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2024-10-29 19:42:56The men finished up their phone calls. No one had seen or heard from Matt in weeks. The last time anyone had heard from him was three weeks ago. That was his parents who told Gabe that he had not sounded like himself, and he was rushed on the phone. The next time they called, they received the same message that the group had earlier in the day. Mack looked at the growing list of people who had no idea of where the other man was.
It was totally out of character, and Gabe had asked Matt’s parents if they had listed him as missing yet. His parents now were concerned more than they had been before. Mack suggested they talk with Max and have him reach out to Matt’s parents for the time being. The main issue was they would hate the person who actually had to tell them that Matt was either missing for good or that he was dead. Mack could help out, but he was not willing to be the one to have to do that.
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The Friend Trap 56
“I see,” Henni said. Henni dreaded the reports being brought to her via her work email. She was grateful they did not call her to do the actual autopsies. She did the video observation, though. So she still had those imagines in her mind. Though right now, she was trying to be clinical about everything. She had worked on cases where she had known the person on the table before. This was different. “Are you holding up?” Mack asked as he walked into the house, knowing that she had been there to observe everything in the past three days. She hadn’t said much. She was still having a difficult time with processing everything to do with this. It was bringing up the past she had worked really hard to forget. “I am here,” Henni said. “They had to do DNA to identify Beth and Alisha. Their parents wouldn’t look at them.” “Why?” Mack asked, a little angry that someone could do this to their children
The Friend Trap 57
“I don’t think the people are all the people we are supposed to think they are.” Max said, “as bad as that sounds.” “Henni is having the same issue.” Mack replied as he sighed, “I would say we need to wait on the DNA results before moving on.” “With that one, I agree. Your missing person, though. There are so many things not right I don’t know if I should keep it a missing person or move it up the food chain a bit.” Max said. “I think I have to move it. I am sorry because I know he was your friend, but I don’t think he is alive any longer.” “I know,” Mack said as he shook his head. “The only hope I had has already gone. Our second youngest’s birthday was a few days ago. Matt never forgot her birthday. He was there in the hospital with us right after she was born. He is her godfather. No matter what, even if he was hiding, he would have found a way to get her a message or something to h
The Friend Trap 58
“Why would that matter?” Henni asked as she looked at the two men. “A crime of passion often has lesser charges,” Mack said as he looked at his wife. “Because passion can blind you from the way you normally would act. It is like a temporary, momentary insanity. You can do many things if you have that extra bit.” “I see,” Henni said as she looked at the two. “We need to go over what he does know and what he doesn’t,” Max said as he looked at the two. “This is going to take a while.” “Then we should get started,” Henni said as she sat down and then started to thinking. She was filtering the conversations with Matt that she had and the ones she overheard Mack have with him. Soon she was listing the questions and the information that the two had given him. She was rather quick about it, and Max was even more impressed with the woman. He had recorded the whole thing as he knew he would need to go back and list
The Friend Trap 59
The Days passed. The more they knew about everything, the more they knew it wasn’t as it was supposed to be. It was a planned event to look like something else. Mack walked into the other police station to deliver a few things. He looked at Max’s office and saw him there. “I thought you would be at the university,” Mack said as he knocked at the doorframe of the small office. “I normally do,” Max said. “However, my basement office there is full of papers that I don’t want to deal with today.” “Makes sense,” Mack said as he took a step in. “What are you doing here?” Max asked as he looked at the man. “Dropping off a folder on another case,” Mack said as he sat down. “Any news?” “A thousand small pieces of information. Now just trying to make sense of it.” Max said as he looked at Mack, knowing he knew exactly what he meant without any more explaining. “The in
The Friend Trap 60
