Student Is Missing For 2 Years Until Father Prompts Officer To Check Neighbor’s Garage

Good Or Bad

Dark circles had formed under the old man’s dull eyes as he waited in the safety of his own home.

He was sick with worry, waiting for the officer to return with some news. Whether good or bad, he just wanted to know what had happened to his daughter. 

Over the course of the last few hours, he had chewed his nails down to the skin. Everything that had happened in the last two years all boiled down to this moment. He was terrified. 

His Intentions 

When Ross first stopped at his neighbor’s house, his only intention was to see how his renovations had come along. For the last week, he had been renovating his garage. 

His neighbor, Arthur, had been there for him in the last two years. Ever since his daughter’s sudden disappearance, he needed all the support he could get.

Arthur was there to lend an ear whenever it became too much for the old man to handle.

No Answer

He walked up to Arthur’s front door with a cooler in hand, excited to share a drink with his friend while he told him about the renovations.

Ross waited for a minute before knocking again, but there was still no answer.

The garage was wide open, and he thought that Arthur wouldn’t mind if he had a little look around. He had no idea what he was about to find. 

A Secret

Ross walked the short distance from the front door to the garage, stepping under ladders and avoiding tripping over tools and wires. 

The place smelt like new paint and it looked amazing. Arthur wanted to turn it into a personal bar, and Ross couldn’t wait to see the final results. 

He placed his cooler down and rested his hands on his hips, impressed by the hard work the contractors put in. He hadn’t noticed it yet, but the room contained a sinister secret about his daughter, Cheryl.

Something Pink

Slowly, the older man began making his way around the room, observing the scene silently.

A bar had already been put in, but what caught Ross’s attention was the shelves beside it. They had been there for years.

That was when he spotted something pink on top of one of the shelves. Taking a step closer, he tried to get a better look at it. That’s when he saw it.

A Blouse

The pink fabric of the blouse seemed oddly familiar, but it wasn’t anything he’d seen recently. Picking up the material, he unfurled it and held it up before him.

His eyes narrowed on the top. Where had he seen it before?

But as he went to put it back down, he spotted the small buttons along the front of it. Suddenly, he was taken aback by a memory of his daughter sewing them on just hours before she went missing.

There He Was

“Ross?” He heard from behind him and quickly balled the material back up, stuffing it back on top of the shelf where he found it.

Wiping a hand across his sweaty forehead, he turned around to see Arthur approaching. 

“Sorry pal, I didn’t hear you knock,” the younger man smiled. Ross swallowed loudly, his heart racing in his chest. What was his neighbor doing with his daughter’s blouse? He had to get out of there. 

A Happy Family

Seattle native, Ross Thomas always thought that he had the perfect life.

His entire world revolved around his wife, Amy, and his daughter, Cheryl. Everything he did, he did for the two special women in his life. 

Amy was a stay-at-home wife while 21-year-old Cheryl made her way through college. Ross was grateful that his career allowed his family to live so comfortably. 

Summer Vacation 

They spent every summer traveling to a new country. It was Ross’s way of showing his wife and daughter how much they meant to him.

But one year, as they were getting ready for a trip to New Zealand, something terrible happened. 

It was Cheryl’s last day on campus before summer vacation, and they were set to leave the very next day. Little did her parents know that she would not be home that night. 

Something Was Wrong 

When she failed to come home at the usual time, Ross didn’t think much of it. He assumed that she had gone out to celebrate with friends and that she had forgotten to inform him and Amy.

But when he found her bedroom empty the next morning, he knew that something was wrong. 

She wasn’t the type to leave without saying a word. He tried calling her several times, but she wasn’t answering her phone.

Voicemail 

The hours were slowly ticking by. It was nearly noon, and they were set to leave for the airport at 7 p.m.

Eventually, he decided to call her friends, but none of them had heard from Cheryl. In fact, they claimed not to have seen her on campus the day before.

Ross’s blood ran cold. Did she never make it to campus? He tried to call her once again, but this time, his call went straight to voicemail. Someone had turned her phone off. 

Calling 911

At this point, his daughter had been missing for over twenty-four hours, and he had to do something about it.

He contacted the authorities, and when they showed up at his house, he told them everything he knew. 

“She left for college around 9 a.m. yesterday, and she still hadn’t come home. Her friends said she never made it onto campus, and I can’t get through to her phone,” Tears burned behind the older man’s eyes.

She Was Gone

They immediately opened a missing person case and plastered Cheryl’s face on every billboard in town. But weeks passed without any trace of the young woman.

Needless to say, Ross and Amy never went on their trip as they too were doing everything in their power to find Cheryl.

The police couldn’t find any information on what had happened to Cheryl after she left her home that morning. It seemed she had disappeared into thin air.

Years Passed

Before they knew it, weeks had turned into months, and months had turned into two whole years without Cheryl.

Ross and Amy’s marriage fell apart without their loving daughter, and Amy decided to move into a place of her own.

Ross’s once-perfect life had suddenly changed, and he was faced with the worst spell of depression he had ever experienced. But one person knew just how to cheer him up: his neighbor, Arthur. 

The Neighbor 

Arthur Simmons was a thirty-five-year-old lawyer. He had moved into the house next door just a few months before Cheryl disappeared.

He came to visit the Thomas household often, and he got on well with Cheryl.

When she disappeared, he made sure to remain close to her father, often acting as a shoulder to cry on. Ross thought he was just being a good friend, but he didn’t know the full story.

Their Friendship 

Over the last two years, Arthur would often invite Ross over for a drink. He was always sure to ask if there was any news in Cheryl’s case.

Ross assumed he was just being supportive whenever he asked about it.

He appreciated his friendship with Arthur. But one seemingly normal day, Roos made a horrifying discovery. 

