The Internet café had closed by the time Edmond and Susan got back to Portland. They went to Susan's apartment, and used Susan's computer. Her roommate started to give Susan a hard time about it being awfully late to have a man in her room, but she saw the looks on their faces and realized that they were very serious about whatever it was they were doing. Then she realized that this must be the Edmond Randolph that Susan had mentioned earlier.
"What's going on?" she asked.
Susan replied, "We're afraid that Mark has kidnapped Lena."
"Surely he wouldn't do that."
Edmond spoke up, "Let's hope not, but right now, both of them seem to be missing. Lena's vehicle is at her apartment building, Mark's is not at his."
Susan made some quick introductions, "Edmond, this is Marguerite, Marguerite, this is Edmond."
"Just call me Maggie. Marguerite is way too long, and it sounds way too formal."
Edmond surveyed Maggie's long, curly black hair for a moment, and her expressive dark eyes. "Maggie it is, then. Nice to meet you."
Edmond started checking more county records on line, getting farther and farther away from Portland. Finally, he found a listing for the Poppengales in Tillamook County. He copied down that address, and kept searching the Northwest corner of the state. He didn't find anything else that looked likely. He went to Mapquest and got directions.
Susan looked over his shoulder. "That's a long drive," she sighed.
Edmond nodded his head. "A little over an hour and a half. Not much longer than what we drove from here to the place near Mount Hood."
Edmond craned his neck so that he could see her face. She was tired; he could see it. Still, he was anxious, and he believed she was, too. They had just spent three and a half hours on a red herring, and neither one of them wanted to do that again. That was why he had checked every county in this part of the state, but there was no guarantee that Mark had even taken Lena to one of his parent's properties.
"If you don't feel up to it..." his voice dropped off. He really didn't know what to do next if she didn't. He was not willing to wait until the morning to check this out. He would have to find some other way out to Tillamook Bay.
Susan took a deep breath. She didn't want to let Lena down. "No, I'm okay. Let's do this."
Maggie asked, "Do you want me to go with you?"
Edmond was unsure. A part of him felt like more people would be better, but, at the same time, he wasn't sure what to expect at the bay, and he didn't want to endanger any more people than absolutely necessary. Susan bit her lip, and looked at Edmond. Edmond returned the look, but there was no answer in his eyes. Finally, Susan made a decision, "No, I think we'll be alright. If I'm not back by morning, though, you know where we went, gesturing at the computer screen, still showing directions to a house near Tillamook Bay.
A thought struck Edmond. "Do you have any kind of a weapon?"
Susan shook her head, but Maggie said, "I carry mace in my purse."
"Can we get that from you, just in case?"
"Sure." Maggie got her purse, dug out the mace, and handed it over.
"What's going on?" she asked.
Susan replied, "We're afraid that Mark has kidnapped Lena."
"Surely he wouldn't do that."
Edmond spoke up, "Let's hope not, but right now, both of them seem to be missing. Lena's vehicle is at her apartment building, Mark's is not at his."
Susan made some quick introductions, "Edmond, this is Marguerite, Marguerite, this is Edmond."
"Just call me Maggie. Marguerite is way too long, and it sounds way too formal."
Edmond surveyed Maggie's long, curly black hair for a moment, and her expressive dark eyes. "Maggie it is, then. Nice to meet you."
Edmond started checking more county records on line, getting farther and farther away from Portland. Finally, he found a listing for the Poppengales in Tillamook County. He copied down that address, and kept searching the Northwest corner of the state. He didn't find anything else that looked likely. He went to Mapquest and got directions.
Susan looked over his shoulder. "That's a long drive," she sighed.
Edmond nodded his head. "A little over an hour and a half. Not much longer than what we drove from here to the place near Mount Hood."
Edmond craned his neck so that he could see her face. She was tired; he could see it. Still, he was anxious, and he believed she was, too. They had just spent three and a half hours on a red herring, and neither one of them wanted to do that again. That was why he had checked every county in this part of the state, but there was no guarantee that Mark had even taken Lena to one of his parent's properties.
"If you don't feel up to it..." his voice dropped off. He really didn't know what to do next if she didn't. He was not willing to wait until the morning to check this out. He would have to find some other way out to Tillamook Bay.
Susan took a deep breath. She didn't want to let Lena down. "No, I'm okay. Let's do this."
Maggie asked, "Do you want me to go with you?"
Edmond was unsure. A part of him felt like more people would be better, but, at the same time, he wasn't sure what to expect at the bay, and he didn't want to endanger any more people than absolutely necessary. Susan bit her lip, and looked at Edmond. Edmond returned the look, but there was no answer in his eyes. Finally, Susan made a decision, "No, I think we'll be alright. If I'm not back by morning, though, you know where we went, gesturing at the computer screen, still showing directions to a house near Tillamook Bay.
A thought struck Edmond. "Do you have any kind of a weapon?"
Susan shook her head, but Maggie said, "I carry mace in my purse."
"Can we get that from you, just in case?"
"Sure." Maggie got her purse, dug out the mace, and handed it over.
1 comment:
BTW, you may have noticed that the story is getting close to its conclusion, and it is not nearly long enough to actually qualify as a novel. Of course, a lot of what has been written so far needs to be fleshed out. So, I am thinking that this is a first draft, and that, once the story reaches its conclusion, I will go back and rewrite, creating a second draft, and possibly even a third.
So far, I have gotten some input that the first two chapters in particular were too short. We are just getting to know Edmond, and to understand that, for whatever reason, he feels a strong attachment to this young woman in Portland, and then, suddenly, he's on an airplane. The irony of that is that when I started writing this, I really thought he was going to be in Chicago for most of the novel, but I ran out of ideas, and stuck him on a plane. Also, in Chapter 5, I have been told that there are missing words, and in some places, missing sentences. I haven't been able to determine what I left out, but two different sources have assured me that I did... I have also been assured that Lena does not drive a blue Mustang, she drives a black Range Rover (Fortunately, she lives close enough to where she works that she can generally walk to work, otherwise she would just be cashing her paycheck at the gas station). It has also been pointed out to me that I should explain Stockholm Syndrome. I didn't feel I needed to, since anyone reading online can Google the term, but, if this should ever make it into print, that would definitely be required, so, in the next draft, that will be included. So, there are my plans, and, again, if you have suggestions, I may be able to work those into the second draft (as long as I don't have to make major changes in the established story line). Thank you for your support.
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