Untimely Interval

Untimely Interval

Mary was thirsty and leaning toward Beth asked if she wanted anything from the snack vendor. Beth smilingly said she could eat, popcorn would be great, and Mary hastened out to the common area. The line-ups were longer than expected and she popped her cell phone out of her pocket to peruse a couple of sites until her turn came.

Gathering up the popcorn and drinks she hustled back inside as the intro to the movie began. Oddly, Beth wasn't in her seat, but her jacket was. Thinking Beth may have spotted another friend and gone to chat, Mary scanned the theatre but couldn't spot her anywhere.

Ten minutes passed and when Beth still hadn't returned, Mary hopped up and grabbed Beth's jacket before heading for the ladies' room, figuring she might find her there. Entering she walked along looking underneath each stall while calling Beth's name. She wasn't there.

Ok, this wasn't like Beth at all. Consequently, Mary scurried across the concourse from one end to the other while peering into every nook and cranny along the way. When she hadn't spotted her there anywhere, immediately headed outside to the car park in case Beth had gone out for a breath of fresh air.

More concerned than ever since Beth wouldn't disappear without an explanation, she hauled her phone out and texted her in the hopes she'd answer her while impatiently waiting for a response. None came. Racing back inside, she enlisted the assistance of one of the ushers explaining her concern while showing him Beth's picture. He grabbed a female usher and they left to check the building. Twenty minutes passed, while Mary paced.

When they returned and hadn't found her, Mary called the police. Thankfully It was a slow night and a car already in the vicinity was immediately dispatched to Mary's location.

One officer stayed with her and the other conducted another search of the theatre as well as the rest of the complex and then out to Mary's car. When he returned with a wallet in hand, Mary cried out, “That’s Beth’s wallet!” The two cops exchanged glances and a few words before one turned and walked away while the other began asking questions about Beth.

Mary would never forgive herself if something happened to Beth. She’d talked her into coming out tonight as she’d just had a tiff with her boyfriend and was upset with him. The thought had shivers running the length of her spine. Shit!

The officer turned to Mary asked if Beth might have returned home. "I don't know. She isn't answering her phone but I'll head there now and find out." Owing to the fact it was a slow night, the officer said he'd escort her home.

When she arrived and parked in front of the house and was unlocking the door when he joined her on the porch. She hesitated a fraction of a second and stared down at the welcome mat thinking it had been moved and sat at an odd angle. When she would have reached down to check it, fingers wrapped around her upper arm and held her back. Surprised, she straightened and looked sideways at the officer. Her questioning look had him moving her behind him and asking her to stay put, entering the house, gun drawn. Mary figured she must have turned fifty shades of white because she felt the colour drain from her face. Another officer joined her on the step and guided her back to the patrol car before racing back to the front door and entering. Mary stood silently waiting, watching, listening. After a few minutes, the second officer stepped outside and beckoned her forward.

On shaking legs, she walked toward him and asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem? Is it Beth, is she here?"

"No mam, but your place has been turned and it's a mess."

"What??"

Mary pushed past him entered and stopped dead in her tracks. "Holy shit!" The place had been totalled. There wasn't much of anything left stationary. Everything had been tossed into a pile in the center of the room. Pillow feathers dusted the top of everything from her treasured quilted blanket lovingly sewn by her grandmother as a housewarming present, to the chesterfield now shredded with its interior gaping outward.

"Oh my god!"

"Don't touch anything, please, but if you will walk through, see if anything is missing. I don't think you live like this, so it's going to be difficult to tell with the mess and all."

His joke fell short although Mary appreciated the effort. "Thanks for that at least." Slowly, carefully, stepping over obstacles, Mary took her time observing not only the current state of her house but where everything normally stood or sat. "I guess this is typical for you guys huh?"

"No, Miss Marcom, it's not, it's a bit unusual, overkill if you will."

The first officer on the scene returned after having gone through the kitchen to the backyard. "When you're finished here, please join me outside, Miss Marcom. There's something I need you to take a look at."

"Oh yay!" she whispered under her breath. The officer walking beside her heard and tried to hide a grin. The woman had hutzpah! Most would have been too shocked to carry on or fallen flat on their faces. Not Mary Marcom.

He accompanied her upstairs and the carnage continued. The bedrooms had been turned over as well and while the bathroom contained less damage, also held a message on the mirror. "I was here. I'll be back. Surprise!"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Means you need to find a safe place to stay for a few days. Crime lab will be in to take fingerprints and we'll go from there."

Staring up into his face, she asked, "Do you think this is related to Beth's disappearance?"

"I couldn't say, but it seems likely."

She made a detailed list of what she knew to be missing including a few pieces of expensive jewelry her grandmother had given her, Beth's laptop and printer, external hard drive and USB were all gone.

"What did Beth do for a living?"

"She was a journalist for the Gazette."

"Any idea what she was writing about?"

"Yeah, some character called Darren McClusky; she said something about him getting off on a murder charge and she didn't buy it and she was digging into the case." The officer sighed.

They returned to the front door and on outside. The officer pointed her attention toward a back gate. "That gate always been askew like that?"

"No. It was brand new. I had it replaced a few weeks ago after some teenagers gained access and destroyed my flowerbed. I know it's not much of a deterrent, but I figured, hey, it's something."

After finishing the walk-through and allowing her to grab a few essentials, they escorted her outside, promising to return her keys when they were finished. Officer Mercury suggested she call the precinct with the information on where she would be staying and asked her to keep them informed, especially if she heard from Beth. "You do the same, right? She is an only child and her parents passed a couple of years ago. We're family, we're closer than sisters. I - I..."

"What happens now?"

"A detective will be assigned to the case should it be determined Miss Barstone has in fact disappeared and not of her own accord."

"You think she was abducted?"

"Not necessarily. It seems peculiar given all you've said and Beth doesn't seem the type to simply vanish; that and your place being tossed leaves along with the case she was working on...adds up to something, but I'm not sure what."

"That makes two of us," she whispered.

"Listen, Miss Marcombe. Don't take any unnecessary risks, call us if you hear from Beth or have concerns no matter how small because your safety is involved here as well."

"Thanks. I'll let you know where I land."