Samantha Sanderson Without a Trace (14 page)

She was careful to put in the journalist code words like
allegedly
,
a source reveals
, etc., but the gist of Tam's project was there.

The bell rang. Sam typed faster to finish up.

—Sound Off, Senators. If you know where Tam went after leaving his friend's house on Chalamont Drive, call the police immediately. How far would
you
go to prove a point in your school project? ~Sam Sanderson, reporting

She didn't have time to reread it because Aubrey was fast approaching. Sam hit the SEND button, then closed the program and grabbed her backpack.

“What are you doing,
Samantha
?”

“Sorry, Aubrey, can't stay to let you try and bother me with your attitude. I have an appointment with the principal and Mrs. Shine.” She smiled and hiked the backpack up on her shoulder.

“Getting in trouble in other classes too?” Aubrey was so snide sometimes.

Sam shook her head, turned around, and marched
out of the classroom. There were just times when not responding was a much better option.

She remembered to text her mother to let her know she'd be late coming out, then went into the office.

“What do you need this time, Sam?” Mrs. Darrington sounded tired of her.

“Mrs. Shine and I need to speak to Mrs. Trees.”

“Really?”

“Yes, ma'am. Mrs. Shine is meeting me here after her class clears.”

“There's nothing on Mrs. Trees' schedule about a meeting.”

“It's unplanned, but I'm pretty sure she'll want to talk to us.”

The office door opened and Mrs. Shine stepped inside. “Good, you're here, Sam.” She smiled at Mrs. Darrington. “We need to speak with Mrs. Trees. It's very important.”

The school secretary looked at Sam. “So I'm told. Just a moment.” She lifted the phone, turning her back to them.

“I looked it all over after you left. I think you might have something, Sam,” Mrs. Shine said.

Sam nodded as her pulse raced. Finally. Something.

“You can go on back to her office,” Mrs. Darrington said, replacing the phone onto its cradle.

“Thank you,” Mrs. Shine said as she led Sam down the hallway.

The principal's office door was open. “Come on in,” she said as they approached. “What's going on?”

Mrs. Shine took a seat, while Sam sat in the chair beside her. “Sam's got a theory about Tam Lee's disappearance that I believe has merit. Quite a bit of merit, actually.” She smiled at Sam. “Why don't you bring Mrs. Trees up to speed with what you've learned and your theory?”

Sam began talking, laying out the facts as she knew them and how they connected with each other and Tam's project. As she spoke, she noticed the principal nodding. Finally, Sam had explained everything as best as she could.

“Well, that's some theory.” Mrs. Trees spun her reading glasses around by the earpiece. “I think it's probably a good idea to have the deputy working Tam's case come to the school to hear this theory.” She lifted the receiver and dialed.

Sam looked at Mrs. Shine. “I texted my mom that I'd be late coming out. Maybe I should go get her to come in, so she isn't outside waiting.”

Mrs. Shine nodded. “I'll let Mrs. Trees know as soon as she gets off the phone.”

Lifting her backpack, Sam slipped out of the office and into the breezeway then headed to the parking lot. Mom's car sat parked on the front row. Sam opened the passenger door and tossed her backpack in the backseat.

“Hey, my girl. How was your day?”

“Eventful. Listen, can you come inside? I think we're waiting for the deputies from last night to get here.”

Her mother frowned. “Whatever for?”

Quickly, Sam told her mother what she'd learned and pieced together. “So Mrs. Trees called them while I came out here to get you.”

“Well, let's get in there.” Her mom locked up the car, sticking her cell phone and keys into her purse. She wrapped her arm around Sam's shoulders. “I'm really proud of you for sticking with the facts and uncovering everything. That shows great reporter instincts.”

Sam practically floated back into the office.

And right into the harsh glare of Mrs. Trees who waited in the reception area for her.

“Sam Sanderson, why on earth would you post that article?” the principal asked.

Deflated, Sam ignored the ringing of the phone. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“You posted an article stating your theory.” Mrs. Trees looked as if her head might explode at any given moment.

“You said the theory had merit enough to call the deputies.” Sam stood a little straighter with her mother beside her.

“What seems to be the problem?” Sam's mother asked.

“Your daughter posted an article with her theory of Tam's disappearance.”

