Happily Never After (sequel to Stolen Love)

Chapter 8

"We have a warrant for every girl's school schedule and locker combination." Alex told the principal.

"No need." He said as he pulled a binder off of the bookshelf behind him. "Here is their schedules along with the room number and teachers of those classes." He turned around and grabbed another binder. "And here are their locker numbers and combinations. If you need anything else, just let me know. I would like to help in any way possible."

"If you don't mind me asking, why is that?" I asked principal Murray.

"The students... they are as close to children as I will ever have. I don't want anything to happen to them."

"Thank you." Alex and I said in unison.

"Oh, and before we go, can we get a list of any girl who has been absent for the past day to three days please." Alex asked.

As we were walking down the hall w heard shouting.

"She was my girlfriend! Not yours!" A boy, around 15, was shouting at another boy around the same age. He was around 6,0 and had brown hair. The boy he was shouting at was taller, around 6'5, and also had brown hair.

"Riley made her choice. She chose me. I had nothing to do with that." The taller boy replied.

"What about Maya? You were dating her. Why take my girlfriend when you had your own?" The shorter boy threw a punch as the taller one ducked out of the way.

Alex ran over to the two. "Hey! What's going on?"

"Nothing." Both boys replied together.

"That didn't sound like nothing. Why don't you boys come with me?"

We had both boys sitting at a table inside the cafeteria. Other students who were curious as to what would happen tried to follow, but we stopped them.

"So, you guys were arguing over some girl, is that correct?" Alex took the lead in talking to the boys.

"Riley's my girlfriend. He took her away. I caught them kissing in the courtyard."

"Could you please tell me your names?"

"My name is Sam. Full name is Samuel Jacobson." The shorter one spoke.

"I'm Dominic Matthews." The taller one said with an entrancing smile.

"Okay, Samuel, Dominic, you each have girlfriends?"

"Yes." They said simultaneously.

"Are they both here today?"

"Maya is. I saw her in homeroom last period." Dominic answered.

"Where would she be now?"

"English class with Mrs. Ronson. Room 211."

"And Riley?" Alex turned to Samuel.

"She isn't here today."

"Can you check the list?" Alex asked me.

I replied a few seconds later. "Absent yesterday and today."

"Can you call Riley, please?" Alex quickly asked Samuel in a stressful tone.

"Sure. Why?"

"Just do it!"

Sam had the phone up to his ear and pulled it down a few seconds later. "No answer."

"Text her."

After he was done he asked again, "Why? What's happening?"

"Can you write down Riley's full name and her phone number?" Alex handed Sam a paper and a pen.

"What is going on?" Dominic spoke up.

"Can you please take me to Maya?" I asked him.

As we walked down the hall Dominic kept asking what was going on. I didn't tell him. I didn't want to scare him if nothing was wrong. It was just a hunch, a hunch Alex and I decided to follow.

"This is it. Mr. Ronson's class. Why do you need to speak to Maya."

I ignored him. I opened the door to the classroom and walked up to the teacher's desk.

"Hi, my name is Emily Towning, I'm a detective with the OCPD." I showed her my badge. "I need to speak with Maya Reichs."

"I'm Maya." A blonde girl stood up. She was about 5'5, she was wearing jeans with boots paired with a black shirt with a dark green jean jacket on.

"Please come with me."

When the three of us got back to the cafeteria Alex was on the phone.

"Riley Connor, 5'7, 15 years old, Brown hair, brown eyes. Get back to me when you have something. Thank you." Alex hung up and turned to me. "Is this Maya?"

"Yes. I can talk to her while you stay with the boys?" Alex nodded his head in response and Maya and I walked over to another table.

"Did you know that your boyfriend was cheating on you?"

"What? No. He would never cheat on me."

"Do you know a girl named Riley Connor?"

"Riley's my best friend. Why?"

"Dominic and Riley were seen kissing. You weren't aware of that?"

"Riley was dating Sam. Dominic and I were together. Riley would never do something like that to me. Neither would Dominic." She paused. "Why is the Oregon City Police Department investigating teen relationships? Last time I checked dating wasn't a crime."

"Because, Riley may be missing, and she fits the profile that a serial killer is going after." I tried to say it with as much empathy as possible.

"What?" Maya looked sad and extremely freaked out.

"I'm sorry."

"Riley missing?" I heard Sam's voice behind me.

"Possibly. We need to find her. Anything you guys may know that could help with finding Riley, please tell us. Anything helps. Any and all information could be a lead."

"Anything?" Maya asked. I nodded my head.

"Riley and I are best friends. Dominic and Sam are best friends. That's why it's so hard for me to believe that Dominic and Riley were together. Oh and Riley gave me a key to her car."

"Wait, Riley has a car? She isn't able to drive." Alex was confused, as was I.

"She was turning 16 in a month. It was going to be hers to drive once she got her license. She gave me a spare key."

"We're going to need that key. Alex said."

Maya gave us directions to Riley's house. When we got there Alex and I introduced ourselves to the parents and asked to see Riley's car.

Alex opened the car and climbed inside. "It's completely empty."

"Look inside the glove compartment." I told him and he did just that. He pulled a box out. It was a small rectangular box that was painted a light blue. Riley's name was scrawled across the top in big dark blue letters.

"It's locked. And there's no key anywhere else."

"Maya? Did Riley by any chance give you another key?" Maya shook her head.

"She gave me one. She didn't tell me what it was for, just to hold onto it and never lose it." Dominic pulled the key off of his keychain and handed it to me. I proceeded by handing the key to Alex. Sure enough, the key worked. The lid popped open and inside was some pieces of paper folded up to fit inside. Each one had a name written on the outside. One addressed to Sam, Dominic, and Maya.