An Innocent Mystery

The mystery started innocently enough with a phone call home. Nothing extraordinary, just checking in with the parents. Mom was in the middle of making dinner, and was, therefore, busy when Elijah called. So he ended up talking more to Dad.

There were the usually things; talking about family and what was going on in one another's respective lives. Elijah talked about how Alabaster was enjoying working on the renovations of particular mansion. Dad spoke of writing some new songs and breaking in a new bass player into his blues band. Little things. Nothing that would really stand out in conversation. Details that might even be forgotten once the phone call ended.

"Have you talked to Jessup lately?" Dad inquired finally.

"No, not for awhile" Elijah said. "Maybe a couple of months. He was a little tipsy at the time." He paused, thinking back to his more recent encounters with his childhood friend. "I think the last time I actually saw was when you got out of the hospital, but that was a year ago."

"Hmmm," Dad said. "I wondered."

"Is something wrong?" Elijah asked.

"Well, I went by the feed store the other day, and Old Man Mitchell said Jessup didn't work there anymore," Dad replied. "Went as far to as to say he moved out of that old farm house he was living in since you moved away, figured he skipped town."

"'Skipped town,' Dad?" Elijah's voice bordered on sarcasm. "Jessup? Jessup McCray? The same kid I've been friends with since I was four and you and Mom were more parents to than that lot lizard mother of his? Come on, now. I think Old Man Mitchell's finally gone senile."

"I didn't believe it either, Eli. But he wasn't doing any shifts at either the hardware store or Jose's either. No one seems to know where he went."

There was silence as Elijah processed what he heard. Jessup had never seen any reason to leave that small town they grew up in. His entire world existed within its borders. As far as he was concerned, it had everything he would ever need. He didn't like things from the outside seeping in. Elijah's travels and expanding worldview was something he had always had a difficult time with, which, Elijah figured, explained why Jessup found it increasing justifiable to get drunk when they either spoke on the phone or actually saw one another in the flesh.

"You didn't happen to talk to his mother, did you?" Elijah asked finally.

"You kidding?" Dad snorted. "That woman? When I see her at one of our shows I try and make sure she doesn't get near the stage. Especially since she's usually on her second bottle of gin when that happens."

"I see," Elijah said. "You said it was the other day. So, Jess hasn't been gone that long then?"

"Old Man Mitchell said he'd been gone a month," Dad said.

A month. That could be a rather long time. One could get to the other side of the world in that time. Sometimes, even further away than that.

After hanging up the phone, Elijah found himself staring blankly into space. The surroundings of his massive study didn't even register to him, nor did the passage of time. His thoughts focused on Jessup, all the countless memories of growing up together, the mystery of where he might have gone, and, why, after thirty-three years, he finally decided to go, not telling anyone in the process.

"Elijah?" Alabaster's voice broke his trance. "Are you okay? I've been calling you for dinner for the last five minutes."

Slowly, he turned toward her. They had been together six years now. She had met Jessup, and knew, despite their worlds apart differences, there was no one in the world Elijah considered a better friend.

"My dad told me Jessup's up and disappeared," he said gravely. "Been gone at least a month."

"Jessup's gone?" the shock on Alabaster's face was similar to Elijah's once he realized Dad wasn't joking. "And nobody knows where he went?"

"No one Dad talked to."

"What are you going to do?" Alabaster asked as she walked over to put her arms around him.

"I think I'm going to talk to one person my Dad didn't talk to, not that I blame him," Elijah replied. "I've got to talk to Jess's mom."

"Do you want to call her now or after dinner?"

Elijah shot Alabaster a look that carried a combination of anger and desperation. Often, he would say he loved Alabaster more than the concept of eating or breathing. Ever since their first meeting, she seemed to understand him fairly well. Still, this was one of those things she didn't quite understand. He reached over and kissed her brow.

"Alabaster, I love you," Elijah said. "But this isn't something you take care of over the telephone, and I'll probably have to do it on my own."

She looked up at him, her prism-like eyes reflecting infinite shades and hues. Slowly, she smiled. It was a weak smile, one of acceptance, but not of something she liked in the slightest.

"Yes, Eli," she whispered. "I understand."