Vanished (3 page)

His breath came out in puffs of white vapor. “No. Nothing.”

Behind her, Nikki stomped her feet. Abby cried without making a sound. Jeri shuddered as the wind changed from bitter to bone-chilling.

A man in a furry parka standing next to Jeri was joined by a bearded man from the search party. “The van didn’t go in the lake. I’ll stake my life on it.”

“It had to go somewhere.” The man in a tan coat brushed at the frost accumulating in his beard. “Maybe taking off is Keith’s idea of a practical joke.”

“No!” Jeri burst out. The men turned to gawk at her. “I know Mr. Reeves. He’d never do something like that.”

“Well, honey, they’ve disappeared.” The bearded man leaned close to her face. “What do you think happened? Little green aliens in UFOs?”

“That’s not funny,” Jeri said. “My roommate is missing.”

The man looked embarrassed. “Sorry,” he said. “Could be carjacking. Lot of that these days.”

Jeri frowned. “Huh?”

“Where a thief takes the vehicle, but leaves the people miles and miles away so they can’t get to help till the carjacker gets away.” The bearded man jammed his hands in his pants pockets. “Cold night to be wandering in the dark.”

The man in the parka patted Jeri’s arm. “Don’t worry. Maybe they went for a bite to eat before coming back to school, and they didn’t tell anyone.”

Jeri shook her head. “Our headmistress has to give permission for stuff like that. She doesn’t know where they are either.”

Ms. Carter tapped her on the shoulder. “We need to go now and get thawed out.”

Jeri spun around. “Not yet!”

“We’ll come back tomorrow, when it’s light.” Mouth trembling, Ms. Carter pulled her close for a moment. “There’s nothing we can do here tonight.”

Rosa, where are you?
Jeri wanted to scream. They followed the house mother back to the cars parked at the

roadblock. Huddled in their coats, it was a silent trip back up the hill to the school. Jeri stared out the window. The moon’s light reflected off the snowy hillside. At any other time, the scene would inspire peace. Not tonight. Her best friend was out there–somewhere–frightened and maybe hurt.

Oh, Lord, I’m sorry for being mad at Rosa this afternoon. Please keep them all safe.

If only there was something she could do. She’d never felt so helpless in her life.

It took Jeri a good hour sitting by her radiator to warm up. How cold Rosa must be! How terrified! Her thoughts were interrupted by the phone. She glanced at the clock–9:34–as she grabbed it. “Hello?”

“Rosa?”

“No, it’s Jeri.”

“Sí! How are you?”

“Mrs. Sanchez?” The connection to South America was surprisingly clear. “I’m fine.” Jeri cringed at the lie.

“Good! I hope Rosa is behaving.” She laughed. “May I speak to her?”

“Well …” Jeri recalled the headmistress’s warning at suppertime. “She’s not here right now. Can I take a message?”

“Is she studying, or is that too much to hope for?”

“That’s too much to hope for.”

“When should I call back?” asked Mrs. Sanchez.

Jeri felt trapped, remembering the Head’s official keep-quiet order. But didn’t Rosa’s parents have a right to know their daughter was missing? She just couldn’t lie to them.

“Mrs. Sanchez, something’s happened,” she said. “I think you should call the headmistress.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

Jeri felt panic rising within her. She wasn’t supposed to tell! And she didn’t really know anything.

“Jeri? What’s happened to Rosa? What?”

“I’m sure they’ll find everybody soon. Please don’t worry.”

“Find who?” Rosa’s mother demanded. “What are you talking about?”

“Please talk to the headmistress,” pleaded Jeri.

“But I’m talking to
you.
Jeri,
please
tell me what’s happened!”

Jeri would have given anything to spare them this news. She took a deep breath. “The school van she was riding in has … well … disappeared.” She heard a gasp on the other end. “They were on their way back to school after a field trip. At first the police thought the van went into the lake, but a rescue crew searched around it. They didn’t find any breaks in the ice. So that’s good.”

Rosa’s mom whispered something that sounded like a prayer. “Is there–? I mean, has there–?” She gulped. “Are the police saying they were kidnapped? Has there been a ransom note?”

“No, of course not,” Jeri said, her heart suddenly pounding. She hadn’t thought about them being kidnapped!

“Why weren’t we called? Maybe they couldn’t reach us down here.”

