Jackson was sitting in front of the fireplace looking at his wedding album. He looked at the happy smiling faces. Karen, in her dress, shoving cake into his mouth. Him holding her close during their first dance as man and wife. The joy on his face when he lifted his glass to her. Each picture he looked at, he saw Sam's face superimposed over Karen's. A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. Was he going to forget what Karen looked like? His rational mind told him to
end this, but his emotions stomped on rational thought. He COULD have all that again. He was on his way to having his life back. He sighed, closing the album. He heard a vehicle drive up outside. Quickly, he went and looked in on Sam. She was sleeping peacefully. He stopped and admired her for a moment before coming out and closing the door leading to the hallway and master bedroom. He then returned to his seat and waited for the visitor to make himself known.
He didn't have to wait long. A knock sounded at the door. He rose from his chair and moved to the door, opening it.
Standing in the doorway he saw a uniformed deputy. "Can I help you? Jackson asked, schooling his features to remain calm.
Yes, sir. You are...?"
"Jackson Thomason. I live here with my wife Karen. What can I do for you?"
"I'm Deputy Roberts with the County Police. We're looking for a young woman who might have been out this way a couple of weeks ago. A Major Samantha Carter. She's blond, about 5'9. Might have been on a classic motorcycle. She went missing around the time the snowstorm started." The deputy pulled a picture of Sam out of his jacket and handed it to Jackson.
Jackson took the picture and looked carefully at it. "I was out that day getting supplies. Didn't see anything on the way out or when I came back in," he replied, careful to keep himself composed. "She's very attractive. What makes you think she was out this way?"
The deputy shifted, looking past him into the living room. "Kid down at the service station suggested this road as a nice ride for her on the bike. That was the last time anybody has seen her." He lowered his voice. "Personally, I figure we'll find her somewhere out there", he motioned over his shoulder, "after the snow melts in the spring, her and her bike, but gotta look anyway. What about your wife. May I speak with her? Maybe she saw or heard something,"
the deputy asked.
"I...I'm sorry. Karen has been ill with pneumonia and hasn't been out of the house since late summer. She's recovering from cancer. She's sleeping right now, but I'll ask her when she wakes up and if she saw or heard anything I'll contact you. She didn't mention to me anything out of the ordinary when I got home."
"Well, thanks. We're going to continue looking around out this way, so if you think of anything that might help, please let us know," Deputy Roberts nodded, tipping his hat and handing Jackson a business card. "Keep the picture. Maybe you'll run across her. I hope Mrs. Thomason feels better soon." With that, he was gone.
Jackson closed the door and leaned back against it, blowing out a deep breath. "So," he thought. "They know she was in this area. This complicates things."
Something the deputy said stuck in his mind. " I figure we'll find her somewhere out there after the snow melts in the spring, her and her bike." Well, he could handle the bike thing. Finding her might be a little bit harder, especially if she was in, say... Canada? South America? Alaska? Jackson had saved up quite a bit of money during his practice. They could go anywhere they wanted, live there for the rest of their lives. She would be away from the people looking for her.
She would just be another missing person. The bike would be found out in the woods. It would be assumed that her body might never be recovered. She would be mourned and remembered by the people now searching for her. But he and 'Karen" would live happily every after. He began to make his plans.
end this, but his emotions stomped on rational thought. He COULD have all that again. He was on his way to having his life back. He sighed, closing the album. He heard a vehicle drive up outside. Quickly, he went and looked in on Sam. She was sleeping peacefully. He stopped and admired her for a moment before coming out and closing the door leading to the hallway and master bedroom. He then returned to his seat and waited for the visitor to make himself known.
He didn't have to wait long. A knock sounded at the door. He rose from his chair and moved to the door, opening it.
Standing in the doorway he saw a uniformed deputy. "Can I help you? Jackson asked, schooling his features to remain calm.
Yes, sir. You are...?"
"Jackson Thomason. I live here with my wife Karen. What can I do for you?"
"I'm Deputy Roberts with the County Police. We're looking for a young woman who might have been out this way a couple of weeks ago. A Major Samantha Carter. She's blond, about 5'9. Might have been on a classic motorcycle. She went missing around the time the snowstorm started." The deputy pulled a picture of Sam out of his jacket and handed it to Jackson.
Jackson took the picture and looked carefully at it. "I was out that day getting supplies. Didn't see anything on the way out or when I came back in," he replied, careful to keep himself composed. "She's very attractive. What makes you think she was out this way?"
The deputy shifted, looking past him into the living room. "Kid down at the service station suggested this road as a nice ride for her on the bike. That was the last time anybody has seen her." He lowered his voice. "Personally, I figure we'll find her somewhere out there", he motioned over his shoulder, "after the snow melts in the spring, her and her bike, but gotta look anyway. What about your wife. May I speak with her? Maybe she saw or heard something,"
the deputy asked.
"I...I'm sorry. Karen has been ill with pneumonia and hasn't been out of the house since late summer. She's recovering from cancer. She's sleeping right now, but I'll ask her when she wakes up and if she saw or heard anything I'll contact you. She didn't mention to me anything out of the ordinary when I got home."
"Well, thanks. We're going to continue looking around out this way, so if you think of anything that might help, please let us know," Deputy Roberts nodded, tipping his hat and handing Jackson a business card. "Keep the picture. Maybe you'll run across her. I hope Mrs. Thomason feels better soon." With that, he was gone.
Jackson closed the door and leaned back against it, blowing out a deep breath. "So," he thought. "They know she was in this area. This complicates things."
Something the deputy said stuck in his mind. " I figure we'll find her somewhere out there after the snow melts in the spring, her and her bike." Well, he could handle the bike thing. Finding her might be a little bit harder, especially if she was in, say... Canada? South America? Alaska? Jackson had saved up quite a bit of money during his practice. They could go anywhere they wanted, live there for the rest of their lives. She would be away from the people looking for her.
She would just be another missing person. The bike would be found out in the woods. It would be assumed that her body might never be recovered. She would be mourned and remembered by the people now searching for her. But he and 'Karen" would live happily every after. He began to make his plans.