Discovering the Unknown

Chapter 11

By Angel Love

The bright morning sun caused both Rob and Billy to blink as they stepped from the front door of the hospital. Because of Rob's conversation with Officer Crites earlier they already knew they had no more to go on then they did the evening before.

"Where do we start looking Rob? The police haven't turned up anything all nigh, where do we start?"

"Well, back on the ranch when an old cow decided to stray we always started looking at the last place we knew she had last been."

"Steve's bike shed the one you were telling me about last night?"

"Yep."

"But the police must have already looked there?"

"Right, but we haven't."

They rode in silence from West Port Medical Center to Steve's home. When they pulled into the driveway Billy felt the pangs of guilt once more flood his body. Rob had spent most of the night trying to get him to understand that he was not to blame for Jamie being in the hospital and Steve missing, but when they pulled up in front of Steve's home he felt like he wanted to cry. The two stepped from Rob's old pickup and slowly approached the Mitchell's front door.

"Seems kind of strange here doesn't it?" Billy almost whispered the words.

"Yeah, the only time I was ever here was yesterday," Rob answered. "But from what I have been told about Steve he loved his home and his parents."

"How? I mean how could you love someone who hurts you all the time? The things you told me last night about what he has lived through his entire life just makes me feel sick to my stomach. Especially after what I tried to do to him, and some of the things I have said about him behind his back."

"Billy if more people felt the way you do now the world would be a much better place. My father told me of an old Indian saying that goes something like this, 'Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.'"

Billy just nodded and opened the backyard gate so they could go through. He followed Rob to where they had found Steve's cell phone and stood patiently while his new friend examined every inch of the old metal shed. He would like to be more help but he really did not know what to do or what to look for. He could still see the few blood stains on the wood floor. They had now dried and turned a little brown but he knew what they were and who they most likely from. He stepped aside as Rob seemed to be following an invisible trail out the door of the little building.

"What you see? I don't see anything."

"O, yes...sorry...see that little patch of black grease there?" Rob pointed to the front of the building. "I think Steve's bike must have been parked there and some of it stuck to the tire. See there are equally spaced dots coming out the door and down the sidewalk to the back gate."

They followed the trail and where the dots ended at the end of cement walkway tire tracks appeared in the dirt alleyway.

"Look," Rob said, and he knelt down to examine his latest discovery. "See here Billy, look at these tracks I don't think Steve rode off on his bike I think it was loaded into the back of a car or truck."

"Gosh Rob how can you get all that out of just some tracks?"

"Tracking people is not that much different from tracking cows, in fact in most cases it is a lot easier because people are clumsy." He stood up and moved slowly placing each step carefully. When Billy moved to follow he motioned that he stay still. "See how the bike tracks are on top of the fresh car or truck tracks there where you are standing. You can see where someone got out here definitely a woman. And back there by the gate a man's footprints are by the bike tracks. I believe Steve's bike was loaded into a car or truck and hauled away, he did not ride it."

"So what does all this tell us?"

"It tells me that Steve had some help leaving. What scares me is did he leave with someone friendly, or was he forced to leave?"

A half hour later Rob was showing his discovery to Patrolman Crites, he then took the officer to the front of the house where the Mitchell's car was parked in the drive.

"We also found this." And he opened the driver's door.

"You may find the sand from the front mats came from the alley if you think it is worth following up on?"

"I certainly do Rob. You guys have done some great police work. Kind of makes our efforts look shoddy."

"I'm not concerned about who found what; I just want to find Steve."

Rob then moved to the back of the old station wagon and opened the back hatch. "There is also a grease spot just like those on the sidewalk here on the carpet of the car."

Officer Crites smiled and scratched his head, "Rob you wouldn't be interested in a detective position would you?"

He patted Rob on the back and turned back to his patrol car.

"You guys want to follow me down town? I want to have another talk with the Mitchells."

"No thanks," Rob said. "We are going to look around some more."

"Fine...just keep me informed on anything you find." Officer Crites smiled warmly, "Something tells me you will probably find more if it's out there to find."

The two boys watched as the patrol car pulled away. Rob turned and started back around the house.

"Good morning boys."

Rob and Billy turned to see Steve's next door neighbor coming toward them.

"Hi Mr. Stanley," Rob called.

"I just wanted to check on Jamie...is he alright?"

"Yes, I think he will be fine he is still in the hospital but he should be home by tomorrow."

"And Steve...have they found him yet?"

"No Sir...we are still looking."

"This is so terrible," Mr. Stanley's voice almost broke as he spoke. "They are both such good boys. I just don't understand how parents can treat their children like this."

"Me neither," Rob said his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

"I don't know if it means anything...I started to come over when the officer was here but I decided it probably meant nothing..."

"What was that Sir," Rob asked.

"Well all the years I have lived here I never one time saw the Mitchell's have their car in the garage, but when I came home from the store yesterday afternoon they had it backed into the garage. When I was taking my things out of my car Mrs. Mitchell pulled the car out...jumped out and slammed the garage door shut and almost ran to get back in the car. When I spoke to her she just waved me off and gunned the car and took off. Never did see her act like that before."

"Was anyone in the car with her?"

"Nah...just her, that's why I didn't think it was worth mentioning. Will you keep me posted on Jamie and what they find out about Steve?"

"Sure thing Mr. Stanley," Rob reached out and shook Mr. Stanley's hand.

"Well I'm going to go have Martha rub a little liniment on my joints," the old man chuckled softly. "That little tussle we had with the Mitchell's yesterday was more action than I have had in years."

They shook hands again and Rob turned to go back behind the house.

"Let's do a little more tracking." Rob said.

"K," then Billy reached in his pocket for his cell. "Want to call Jamie and tell him what we found?"

Rob shook his head 'no,' "What we have right now would only worry him more. I don't think it is the kind of news we need to give to him right now."

Back in the alley Rob once more concentrated on tracks and signs that only left Billy completely confused. He patiently watched as Rod walked slowly down the dirt alley concentrating hard on what he was looking at. When they reached the paved street Rob stopped and looked both ways.

"Where does the street lead going west?"

"Out to Highway Six, if you take Six north it will take you out of town and into the swamps, follow it south and it goes back downtown and to the beach. Why?"

"Just wondering, whoever put Steve's bike in the car came out of the alley and turned west."

Billy never asked how Rob knew that he just accepted what he said as fact. He had already seen how expert he was at following tracks. If Rob said the car had gone west than it definitely had gone west.

"Let's go back and get my truck, and have one more look at the Mitchell's car. I have never been in a swamp, might be fun."