Help Me Read Free

door and the puddle of water had dampened the welcome mat. The space was a disaster area, a mystery whose only clues led to thoughts of violence and damage.
    Terror filled me so quickly I swayed on my feet. My worst fears were true. Something horrible had happened to my sister and I had no idea what to do.

Chapter Two
    I don’t know how long I stood there, hand gripping the doorknob so tight it hurt. But eventually I came to my senses. This wasn’t a time for panic. I wasn’t a helpless child anymore. I could handle the situation, do what needed to be done.
    I carried my suitcase inside and set it down on a small empty spot on the floor. Kat didn’t have a landline phone, so I pulled out my cell and began to dial nine-one-one. But a sound from the back stopped me. Finger poised over the last number, I stepped over the mess and made my way to what turned out to be her bedroom. Passing the empty bathroom on the way, I walked in and found more of the same. Chaos. A whole closet full of clothes littered the floor and the mattress had been yanked halfway off its frame.
    The loft-style window was open and I discovered the source of the noise I’d heard. A breeze blew in and made a set of wind chimes hanging from a pipe ring out.
    “Damn it.”
    I finished dialing and raised the phone to my ear.
    “911, what is your emergency?”
    Emergency. Just hearing the calm voice use that word threatened to push me over the edge. “My sister is missing.”
    “How long has she been missing?”
    “I-I’m not really sure. I was supposed to meet her about two hours ago…”
    “How old is she?”
    “Twenty-six. Almost twenty-seven.”
    “And she’s only been gone for a few hours?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you have reason to believe she’s been injured?”
    “Well, I’m not sure. Her apartment is a mess, but I don’t know if she-”
    Before I could finish the sentence she interrupted. “You need to contact the local station. I’ll give you the number.”
    “Wait, I-”
    But again, she was rattling off digits before I could say anything, and then she hung up. Moved on to a real emergency I guess.
    I shook my head and dialed again. This time I was on hold for a while before getting a receptionist who then put me on hold again.
    Wandering back out into Kat’s living room I noticed something. The furniture, while mostly destroyed, was really nice. I didn’t know much about it, but the pieces seemed fancier than anything I’d ever owned. The wood thicker and heavier. The fabrics softer and richer.
    I was about to right an upended bar stool when I snatched my hand back. The police would want to collect fingerprints and photographs. Everything had to be left as it was. I could be contaminating evidence, something that might tell us where Kat was. I stayed frozen in place, trying not to touch anything while I waited.
    Finally, an office came on the line. “How may I help you?”
    “I need someone to come out to my sister’s apartment. I think she’s in danger.”
    “Why do you think that?”
    “She was supposed to pick me up from the airport, but she never showed and I can’t reach her.”
    “Where are you now?”
    “Her place. I have a key and it’s a mess. I mean, it looks like something terrible happened here.”
    “Any signs of a struggle?”
    “I…I’m not sure. There’s no blood or anything like that. But everything is torn apart. Every room looks ransacked.”
    “I see. Address and your sister’s name, please.”
    I gave them both.
    “Hold on for one second, please.”
    “Okay.”
    He came back quickly. “There’s nothing in the computer. No records of calls from that address recently.”
    “Oh. Is that good?”
    “Perhaps. It just means no one called to report something going on.”
    “Oh. So, how long will it be? And should I go outside so I don’t damage the scene?”
    The office chuckled. “No, Miss. This isn’t television.”
    “So when are you coming?”
    “We’re not. You can come to the