“I don’t know, Mrs. Sanchez. Please call the headmistress. She might have more news by now.”
And I’m in hot water the minute Head Long hears what I told Rosa’s mother.
Jeri swallowed the lump in her throat.

Jeri hung up, but couldn’t move for a full minute. She could only imagine the horror of Rosa’s parents dealing with this news halfway around the world.

As if in a trance, she stared at the top of Rosa’s desk. There were three diet books there, collecting dust. Rosa had bought them after putting on fifteen pounds their first semester. But it was the photos she couldn’t take her eyes from.

Lining them up, Jeri studied the pictures taken with Rosa: making popcorn balls down in the kitchen, decorating a tiny Christmas tree in their bedroom, riding the Tilt-a-Whirl at the fair, Jeri braiding Rosa’s waist-length hair, and more. Each snapshot was a memory.

They had to find Rosa soon. Jeri couldn’t just go to bed while Rosa was out there, freezing and maybe injured. She had to do something now.
Tonight!

But what?

Thursday, 10:06 p.m. to Friday, 11:40 a.m.

The phone jangled, interrupting Jeri’s desperate thoughts. “Hello?”

“Jeri? It’s Mom. I got your email when I got back to the motel.”

“Mom, I’m so glad you called! It’s horrible! I can’t believe it! It’s – ”

“Honey, settle down.” Her mom’s voice was soothing. “Even though I can’t make it for Parents’ Weekend, hopefully within six weeks – ”

“Rosa’s missing!” Jeri cried.

“What?”

“She was in the school van. The police thought it went into the lake–”

“Oh Jeri!”

“ – but they searched around the lake by the highway, and there’s no place where the ice is broken or anything.” She gasped for breath.

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.” Mom paused. “Let’s pray.”

Jeri listened, and her mom’s words soothed her panicky heart. She prayed for a hedge of protection around the missing girls, guidance for the rescue team, and peace for all involved. She also reminded Jeri that God was in control. “Remember, he knows where they are–they aren’t lost to
him
–and he’s with them.”

“But what if they’ve been kidnapped?” asked Jeri.

“There’s no evidence of that, is there?”

“No, I guess not. I’m so scared, Mom.”

“I know. It comes from feeling helpless,” Mom said. “When that feeling hits you, remember to pray. That will make the most difference, for you
and
for Rosa. Now you need to go to bed and–”

“I could never sleep!”

“At least lie down and rest. You’ll need lots of energy tomorrow.”

After saying their good-byes, Jeri changed into flannel pajamas, but the wind whistling through the gap by the windowsill chilled her. If she was cold, how much colder must Rosa be!

To feel less alone, she set the photo of herself and Mom on her bedside table, left her night-light on, and crawled into bed. She couldn’t pray except to say,
Help Rosa. Please find Rosa.

Jeri stared at the photo taken in their porch swing. Her mom’s blonde curls and dainty features contrasted sharply with Jeri’s stick-straight brown hair and large front teeth. But she and Mom were definitely related.

Kids usually figured Jeri was named after her dad. Instead, she was named for the city of Jericho in the Bible. “The doctors said I shouldn’t be having a baby,” her mom had said. “My heart and kidneys couldn’t handle it. I was advised to end the pregnancy, but you were a gift from God, and we wanted you so much. I was petrified, but no matter how sick I got, no matter how
scared
I got, I was determined to carry you as long as possible.”

It had been touch and go, Jeri knew. During the scary times, her mom loved to read about Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho.

Jeri knew the story by heart. Jericho was a walled city. God’s battle plan for Joshua was extremely odd. “Your armed men should march around the city once per day for six days. Seven priests shall carry trumpets. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. Then have the whole army shout! The city walls will collapse and the army will go straight in.”

Those instructions must have been hard to obey. But by trusting God’s plan–even when it didn’t makesense–Joshua was given the victory. Her mom had been in a battle too–for both their lives. So when Jeri was born, fat and sassy, she was named Jericho.

If only her mom could be here now, Jeri thought. Rolling on her side, she was tempted to check her email. When she was alone, email connected her to the outside world. She didn’t even mind getting spam.

Say, what about
sending
a mass email? She could put out an alert about the missing girls! Then people in the area could be on the lookout for the van. She’d ask people to pray too. Mom said you could never have too many people praying. Jeri threw back her covers and snapped on her desk lamp. Wiggling the mouse, she brought her computer screen to life.

