D A Novel (George Right) - By George Right Page 0,69

thought about his girlfriend much less than she would have liked. Therefore, when late Friday night his phone rang and on its screen the familiar number appeared, Mike's first thought was "Oh shit, we didn't agree on any weekend plans!" Jane always called either from home or from her work phone–she had no cellphone.

But it was not Jane but her mother.

"Mike? Is my daughter with you?"

"N-no, Mrs. Trenton."

"Are you sure? Perhaps she doesn't want me to know that she is with you so late? Tell me the truth, Mike, I'm very worried. It's almost midnight already..."

"No, I really don't know where she is. The last time we talked was Wednesday and she said nothing about Friday plans... Maybe she's still at the cafe? The night shift? You know, they currently..."

"No, I phoned there already. Clare was back to work again today, so Jane had no additional hours anymore. She finished work at six o'clock."

"And she told nobody where she was going?"

"No, she didn't. Mike, have you two quarreled?"

"Quarreled? Not at all. Why did you think so, Mrs. Trenton?"

"Jane was, well, strange this week. I thought that's because she was tired at work... but now it seems to me she was thinking about something that disturbed her. Do you know what it could be? " The last sentence seemed accusatory to Mike.

"No..." he answered, feeling cold spread in his belly. Mrs. Trenton caught at once the uncertainty in his voice.

"Are you sure, Mike? " she asked again, this time in a threatening tone.

"If you suspect that she is pregnant or something like that, my answer is 'no'. At least, not by me," he answered more harshly than he wanted, and right then reflected: what if Jane indeed had someone else? But instead of natural (while unsupported by any facts) jealous rage, he suddenly felt that it wouldn't be the worst option. But, alas–alas!–the matter was not at all a mythical rival. Because actually...

No. It cannot be. It is simply a silly carnival ride, that's all. Not to mention that he threw out her ticket... but why couldn't she have spent ten dollars for a new one?

"Carnival", Mike said, surprised himself by the hoarse sound of his voice.

"What?" Mrs. Trenton, who was expatiating how much she was worrying because Jane never dared to disappear this way, without having warned her mother, and actually there was nobody with whom... –interrupted herself in the middle of a sentence. "What did you say? What carnival?"

"Last Saturday we visited the traveling carnival. There is an attraction there, 'Cave of Horror...' Didn't Jane tell you anything about it?"

"No... and where does it concern...?"

"It seems to me that she went there again. I told her not to do it, but..."

"Went to get some rides? And has not returned till now? When does this carnival close?"

"I don't know. It seems to me that it's not just an attraction. I think you should call the police."

"You don't know those policemen! They won't move a finger until several days pass! Phooey–a girl doesn't come home at night, big deal! They don't realize that Jane never before... What do you mean by 'not just an attraction?'" Mrs. Trenton interrupted herself again. "Is there anything... dangerous? Illegal?"

"Hmm..." Mike was confused, having thought how his story would sound to police officers. Indeed, like a child, he had been frightened by some actors and dummies and imagined devil knows what without any proof... pure nonsense!

But Jane had really disappeared!

"Wait for me," he told the scared woman. "I'll come in a few minutes and we'll go together to the police."

Since Mrs. Trenton's divorce nine years ago, her opinion of men hadn't undergone any noticeable improvement. And though she reconciled, as with an inevitable evil, with the fact that her daughter had a boyfriend, Mike in her company always felt himself under suspicion, like a recidivist thief who looks for a bank security guard job. But now she was subdued by his resolute tone and look and met him as a savior who definitely knew what to do in order to find her daughter safe and sound in the shortest time.

However, the resolute spirit of the young man apparently made no impression on Sgt. Hopkins. The sergeant looked tired and unfriendly, as though all his years of serving law and order weighed as a heavy burden on his shoulders this evening. Having listened at first to Mrs. Trenton who, naturally, couldn't report anything certain, he asked her to wait behind the door and invited Mike to his