Max Anderson stood in front of his class the next day. It was an intro to criminal science, but these kids were the next possible generation of the police force. He looked around to the fifty or so students, and though his eyes lingered on one for a few seconds longer, she wasn’t looking at him. She hadn’t since the day she got tongue-tied and almost ran out of the room. That was a few months ago. She had shown up to class, but he could see she was having trouble with some of the concepts. She would not come to get help, though. She wouldn’t put herself in a position to be alone with him again. At least he thought that was the reason. The lecture hall was full. He was hoping to use their brains. They would be the new set of eyes they needed to get through this case and sifting the big things from the small things. If Matt knew the procedures, it was time to throw th
The Friend Trap 61
Max was standing in the building that was in the middle of nowhere. He had a team in the back of him that was going to breach the doors first. The two people inside were considered armed and dangerous after the break in the case that had come from his students. After that, everything fell into place just like Mack had said it would. It had been easy to locate the building after he was able to see everything more clearly. The woods were wet and chilly for the season. The smell of the forest was dank and deep. As the team was breathing deeply to make the breach a bit easier, they could feel the heaviness in the air. It was almost ominous for everyone. Walking into the unknown was never easy. This was a bit harder. They were waiting for the teams to get to all the exits covered. Max didn’t think they would run. He had to wonder if it was even them in the building. The team was moving around as they used the heat sensor to see
The Friend Trap 62
At the station, he was waiting for Beth to be processed. He knew he had to make the phone call he was dreading. He picked up, knowing that he was going to make the in-person notification to Matt’s parents, but he was going to make this phone call first. It wasn’t normal, but Max needed to get it off his chest. “Hello?” Mack answered. “Mack,” Max said, and he found the words getting caught in his throat. “You found him, didn’t you?” Mack said softly. “Yes,” Max said as he hung his head down. “How long?” Mack asked. “Looks like the day of the murders,” Max said as he thought of his friend. He also had gone over the thought that Max had after he used Deanna’s paper as a clue itself. He thought he knew everything, but Mack was the one who had thought for weeks his friend was gone. “I see,” Mack said. “Well, I know the next
The Friend Trap 63
Max couldn’t listen to her anymore. He got what he needed from her. He turned his back and walked out without another word. He shut the door, and the Captain clapped him on the back as he walked out into the air of the main room, and then he went to his car. He opened his glove compartment and took out the box of cigarettes. He hated the fact he still carried them, and he would debate on tossing them, knowing they were stale by now.He pulled one out and lit it as he took a deep drag. He was surprised he didn’t start coughing. It had been months since his last one. The captain walked out and spotted him. “Didn’t take you for a smoker.” He said as he walked up to the younger man.“I’m not. I quit when I got out of the army.” Max said as he looked at the cigarette in his hand. “Today, I really need this.”
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The Friend Trap 64
As the group, all headed to the small ceremony for Matt in the church. They all knew this was the real end to the situation. They thought it had ended years before, but now there was no one left but them. They were now sitting as a group behind Matt’s parents, and the children all hugged them as well. They turned to Mack, “He is gone now. I hope you don’t mind if we adopt them as our grandchildren. We have known you and your cousin since you were born.” “Ma’am, if that is what you want to do, my wife and I would love you share them with you,” Mack replied, and Henni nodded. The kids all stood with their parents. “Matt was their godfather. It would honor him to have you a part of their lives.” Mack moved into the pew, and the kids sandwiched between them. “Daddy?” his daughter asked as he whispered. “What, sweetheart?” Mack asked quietly as the service was going to start in a moment. “Why are we here?” she asked and
The Friend Trap 63
Max couldn’t listen to her anymore. He got what he needed from her. He turned his back and walked out without another word. He shut the door, and the Captain clapped him on the back as he walked out into the air of the main room, and then he went to his car. He opened his glove compartment and took out the box of cigarettes. He hated the fact he still carried them, and he would debate on tossing them, knowing they were stale by now.He pulled one out and lit it as he took a deep drag. He was surprised he didn’t start coughing. It had been months since his last one. The captain walked out and spotted him. “Didn’t take you for a smoker.” He said as he walked up to the younger man.“I’m not. I quit when I got out of the army.” Max said as he looked at the cigarette in his hand. “Today, I really need this.”
