Survivor: 1 by J. F. Gonzalez Read Free Book Online Page B

probably just missed each other," she
said. "Your dad will find her."

    They spent the next ten minutes talking about what had
happened yesterday. Brad told her everything, starting
with the lane change and Mr. Smith's van being suddenly
on top of him, tailgating him all the way down the hill, to
finally dropping back. Joan felt more nervous as the story
spun out, and she tried to tell herself that she was overreacting when Brad was finally finished. "1'm sure everything will work out," she said. "When this is over-"
    The sound of the door opening interrupted her and
they both turned to the sound. Flank came down the hall
alone, his features creased with worry. Joan felt a flutter
in her stomach, and she heard her voice give a sharp
squeak as she asked her husband, "You didn't find her?"
    Frank shook his head, his dark eyes wide and scared. "I
retraced my steps all the way back. Even asked the hostess at the Denny's if Lisa had been in. She hadn't been in
at all, even last night. The front desk clerk at the motel
says they haven't seen her since she checked in. I tried
knocking on her door again, but there's still no answer."
    If Brad looked scared before, he looked petrified at this
news. His face went pale. Joan felt light-headed with worry.
She reached through the bars again and took her son's
hands. "I don't like this," she said. "Maybe we should-"
    "Go back to the motel and ask them to open the door
for you," Brad said, his voice wavering. "Tell them what's
going on, and if they won't open the door, come back
here and talk to the police. In fact, ask for Officer Lansing. He's the guy who arrested me yesterday."
    "I'll be right back " Flank said, turning to head back
down the hall. Joan watched him go, feeling lightheaded and dizzy. Frank had looked ashen as he told them what he'd found, and as she turned back to her son
she suddenly saw how Brad would look in thirty years: he
would be an exact carbon-copy of his father.

    "Everything's going to be okay," she said, forcing a
smile and squeezing his hands through the bars.
    Brad nodded, not meeting her gaze. "Yeah." But the
tone of his voice suggested that he didn't believe her.
    Frank had to threaten legal action if the front desk clerk
didn't get off his fat ass now and accompany him with a
passkey to room 6 and open the door. The clerk sighed,
rolled his eyes, and moved himself off the stool behind
the desk with a groan. "I'll probably get fired anyway for
doing this, so let's go." He pulled the passkey to room 6
off the wall and swung around the counter. "Be right
back," he called to somebody in the back room.
    Frank felt his limbs grow heavy with trepidation as they
approached the room. The desk clerk paused in front of
the door, inserted the key, and opened the door, stepping
back to let Frank pass. "Be my guest," he said.
    Frank stepped into the room, the darkness seemingly
sudden and final. He felt for a light switch, found it, and
turned on the light. He stood at the threshold for a long
time, not sure what he was seeing. He had almost forgotten about the front-desk clerk when he heard his voice
behind him. "Well? Satisfied now?"
    Room 6 was fine. The bed was neatly made, with no
signs that it had been slept in. There was no sign of a
struggle; no overturned furniture, no broken glass. Frank
stepped into the room, his eyes sweeping around it. Lisa
and Brad's Lexus was parked right outside the front door,
but there was no sign of their luggage or any other personal belongings anywhere. He headed to the bathroom
and turned on the light, inspecting the sink and countertop, the unused bathtub, the clean white towels lined up on the iron rung of the linen ring. He turned to the clerk
who had followed him into the room. Are you sure you
haven't seen Lisa Miller? Think!'

    The clerk shrugged. "Only time I saw her was last night
when she checked in.' He glanced around the room. "Are
you sure she even spent the night here?