Obsession

Chapter 34

Leo

"Good morning, Mrs. Sweeny. We're with the Campus Outreach Mission and we're here to talk with Kai. Is he home by chance?" Anna asks Kai's mother who's standing in the doorway.

I can tell by her facial expression that she's weary of us already. I wonder if she knows what a basket case her son is or if he hides it well in front of his family. "Uh, I'm so sorry. I don't speak much English."

"My apologies," Anna says, glancing over at me.

"Do you speak Japanese?" I ask. I have no idea where Kai's from, but judging by his family's features, he's more than likely Japanese.

She nods, looking to me.

I repeat what Anna said the best I can. I took Japanese my freshman year of college at UCLA, but I'm not fluent by any means.

She hesitates like she's trying to make sense of what I'm saying. I'm just about to repeat it when she finally answers. She speaks so quickly, I can barely understand her.

"What did she say?" Anna whispers.

"She said she hasn't seen him in days," I sigh.

I explain to her that Mara might be with him and if she is, we just want to know how to find her since none of us have been able to reach her.

I'm worried she might not have understood me, but the way her lip draws up as if she's worried tells me otherwise. She knows Mara's in danger. She knows what a threat her son is.

I give her my number and tell her to call us the second she hears from Kai. She nods, so I assume she understands. Anna and I head back out to the truck and get in. We sit there, silently, for a while as if neither of us have any idea what to do. Actually, we don't.

I look over at Mara's house and my heart squeezes in pain. The last time we were here, Mara told me she loved me for the first time. That day, I was certain that I'd spend the rest of my life with her. I knew that from the moment I met her. She was it for me, all I've ever wanted. And now she's gone.

A tear slips out and rolls down my face. I try to wipe it away before Anna notices, but I'm not quick enough.

"Aww, Leo, don't cry. I promise we're gonna find her. I have a good feeling about this," she says softly, touching my arm.

I look up at her through the tears in my eyes. "Where do we start, Anna? We have no idea where he is. They could be on the other side of the country for all we know."

She opens her mouth to speak, but her eyes move over my shoulder to Kai's house. I turn around and see his mom getting into her car and driving away.

"Let's go," she says, wasting no time getting out of the truck as soon as Kai's mother is gone.

"What are we doing?" I ask, getting out and quickly following behind her.

"We're snooping, that's what we're doing," she says, walking around to the side of the house.

I watch her as she examines the area like she's looking for something in particular. She spots a door that probably leads to a basement and walks towards it with me right on her heels. She takes a bobby pin out of her hair and proceeds to pick the lock.

I sigh and roll my eyes. "That's never gonna work."

No sooner do the words leave my mouth, the lock pops open and Anna turns to me with a smirk. "You know I'm a common thief. This is my specialty."

I follow her inside a dark room that smells like rotten eggs. We cover our noses with our shirts to filter the stench.

"What the hell do they do down here?" I ask.