With lips pressed together, she worked to create an attention-getting “alert.” First, she selected a photo of Rosa from her computer. She listed her name, size, weight, hair color, and how she was dressed that morning. Next came a description of the school van, plus when and where it was last seen. She sent the mass email alert to everyone in her address book, even Mom in Iowa. She knew Mom would forward it to her church’s prayer chain and all her friends.

After clicking “send,” Jeri’s gaze rested on the scraps of paper that were Rosa’s unfinished advice column. Just that afternoon Jeri’d wished for something
big
to report on–but not this! If only she really had the skills–and the courage–to investigate.

Wait. What about that reporter, Jake Philips? He’d been successful in solving crimes, and he’d left his business card with her after visiting her class. Jeri rummaged in her drawer and finally found it. As she studied the card, she recalled the Head’s words about keeping quiet. Would she get in trouble for calling Jake? Surely not. The police would have contacted the media already anyway, but would they think to call an
investigative
reporter? That’s what they really needed. With shaking fingers, she dialed his cell phone number.

“Jake Philips? You probably don’t remember me.” She gulped. “I’m Jeri McKane. You spoke to my class at Landmark School last fall.”

“Sure. You wanted to be a reporter.”

“Yes!” Jeri was flattered that he remembered. “I know it’s late, but something awful happened here tonight. We need a reporter right away who can dig into things.” She told him about the missing girls and the search so far. “Could you come over tonight?”

“Let me check with my boss,” he said. “If he okays it, I’ll be on the road in half an hour. But I don’t live near Landmark Hills anymore. I got a promotion at Christmas. Now I live in Connors, so I’m six hours away. If I start soon, I could be there by five in the morning.”

“You’ll come? Thank you!”

“Thanks for the tip, Jeri. Aren’t there news crews there already?”

“No, at least not when we were down there. Just police and some rescue people.”

“I’ll get there by morning and start nosing around.” He said something to someone in the background and then added, “Try not to worry. And thanks for calling me. See you tomorrow.”

Jeri sat slumped in her chair until her shivering roused her. It was past 1:00 a.m. She ought to get in bed, but she couldn’t settle down. Maybe Abby was still awake and could talk to her.

She opened the door into the dark, cavernous hallway. Back pressed against the wall, Jeri inched along toward Abby’s room. She stretched her arm to the right as her fingers searched for the next bedroom door. She’d knock softly and hope Abby heard her. Step-by-step, Jeri blindly slid her arm along the wall. Just then she touched something warm – a human hand!

Jeri jerked back as if scorched and smothered a shriek. Her heart and head thumped wildly. “Who’s there?” she croaked.

“J-Jeri?” Abby stammered.

“Abby? Come over to my room.”

The two girls tiptoed back down the hall. Jeri shut the door before turning on the bedside lamp. “Man, you made me flip out!”

“What about me?” Abby said. “I touch the wall and find fingers!” She twisted a strand of hair around and around. “I didn’t feel like being by myself.”

“Where’s Nikki?”

“Sound asleep, snoring like an old man. How can she sleep at a time like this?” Abby shivered. “I knew you’d be up.”

“Rosa wouldn’t care if you slept in her bed. Crawl in.”

Abby pushed aside the stuffed monkey and elephant and slipped between Rosa’s leopard-print sheets. Jeri crawled under her own covers and told her about Mrs. Sanchez’s phone call.

“I feel bad for her parents,” Abby said. “I know it would kill my mom.”

“I just wish I had something to tell them. Maybe we’ll have good news soon.” Jeri told her about the email alert she’d sent out.

“Great idea!” Abby rubbed her red nose. “Did you call your mom? She might see it on the news and be scared.”

“She called earlier about something else.” Suddenly, missing Parents’ Weekend didn’t sound like much of a tragedy. “I told her about Rosa and the others. Talking to her really helped.”

“What did she say?” Abby asked, already sounding a bit drowsy.

“She reminded me that God’s in control, and that
he
knows where they all are. They aren’t lost to him.”

Abby bit her lip. “I hope Rosa knows that.”

Jeri hoped so too.

At 6:30 Friday morning Jeri was awakened by the house mother out in the hall. “Up, girls, and dress warmly! Friday’s classes are cancelled. We’ve been asked to supply hot food and drinks for the search parties.” Ms. Carter knocked on Jeri’s door and opened it. “The police also want you to bring along a piece of clothing Rosa’s worn–something that hasn’t been washed yet. They’re collecting clothing belonging to each missing girl.”