Chapter 3:

            After driving back to August’s house to unload some of their luggage, the three went out to dinner around 6:30 P.M. Upon August’s request, they headed out to Cassese’s MVR where they enjoyed pizza on an outdoor patio and watched other customers compete at bocce on the nearby courts.

            The meal was quiet and uneventful. Throughout the night, though, Jamie could see a change come over August. From the moment he first took a bite of pizza, a faint sparkle entered his eyes. As the meal went on, he continued to change. He smiled more and his features took on a dreamy quality. It was as if a wave of tranquility had washed over him and swept him back into happier times. Though he inhabited the same world as Jamie and Griswold, in his mind’s eye, this world had transformed in some way for the better. After he finished eating, he sat staring blissfully at the bocce games that were played throughout the night, occasionally sighing softly.

            While they were waiting for their bill, August turned to Jamie and Griswold. “Hey guys,” he said. “I just wanted to say thanks for bringing me here tonight.”

            “No problem,” replied Griswold. “I mean, you are letting us stay at your house while we investigate, so letting you choose where we eat is the least we can do.”

            “Yeah,” August chuckled. “What I meant, though, was that I haven’t eaten here in forever. I really missed it.”

            “What do you mean?” asked Jamie.

            “Well…” hesitated August, “my family’s always been tight on money, but things got pretty bad when my dad left. Both my parents were already working, so losing him left Mom as the only one to fend for me. Then she got laid off from the steel mill and couldn’t find a job anywhere else, leading her to…do what she does now. Anyway, all this shit’s made her extremely worried about money and not want to spend it whenever possible. She says you never know when you’ll need it for an emergency. Because of that, we haven’t eaten out like this in a while, even when the food’s a good deal. And…eating here, especially now that she’s missing, made everything feel…kinda normal again. It takes me back to the good old days.”

            “Hey man,” said Jamie with a smile, “we’re happy to help in any way we can. Just say the word.”

            “Indeed, my good sir,” concurred Griswold with slight bow of her head.

            At this point, the bill had arrived. After it was paid, the three walked to the car and drove back to August’s house. As the faint oranges and reds of the setting sun sank beneath the horizon and night filled the sky, Jamie looked in the rearview mirror and saw that August had fallen asleep in the back. His head was leaned back in his seat and he had a serene look on his face. Jamie smiled to herself as she refocused on the dark road ahead.

            When they got back to 23 Acacia Avenue, August immediately went up his room while Jamie and Griswold started setting up their sleeping quarters in the living room. As they did so, Jamie, taking a break to snack on a few of Elizabeth’s cookies, turned to Griswold and asked, “What do you think of the case so far?”

            “Honestly, I think this case has a lot of moving parts and that it would not be wise to try to come to a conclusion before we have enough information,” Griswold said as she unrolled a sleeping bag.

            “So, you don’t really know what’s going on either?” replied Jamie.

            “About what happened to Charlotte?” said Griswold. “No, not yet. However, you may rest assured that today was incredibly fruitful in terms of finding clues to help illuminate the situation. I just don’t know how all of these pieces fit together yet.”

            “I getcha,” sighed Jamie.

            “By the way,” said Griswold, “just out of curiosity, how are the cookies? Do you feel… funny or anything?”

            “Nope,” said Jamie. “I feel fine. They’re really good by the way. You want one?”

            “No thanks,” replied Griswold. “Again, I’d rather not take any chances.”

            With that, the two went back to getting ready for bed and turned in around 10:30 P.M. As Jamie drifted off to sleep, she thought, “God, I hope we’re on the right track. I want that kid back with his mom.”

*****