Page 196 of Finding Us

We’re home now and as we get out of the car I scan the outside of the house. Everything appears to be okay. While we were gone, I used my phone to check the views from the cameras. I didn’t see anyone lurking around, but I only checked the cameras a few times.

I follow Jade inside and check for anything that looks out of place. Ever since that burglar showed up, I haven’t felt safe. I feel like we’re open targets out here with no protection. No gun. No security guards. No locked gate keeping people out.

I hate to admit it, but I kind of wish I lived closer to my dad now. When I went to Moorhurst, I didn’t worry about shit as much because my dad was just a half hour away. Even after Jade’s room was broken into last year, I felt safe because we were in the dorm. There were always people around and the doors were locked at night. And if we needed to, Jade and I could always go stay at my dad’s house and feel safe. Now we can’t do that. We’re out here all alone and there’s nobody here we can trust. And I can’t run to my dad for protection. It’s just me now and I have to take care of Jade.

Over the summer I didn’t have to worry. Harper was always with Jade and even when she wasn’t, the beach we lived on always had people on it. We didn’t know our neighbors that well but we’d introduced ourselves. Our neighbors were mostly families or older couples and I felt like Jade could go to them if she ever needed help. Living there felt much safer than here, where we rarely see anyone.

My phone rings and I see it’s my dad.

“Hey, Dad.” I go outside on the deck.

“Hello, Garret. I don’t have much time to talk but I wanted to give you an update regarding the robbery in your neighborhood. I’ve been trying to locate the police report.”

I don’t know how he does it, but my dad is somehow able to get access to police reports. This isn’t the first time he’s done this. When I used to get in trouble with the cops back in high school, my dad always got copies of the reports they made about me. I never asked how he got them.

“So did you find it?”

“No. I even had someone go to the station and look, but it wasn’t there. I don’t think they ever filled one out.”

“That doesn’t make sense. They arrested the guy.”

“Yes, and I checked on that. He’s still in jail but not for the robbery. They picked him up on charges related to drug possession.”

“How did you know who he was without having the police report?”

“I had one of my security experts check the footage from the cameras at your house. He was able to zoom in and identify the man in the car as a man who was already in the police’s criminal database. He has a long record, including charges for rape and attempted murder.”

“So there was a rapist killer hanging around my home? That’s just great.”

“He was never convicted on either of those charges. It sounded like he was almost convicted for the murder but he got off on a technicality. The point I’m trying to make here is that the police want to get this guy locked up for good, so it’s in their best interest to file a police report about that burglary.”

“What are you telling me here, Dad?”

“I want you to be careful. I’ll keep working on this, but until I figure out what’s going on, I need both of you to be careful.”

“What does this have to do with Jade and me? The guy robbed the neighbors, not us, and if he’s in custody now, why are you so worried?”

“When police reports are missing, it means someone’s trying to hide something.”

That’s all my dad needs to say for me to understand. It means the organization might be involved. They’re always trying to hide things. The question is, why would they be involved in this?

“I’ll let you know if I get any updates,” my dad says. “As of now, I wouldn’t tell Jade about this. There’s no use worrying her until I know for sure what’s going on.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Goodbye, Garret.”

“Bye.”

I almost wish he hadn’t told me that. He told me because he wants me to be alert. Check for anything suspicious. Keep an eye on Jade. But it’s just another thing to worry about and I don’t need the stress. I have enough of it with moving and starting a new school and dealing with my shoulder.

This missing police report could be nothing. The cops could’ve just misplaced the file. Or whoever my dad hired to find it may be looking in the wrong place. I hope that’s all it is.

My phone rings again. It’s Sean. I haven’t called him since we moved here. I kept meaning to and then I’d get busy and not do it. I need to call him more. We became really good friends over the summer and I want to make sure we stay friends. From the way things are going, I don’t think I’ll have many friends here.

“Hey, Sean.” I try to relax and get that conversation with my dad out of my head. I can’t worry about it. If I do, Jade will notice and then she’ll ask questions.

“Hey, how it’s going?”

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