unlock the gate?”

He was a massive man, bigger than some of the Razorback football players that Sam had seen at the last game Dad had taken her to. Sam wasn't a big fan of the security guard, though. He could be downright rude to kids if they weren't in certain cliques. Sam's group wasn't included in his favorites.

Officer Burns shrugged. “Usual time, I suppose. Seven forty-five.”

Mrs. Lee shook her head. “No, I looked at my clock when I dropped Tam off. It was seven fifty and the gate was still locked.”

Mrs. Trees glared at Officer Burns. “Were you late again?”

He nodded, but dropped his gaze to the floor. “I guess I was a little late.”

“How late?” Deputy Jameson asked.

“Just a few minutes.” He lifted his gaze and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You were already five minutes late when I dropped off Tam,” Mrs. Lee said, her voice shaking.

“I usually am on time, but today, traffic was bad and I—”

“There've been a lot of times when the gate hasn't been unlocked on time,” Mrs. Lee said. “I've called the office several times to complain.”

Officer Burns cut a hard stare at Tam's mom.

“I've called about the same thing myself,” Dad reinforced.

“At any rate, apparently the gate was unlocked late today,” Mrs. Trees said, throwing Sam's father a hard look.

“I'm trying to determine a timeline,” the deputy explained. He looked back at Officer Burns. “As close to accurate as you can be, what time do you think you unlocked the gate?”

The security officer's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. “I was maybe ten minutes or so late.”

“Ten to fifteen minutes?” Deputy Jameson pressed.

“Maybe that.” The security officer nodded, pulling out his bandana and dabbing at his now sweaty forehead, even though it was cool enough in the office. “And kids can't leave once they come through.”

“Okay.” The deputy straightened. “So we're looking at a very short timeframe here. Between seven fifty and five after eight, that's when Tam Lee went missing. Fifteen minutes at most.”