House of Dolls

The Search for Anna

Anna had been missing for nearly twenty-four hours. When her parents discovered her abandoned car, they immediately called the police. Normally, one would have to wait twenty-four hours to report a missing adult, but that was not the case with Anna. She'd always been a responsible adult, and people in Bloomsburg doubted she'd ever go off on her own or with someone she didn't know. The search for Anna began right away, with a sense of urgency. Officers first searched the park when they arrived, hoping she had not decided to wander off and got hurt or lost. Because the park was dense, they dispatched as many people as possible to search, which lasted all day until sunset.

Nathan spent the majority of the first day assisting in the search for Anna while pretending to be the concerned friend that everyone assumed he was. During their search for her, people began to talk, and the entire town, as well as the police, were made aware that Nathan was supposed to meet with Anna the night she vanished. Officer Stanley contacted Nathan right away to speak with him and go over what he knew about the situation. He had gladly accepted his request to communicate and had invited him to his home, knowing that he needed to appear as the concerned friend.

After the day's search was completed, Officer Stanley decided to go to Nathan's. Nathan kept pacing back and forth in his foyer, knowing that the officer would be there soon. Officer Stanley arrived at the mansion, activated his body camera, and began walking up the steps to Nathan's massive entrance. He rang the doorbell, took a step to the side, and patiently waited for Nathan to greet him at the door.

Nathan opened the door quickly as if he was eager to speak with him. "Please come in, Officer Stanley." Nathan then took him through the kitchen and into the formal dining room. He tried to keep his heart from racing, knowing that if the officers heard a single sound from either of the hidden locations, it would be all over.

Both men sat across from each other, Nathan eager to tell his story. Officer Stanley took out a tape recorder and placed it on the table between them, starting, "So, Nathan, it's well known that you were supposed to meet Anna at the falls that day. What transpired? Why didn't you meet, and if you don't mind, walk me through your night?"

"Well, I had been feeling sick, so I called her around five-thirty to tell her I couldn't make it. She seemed OK with it, and I figured she went home. I took some medicine for my stomach, soaked in a bath, and went straight to bed. That's about my whole night." Nathan remained calm through his answer even though he could see Officer Stanley had not bought it.

"So, then what? You slept all night and then woke up when?" Officer Stanley continued.

"I woke up around 3:00 am; I had slept most of the night by then and then heard knocking on my door. It was Debbie and Darren asking about Anna. I saw how concerned they were, which obviously made me concerned, so I went to the park with them. We saw her car; Debbie went up to it and asked Darren to call you guys. I walked around part of the park yelling for her, but there was no sign of her." Nathan saw the wheels turn in Officer Stanley's head as he continued his story.

"See, what puzzles me is that someone driving by around 5:45 pm saw a black four-door older-style sedan. Don't you have a car just like that?" Officer Stanley continued to press Nathan for more answers.

Nathan's heart began to race in his chest as he suddenly realized someone may have seen him as he left with Anna. "I have an older car, but it's green rather than black, and it hasn't run in a few weeks. I've been driving around in my new car; I just haven't decided whether or not to repair the old one. I'm thinking about getting another car for daily use. You are welcome to inspect it in the garage." Before Anna went missing, Nathan had disabled his vehicle. He was aware that both of his cars might have been scrutinized and wanted to make it appear as if he didn't have access to drive that one.