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Nate
“It’s nine o’clock. Wanna drive me to The Cellar now?”
This morning has been anything but exciting. Hardly any cars even drove past the house in the past two hours. I’m starting to doubt this is where we should be spending our time looking for Jarred Feldman.
“Yeah, now’s as good a time as any,” Rob replies, starting the engine. “If it wasn’t such a quick drive back and forth, I wouldn’t leave, but if Jarred happens to appear while I’m gone, I’m sure he’ll still be here when I get back.”
He drives the short distance down the hill into town, driving a little faster than he normally would. I know it’s risky for us to leave Alice Feldman’s house unattended, but the entire drive will take less than ten minutes round trip.
“Keep me posted,” he says as he pulls up to the curb in front of The Cellar to drop me off.
“Will do,” I reply before getting out of the Tahoe. “Call me if there’s any movement at the house.”
I shut the door, then head to The Cellar’s entrance. The bar isn’t open yet, but Shawna will be here. She told me she always arrives at work after driving Noah to school. She enjoys being here early before anyone else. I knock on the door and peer through the window. I don’t see her, and it still looks dark inside. Maybe she’s in the back? I know there’s a door around back by the parking lot, so maybe I should walk around and knock on that door instead.
I wait a couple more minutes to see if she appears in the restaurant and bar area. It’s pouring rain, but luckily, the overhang above the door keeps me from getting drenched. Shawna never comes into view, so I decide to try the back door. Just as I begin to walk around the building, my phone rings. It’s Rob.
“Hey,” I say when I answer.
“Someone’s here,” Rob says, and I stop in my tracks. “Two cars are parked in the driveway at Alice’s house.”
“What? Holy shit. Do you think it’s Jarred?” A jolt of adrenaline surges through my body. Who else would be at Alice Feldman’s house if it’s not Jarred? It has to be him.
“I have no idea,” Rob replies. “I’m still parked out on the street. A minivan is backed into the driveway, parked kind of far back, and a sedan is here as well. I haven’t seen anybody moving around yet, though. I’m going to hang up and call Smith and tell them they need to get their asses up and get back over here. Since you’re across the street from the hotel, you can hitch a ride with them.”
“Roger that,” I reply. “You call them, and I’ll head over there.”
We end the call, and I look across the street at The Pioneer. I know I need to go meet Smith and Nelson, but it’ll take them a few minutes to get out of bed and ready to go, plus I want to warn Shawna while I’m here. I pull my hood up over my head and jog around to the back of the building. I’m surprised to find no cars in the parking lot. That’s strange. Shawna should be here by now. I knock on the back door to see if anyone answers, but there’s no response.
I hear a car coming, and I turn to see a white Toyota pull into the parking lot. It’s not Shawna’s car, but I wait to see who it is. They park, then a guy I recognize as one of the cooks gets out of the driver’s side. He jogs toward the back door, trying to stay dry from the rain. He looks at me in confusion.
“Can I help you?” he asks as he approaches me.
“I’m friends with Shawna. I wanted to speak with her, but it doesn’t look like she’s here.”
He pulls a key out of his pocket and unlocks the door. “Let’s see if she’s inside,” he says. We enter the building, and he turns off the alarm system. “It looks like I’m the first one here. This hardly ever happens unless Shawna has a reason for being late, and she usually tells me ahead of time.”
“So this is unlike her?” I ask. It’s unnerving to know Jarred is in town, and now Shawna’s not at work on time.
“No, it’s not. What was your name?”
“I’m Nate.” My phone rings again, and I realize I need to go. “If you see Shawna, let her know I was here, okay?”
“Sure thing,” he replies before I turn to leave, answering my phone as I do.
“Where are you?” Nelson asks on the other line.
“I’m heading your way,” I reply as I jog across the street to The Pioneer. “I see your Tahoe in the parking lot. I’ll meet you there.”
Less than a minute later, we’re piling into the Tahoe to leave. My phone rings again just as Nelson starts the engine. It’s Rob.
“Hey,” I answer, my adrenaline really pumping now.
“Are you on your way?” he asks, sounding hyped up himself.
“Yeah. We’ll be there in a few minutes. Listen, Shawna wasn’t at work either, which is unlike her.”
“Put me on speaker,” he says, so I do. Then he continues so all of us can hear. “Here’s the plan. When you get here, pull into the driveway. I’ll pull in behind you so we can block the cars from leaving in case they try to. Nate and I will knock on the door. Smith and Nelson, you guys can stand back, but be on guard in case something happens. Watch to make sure no one attempts to escape from the back.”
