In the Midnight Hour

A Stranger Arrives In Town

Remy looked out at the vast expanse of nothingness that surrounded the RV—and had surrounded it for the last eighteen hours—and shook his head. The empty view served to make the vehicle's progress along the interstate feel interminable.

A lone house sat isolated far from the road, buttressed with trees. What kind of person would live there? And what kinds of crimes could a person get away with that no one would ever know about?

"It's not exactly a missing person's report," Marcus said, hunched over his laptop in the passenger seat. "Looks like a one Haley James, age sixteen, discovered the girls weren't where she thought they'd be—at Chloes's parents' cabin—and reported her concerns to the local Sheriff. And...that's all that's been entered into the database. Guess no one takes little Haley very seriously."

Another house was visible off in the distance, with no sign of life. Remy tried not to think of chainsaw massacres and dark basements.

"And the parents?"

Marcus typed away on the keyboard. "Chloe's parents are Carol and Elliot Miller. Owners of what looks like some exclusive retirement senior living community located a few miles outside Swissville, population...." He gestured at the open space around them. "Ten?"

"Swissville, Missouri. Population 9,259."

Marcus blinked at him. "Thank you, Sir Genius. That's very helpful."

Remy turned back to the blank view of fields. More houses were beginning to pop up in the distance, closer together now.

"Shady Acres," Marcus read. "Premier senior living to match your vibrant lifestyle. Amenities inspired to serve your discerning tastes. Call today to find out if our exclusive community is for you."

Remy made a noise like he couldn't decide if he was sniffing or coughing. He was scrolling through Chloe's Facebook page. A bunch of memes involving monsters. She seemed to have a thing about werewolves. A lot of kissy-faced pictures with her young, blonde friends. Remy honestly couldn't tell any of the blondes apart. They may as well have been cloned.

"Put your phone down," Marcus said, reaching over and swiping it out of his hand. "You're driving."

"I'm bored."

"These are people with money, as I was saying," Marcus continued, the keys clacking. "Chloe's mom inherited the place from her family. She owns a bunch of other businesses, too. The laundromat, a pizza place."

"And the other girl's parents? Lauren?"

Marcus was quiet as he searched.

Remy noticed more buildings—a gas station, a grocery store—as they got closer to Swissville. The road made a wide turn, and he looked out at the endless hills, all covered with trees or fields, surrounding them. He guessed hills were nice, if you liked being mauled by bears and that sort of thing.

"Lauren Thompson, also 16, daughter of Alan and Jessica Thompson. Huh. They live next door to Chloe, and both her parents work at Shady Acres. Jessica is the activities manager, and Alan is the executive director."

They were leaving the deserted planet behind and entering a town now, Remy guessed. The RV's GPS navigated them to leave the interstate and keep going down an identical road that turned onto what looked to be the town's main street for another mile, informing them they would arrive at the Swissville Sheriff's Department and Detention facility at the next right.

Hinto, on his perch between them, stirred.

Marcus said, "Shouldn't we have lunch first? How bad can that pizza place be?"