“Vicki,” Rob Silver, her father, called out. He heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall and seconds later, saw Vicki.

“Yes,” Vicki asked, her blue eyes looking confused, “Do you need something dad?” Vicki was seventeen with long, light brown hair and blue eyes. Even though she was five foot eight, shorter than her dad was, they looked a lot alike.

“Could you deliver this to my corporate office for me,” he asked, handing his daughter a manila envelope, “It’s important that they arrive as soon as possible. I would go myself, but I have to run to the office in town.”

“Sure,” Vicki answered, “Does this have anything to do about a new case for you?” Both of Vicki’s parents were lawyers in Sport, Maine.

“Yes,” her dad answered, “Would you please do that for me? I’m really not supposed to talk about it and I have to rush. Thank you so much.”

Vicki turned around, envelope in hand and walked down the stairs. Her dad followed her down seconds later, carrying his briefcase. Vicki waved as he jumped into his car and pulled out. She then got into her red convertible and did the same.

She had driven down to the Corporate Office many times before and knew the area well. It was rare that her dad would ask her to deliver anything though. She placed the papers in the seat beside her, wondering what was inside. Vicki wasn’t the kind of person to go looking into her dad’s private business though and left them there.

      

After about a twenty-minute drive, Vicki stopped and turned to the right. She glanced at her rearview mirror and watched as a gray car made the same move. This guy had been following her for the past five minutes and Vicki was beginning to get a strange feeling. Being a detective, she immediately knew that something was wrong. The office was ten minutes down the road still, but she decided that it could wait for five extra minutes.

       Vicki quickly turned to the left and down a slightly busy highway. Then she glanced back in her rearview mirror. The car was still following her. Taking a chance, Vicki moved to another lane and tried her best to move forward and away from the gray car.

       Somehow though, he managed to keep up with her until she was forced to turn down a narrow path that was heading in a different direction. She hoped that she could think of a plan to lead him off the trail. Suddenly, the gray car shot forward, hitting her back bumper forcefully. Vicki swerved to the right and watched as he prepared another blow to her car.

It connected again before she could do anything and Vicki looked as her car pitched forward. She turned back to watch the road when it appeared in front of her. A small ditch, which was directly in front of her, filled the front of her windshield. Then she felt the convertible lurch up as it landed inside it. That was the last thing she remembered.

 

Three hours later, Vicki’s father decided to call her on the cell phone. His wife, Marie Silver, had called him only thirty minutes ago to tell him that Vicki hadn’t returned home. Rob Silver thought that she might have gone somewhere and forgotten to call.

He punched in the familiar number and waited as the phone picked up. All he got was the ringing and nothing else. Then he began to worry. Vicki always answered the phone, no matter what was going on. Why would she not answer now? Quickly he dialed Vicki’s best friend, C. J’s number and heard her pick up.

“Hello,” C. J. asked and Mr. Silver explained what was going on.

“Have you seen Vicki at all today,” he asked hopefully, “She hasn’t come back home.”

“I haven’t seen her,” C. J. replied, “Have you tried her cell phone?”

“Yes,” he answered, “There was no one there. She didn’t pick up. Could you do me a favor?”

“Anything,” C. J. answered, and listened to his request, “Sure I’ll go check the route to the office. I will call back later and leave word at your house.” Now she was beginning to get worried. C. J. knew that the drive was only about an hour altogether going there and back.

C. J. hung up the phone and pushed her dark brown hair behind her ear. She immediately raced downstairs and to her green van. Being Vicki’s best friend had its down points. C. J. knew the way to the offices without having to look, so why had Vicki not returned?

She drove onto the main road and looked around. This was the only way that Vicki ever went to the offices. The flow of traffic had lessened as she drove to the offices themselves. Vicki’s red convertible was nowhere to be seen and when she asked inside, everyone reported that she hadn’t been in that day.

C. J. thanked them and went back to her van. She drove back down the road, her brown eyes checking for any sign of a wreck, but saw none. In fact, she almost missed the path leading off the road. At the very last second she spotted the path and turned into it. A short drive later brought her to a car lying inside of a ditch, nose-down.

She jumped out and ran over to the car. It was exactly what she hadn’t wanted to happen. She immediately recognized Vicki’s car and checked inside. Vicki wasn’t anywhere. C. J. searched the area and was about to turn back when something caught her attention. It was a piece of paper, and it was directly outside the car door.

C. J. picked it up and turned it over. The paper was covered in various times. It read:

3:40

5:28

1:29

7:26

8:07

3:26

2:05

6:17

9:38

4:36