Expect The Unexpected

Chapter 3

We searched tirelessly for weeks with no results.

Gregory Gray is a 52 year old man who lives in Alabama. We even flew out to his house and there was a for sale sign in the yard.

I broke in and there was so sign of anything.

I'm in town now with Alex.

I don't know how to drive. Not really. I paid somebody to drive me here and he ditched me at the airport in waterloo and I just drove on the interstate with my hazards flashing on my truck.

It's an old 1987 Ford F150. It's black too.

I mean it's a manual car and it kept shutting off. Alex said I was stalling. He drove the truck to a mechanic to get checked up and new tires.

The mechanic place is called Slater Auto Care.

We're sitting in the waiting room.

Alex and I are like, inseparable now. He's like my big brother.

I'm scrolling through Facebook.

"Ben!" A raspy voice calls. "Come in here!"

A guy who's my age with big muscles and dark hair walks in, wiping car grease on his jeans.

It's Ben.

As I kid I had my best friend and that was Ben. He always came over and played with me. He and I were inseparable. His Dad and mine were best friends and our fathers would tease us about how we would end up married together.

This is the first time I've seen him since Christmas eve.

He and I spent holidays together because his Mom left when he was little so he and I were family with his dad and mine.

But we were best friends. It was never a sibling relationship.

So to see him now.

And his father.

Oh God.

Alex knows. I told him all about my childhood.

Mr. Slater turns up the TV and we all look over there.

"-Twenty two year old girl named Elizabeth Nole left a suicide note on her bosses desk and now she's missing. Of anyone knows anything about her whereabouts, call the authorities immediately."

Ben's whole face changes.

Any sign of happiness is gone, and he just stares blankly at the screen.

My eyes are huge. Alex is tense.

Ben knots his fingers in his hair and stares at the screen.

"She is the daughter of Stephen and Odette Nole. Both parents went missing before Elizabeth turned ten. She grew up in foster care."

They show a photo.

Of me.

Of me as a little kid.

My parents going missing and abandoning me went nationwide. If you say the name Stephen Nole or Odette Nole everyone is going to know exactly who you're talking about, whether you're in Iowa or Hawaii. They know me, too.

Ben stares blanking at the screen.

"Ben..." Mr. Slater whisper.

"She killed herself."

All the color has left his face.

Mr. Slater's eyes are brimming with tears.

Ben.