The Friend Trap 62
At the station, he was waiting for Beth to be processed. He knew he had to make the phone call he was dreading. He picked up, knowing that he was going to make the in-person notification to Matt’s parents, but he was going to make this phone call first. It wasn’t normal, but Max needed to get it off his chest. “Hello?” Mack answered. “Mack,” Max said, and he found the words getting caught in his throat. “You found him, didn’t you?” Mack said softly. “Yes,” Max said as he hung his head down. “How long?” Mack asked. “Looks like the day of the murders,” Max said as he thought of his friend. He also had gone over the thought that Max had after he used Deanna’s paper as a clue itself. He thought he knew everything, but Mack was the one who had thought for weeks his friend was gone. “I see,” Mack said. “Well, I know the next
The Friend Trap 61
Max was standing in the building that was in the middle of nowhere. He had a team in the back of him that was going to breach the doors first. The two people inside were considered armed and dangerous after the break in the case that had come from his students. After that, everything fell into place just like Mack had said it would. It had been easy to locate the building after he was able to see everything more clearly. The woods were wet and chilly for the season. The smell of the forest was dank and deep. As the team was breathing deeply to make the breach a bit easier, they could feel the heaviness in the air. It was almost ominous for everyone. Walking into the unknown was never easy. This was a bit harder. They were waiting for the teams to get to all the exits covered. Max didn’t think they would run. He had to wonder if it was even them in the building. The team was moving around as they used the heat sensor to see
The Friend Trap 60
Max Anderson stood in front of his class the next day. It was an intro to criminal science, but these kids were the next possible generation of the police force. He looked around to the fifty or so students, and though his eyes lingered on one for a few seconds longer, she wasn’t looking at him. She hadn’t since the day she got tongue-tied and almost ran out of the room. That was a few months ago. She had shown up to class, but he could see she was having trouble with some of the concepts. She would not come to get help, though. She wouldn’t put herself in a position to be alone with him again. At least he thought that was the reason. The lecture hall was full. He was hoping to use their brains. They would be the new set of eyes they needed to get through this case and sifting the big things from the small things. If Matt knew the procedures, it was time to throw th
The Friend Trap 59
The Days passed. The more they knew about everything, the more they knew it wasn’t as it was supposed to be. It was a planned event to look like something else. Mack walked into the other police station to deliver a few things. He looked at Max’s office and saw him there. “I thought you would be at the university,” Mack said as he knocked at the doorframe of the small office. “I normally do,” Max said. “However, my basement office there is full of papers that I don’t want to deal with today.” “Makes sense,” Mack said as he took a step in. “What are you doing here?” Max asked as he looked at the man. “Dropping off a folder on another case,” Mack said as he sat down. “Any news?” “A thousand small pieces of information. Now just trying to make sense of it.” Max said as he looked at Mack, knowing he knew exactly what he meant without any more explaining. “The in
The Friend Trap 58
“Why would that matter?” Henni asked as she looked at the two men. “A crime of passion often has lesser charges,” Mack said as he looked at his wife. “Because passion can blind you from the way you normally would act. It is like a temporary, momentary insanity. You can do many things if you have that extra bit.” “I see,” Henni said as she looked at the two. “We need to go over what he does know and what he doesn’t,” Max said as he looked at the two. “This is going to take a while.” “Then we should get started,” Henni said as she sat down and then started to thinking. She was filtering the conversations with Matt that she had and the ones she overheard Mack have with him. Soon she was listing the questions and the information that the two had given him. She was rather quick about it, and Max was even more impressed with the woman. He had recorded the whole thing as he knew he would need to go back and list
The Friend Trap 57
“I don’t think the people are all the people we are supposed to think they are.” Max said, “as bad as that sounds.” “Henni is having the same issue.” Mack replied as he sighed, “I would say we need to wait on the DNA results before moving on.” “With that one, I agree. Your missing person, though. There are so many things not right I don’t know if I should keep it a missing person or move it up the food chain a bit.” Max said. “I think I have to move it. I am sorry because I know he was your friend, but I don’t think he is alive any longer.” “I know,” Mack said as he shook his head. “The only hope I had has already gone. Our second youngest’s birthday was a few days ago. Matt never forgot her birthday. He was there in the hospital with us right after she was born. He is her godfather. No matter what, even if he was hiding, he would have found a way to get her a message or something to h
The Friend Trap 56
“I see,” Henni said. Henni dreaded the reports being brought to her via her work email. She was grateful they did not call her to do the actual autopsies. She did the video observation, though. So she still had those imagines in her mind. Though right now, she was trying to be clinical about everything. She had worked on cases where she had known the person on the table before. This was different. “Are you holding up?” Mack asked as he walked into the house, knowing that she had been there to observe everything in the past three days. She hadn’t said much. She was still having a difficult time with processing everything to do with this. It was bringing up the past she had worked really hard to forget. “I am here,” Henni said. “They had to do DNA to identify Beth and Alisha. Their parents wouldn’t look at them.” “Why?” Mack asked, a little angry that someone could do this to their children
