"You’ll have to see it for yourself," he replied, "Even you won’t believe it if I tell you before you arrive." The teenagers stood up hesitantly and followed Justin outside. He motioned for them to follow in their cars and climbed into his own. They hurried to their cars and were led to his house.

Justin then led them to inside and up to his room. There, on the bed was a package. The flaps were pushed back and packing peanuts covered the floor. He then motioned for them to get closer. Newspaper clips in photo frames lay on his bed. C. J. picked one of them up.

"’Two days ago’," she read, "’a young boy was declared missing by the police department. Michael Ice, a resident of Sport, disappeared before school on Tuesday. Both parents remember dropping their son off, but he somehow never made it to the door of his classroom.’" She turned to the others, "It’s circled in red. What do you think that means?"

"I don’t know," Vicki replied, "But listen to this. ‘It’s been three weeks since the disappearance of Michael Ice. The area has been searched but with little hope of finding the six-year-old. The family now consists of Laura, Jim and two-year-old, Justin.’ There are no suspects and no clues as to how it happened. It’s circled in red also." She looked up at Justin, "Is there anything else?"

"Only this," he answered, bringing out a third paper. On it was a picture of a young boy, the exact description of Michael Ice. He was wearing a blue and white striped shirt.

"What is it," C. J. asked, walking up, Frank and Joe right behind her. Justin held it out and she looked it over, "What’s so strange about it?"

"The back says it’s a picture of Michael at twelve," Justin explained, "but it’s impossible."

"Why," Joe asked, "How is it impossible?"

"That’s not a picture of him," Justin said, "That was my sixth grade school picture, not his." Everyone looked up as he finished saying this.

"How can you be so sure," Frank asked, "He does look almost exactly like you." The others had picked up on this by now.

"The day of this picture I kind of got into a fight," Justin replied, "The guy left me with a black eye." Sure enough, the start of a black eye could be seen, "What’s the chance of us both having the same picture at the same age?"

"That’s right," C. J. exclaimed, "I remember that day. You came to lunch right after your picture was taken. Your black eye was darker by then, but you told me what happened."

"Now I know what you’re talking about," Vicki said, "C. J. told me about it after school. We didn’t have lunch together that year."

"There’s one more thing that told me it wasn’t him," Justin remarked, "Look at the year. It’s wrong. If he were four years older, than the date would be earlier, not later." It was true, the year was incorrect.

"What do we do now," C. J. asked, "Was this package just dropped at your doorstep?"

"No," Justin replied, "A deliveryman brought it over. Why?"

"Let’s go," C. J. said, "The only delivery service in town is ‘Fast Express.’ Let’s see who our mystery man is."

"It’s too late now," Vicki said, looking at her watch, "The service closed fifteen minutes ago. We can go in the morning."

"Since when do you know when it closes," C. J. asked, glancing at her friend.

"Let’s just say I have my ways," Vicki answered, "I’m surprised you didn’t know."

When the four teens got to Vicki’s house, all the lights were on downstairs. Both of Vicki’s parents were waiting up for them in the kitchen. Becky glared at them silently before heading upstairs. Vicki told her friends to go on.

"Can I ask you something," Vicki asked, walking into the kitchen, "What do you know about a Michael Ice?"

"We only know what we’ve heard," Marie Silver answered, "Why do you bring it up?"

"We seem to have run into something involving him," Vicki said, "He seems to be in the middle of it."

"Actually," Mr. Silver said, "I thought I saw someone who looked exactly like him today."

"Where," Vicki asked, "It might be important. What can you tell me?"

"Just that he wasn’t trying to hide out," her dad replied, "He was wandering around town for a while, doing nothing but looking in shop windows." He was about to go on, when an ear-splitting sound came from upstairs. It was a scream, and it sounded like Becky!