The Garage 

That week, Arthur had contractors over almost every day. He was renovating his garage and turning it into his own little bar at home.

Ross had been watching the project through his living room window and couldn’t wait to see the end results. 

But that Friday afternoon, he decided to pack a few drinks into his cooler and pay his neighbor a visit. It was unplanned, but he assumed the young man could use a drink on a warm, Friday afternoon. 

Going Over 

He walked up to Arthur’s front door with a cooler in hand and knocked on the door, excited to share a drink with his friend while he told him about the renovations.

There was no answer, so Ross waited for a minute before knocking again, but still, there was nothing.

The garage was wide open, and he thought that Arthur wouldn’t mind if he had a little look around. He had no idea what he was about to find. 

A New Paint Smell 

Ross walked from the front door to the garage, avoiding ladders, tools, and wires. The place smelt like new paint and so far, it looked amazing.

He couldn’t wait to hear what his neighbor thought of it. 

He placed his cooler down and rested his hands on his hips, impressed by the hard work the contractors put in. He hadn’t noticed it yet, but the room contained a sinister secret about his daughter.

He Couldn’t Recall

The older man slowly made his way around the room, until his eyes landed on something bright on top of one of the shelves.

Stepping closer, he grabbed ahold of the familiar pink blouse. He’d seen it before, but he couldn’t recall where he’d seen it.

Then he spotted the small buttons along the front of it. Finally, it clicked. He knew where he’d seen it. His daughter had sewn those buttons into that blouse the morning she went missing. 

It Smelled Like Her 

Tears sprung to the old man’s eyes as he lifted the top to his nose. It still smelled just like his daughter.

But what on earth was it doing here, in Arthur’s garage? He wiped a hand across his eyes before frowning down at the blouse.

Something wasn’t adding up. Was it possible that after all this time, his daughter wasn’t as far away as she felt? His stomach dropped, but then he heard it.

Arthur Was There

“Ross?” He heard from behind him and quickly balled the material back up, stuffing it back on top of the shelf where he had found it.

Wiping a hand across his sweaty forehead, he turned around to see Arthur approaching. 

“Sorry pal, I didn’t hear you knock,” the younger man smiled. Ross forced a smile, his heart racing in his chest. What was his neighbor doing with his daughter’s blouse? He had to get out of there. 

Speechless

“Uh, yeah, I-” He was speechless, desperately trying to find something to say. Arthur frowned at the old man before his mouth twisted into a wide grin.

He had no idea what the man had just found. “Cat got your tongue?” He chuckled. 

All Ross could do was nod as he forced a fake smile, “I guess so.” Suddenly, he saw his neighbor in a whole new light. He had something to do with Cheryl’s disappearance. 

He Lied

He shook his head and tried to pull himself together. “I wanted to ask if you were interested in having a drink, but I just remembered that I had to do something for work,”

He lied, not even caring if he was convincing or not.

“Alright, well, come over once you’re done. I’d love to catch up,” Arthur grinned, making the old man’s stomach drop.

The Call

He walked home with tense shoulders, dropping the cooler at his front door before grabbing his phone. He had to call the police immediately.

When they answered, he asked to speak to the head of his daughter’s investigation, Officer Brady. 

After Ross was done explaining what he had found, Officer Brady informed him that they would be there in five minutes. Ross had to stay inside of his house until the Officer came to speak with him. 

He Waited 

Ross thanked the officer before hanging up. He was a mess.

He couldn’t believe that he had trusted Arthur for the past two years when he clearly knew what had happened to his daughter. 

He sat by his window, watching the neighbor’s eyes with wide eyes as he waited for the police to arrive. He had no idea what they were about to find. 

They Were There

Before long, the police pulled up in front of Arthur’s home. Ross watched as they knocked on his door and then entered his home.

They were in there for hours, and eventually, Ross had to step away from the window. He was exhausted, waiting.

But just thirty minutes after he took a seat on the couch, he heard a knock on his door. It was time to learn the truth. 

A Word

When Ross opened his front door for Officer Brady, he immediately noticed the stern look on the man’s face. “Good evening, sir.

Could I have a word with you?” Ross nodded, allowing the officer to step into his home.

He felt like he was going to be sick, he was so nervous. They took a seat in the living room and the Officer immediately began speaking, “Mr. Thomas, we know what happened to your daughter.”

The News

Ross’s heart was furiously beating in his chest as he waited for the terrible news. “We spoke to Mr. Simmons next door. It turns out that your daughter went to his house on the day she went missing. Are you aware that your daughter wanted to drop out of college?” The Officer asked. Ross shook his head. 

“Your daughter was experiencing immense difficulties with her degree and decided to drop out. She was too scared to tell you and your wife, so Mr. Simmons offered for her to stay with him.

Not wanting to disappoint you and your wife, she agreed, and they decided not to tell anyone about this agreement.” Ross’s blood was boiling.  After all these years, his friends knew exactly what was going on and never told him the truth.

Reunited 

Shortly after speaking to the officer, Ross was reunited with his daughter. It was an emotional reunion, and despite everything, he was just relieved to have his little girl back. He assured her that everything would be alright.

Arthur was arrested for withholding information about the case. Ross made it clear that he would never forgive the man who put him through so much pain. With their daughter back home, Ross and Amy finally reunited.  And last but not least, Cheryl’s parents allowed her to pick a new degree, one she truly wanted. Over time, Ross’s life went back to being as perfect as it once was. 

This story was handcrafted with love by a creative novelist to thrill and entertain, mirroring real-life situations to awaken your imagination and evoke profound emotions. All events, places, and characters are products of the author’s imagination, and all images and videos are used for illustrative purposes only. We hope you enjoyed reading it just as much as we enjoyed writing it!