Mom nodded. “It's probably a theory that will be proven sooner rather than later.”

The phones continued to wail, despite Mrs. Darrington's continuous answering.

“Do you hear that?” Mrs. Trees asked, but it was clearly a rhetorical question since she didn't wait for an answer. “Parents are calling wanting to know if our administration condones a child faking their own disappearance for a project. They want to know if any teacher had the information and just didn't tell anyone.” She shook her head. “It's a madhouse, and it's all your fault.” She glared at Sam.

“Actually, she just reported it.” Mom turned to Sam. “You did post that this was your theory, right?”

Sam nodded. “I made sure I wrote that it was allegedly what he did and I didn't mention the actual ch—er, anything I'm not supposed to. I made sure to state that sources revealed, but I didn't name anyone's name except Tam's.”

“Then I think she's within her right as a reporter,” Sam's mother told the principal.

Sam wanted to fist bump her mom, but figured that would be a bad idea.

Mrs. Trees frowned that deep, drag-down-her-entire-face frown and gave a curt nod toward her office. “The deputies are on their way. Why don't you two go wait in the conference room with Mrs. Shine until we can get the phone situation under control?”

Sam led her mother to the conference room.

“Sam, let me see the article. Can you pull it up on your phone?” her mother asked.

“Yes, ma'am.” She quickly pulled up the school newspaper's blog and handed her phone to her mother.

Her mother scrolled then handed the phone back to Sam. “You might have jumped the gun just a little in mentioning that Tam deliberately posted on a questionable message board to establish a possible Internet security problem, but the rest of it looks fine to me.”

Sam hugged her mom and exhaled slowly.

“It'll be okay, my girl.”

“I'm glad you picked me up instead of Dad.”

Mom stopped her from walking into the conference room and turned Sam to face her. “Sam, you have to know that Dad's always on your side. He's just required to color a little more inside the lines than I am. Don't ever doubt that your father has your back.” She smiled and kissed Sam's forehead. “He's always got both of our backs.”

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too.” Her mom took her hand and stepped into the conference room. “Hello, Jenny,” she greeted Mrs. Shine.

“Hi, Joy. How are you?”

Sam sat down as her mother and her favorite teacher chitchatted. Mom could say what she wanted,
but when other cops were involved, Dad had to color all the way inside the lines.

Besides, he was already miffed at her because of the Facebook hacking. Maybe if she solved the case, he wouldn't ground her until high school.

“Well, now,” Mrs. Trees walked back into the room, carrying a bottled water. “Would anyone else like some water?”

Both Mrs. Shine and Sam's mother declined. Sam wanted some, but figured she ought not push the principal too much more. It looked like Mrs. Trees had about reached her limit. She sat at the head of the conference table and drank her water in silence, like she refused to say anything until the police arrived.

She didn't have to wait more than five minutes before the door to the conference room creaked open and deputies Jameson and Malone entered.

“So, we meet again, Mrs. Sanderson,” Deputy Jameson said as he took a seat in the chair across the table from Sam's mother.

“So we do. And this time in the light of day. So much better.”

Sam bit her tongue not to outright laugh at her mother's sarcasm despite her sickeningly sweet tone of voice.

“I understand you have some information regarding Tam Lee's disappearance?” Deputy Malone addressed Sam.

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

“Can you tell me everything? Please don't leave anything out.” Deputy Malone sounded so much nicer than Deputy Jameson. He laid a small notebook on the table and pulled a pen out of his pocket.

“Let me use my notes, okay?” Suddenly, Sam felt very nervous.

“Of course.” Deputy Malone smiled.

Sam was really glad her mother sat beside her in the stuffy conference room. She was pretty sure Mrs. Trees and Deputy Jameson would eat her alive if her mother wasn't there like a mama bear protecting her cub.

Slowly, Sam read her notes on the facts of the case, pausing to expound when needed, and answer any questions the deputies asked. The main hiccup came when she talked about Tam going to Jared's house, although she refused to give his name.

That was a problem.

“Sam, you know you have to give us the name of this friend,” Deputy Malone said.

She shook her head. “I can't. I don't have permission to share that information just yet. He needs time to tell his parents.”

“Like they aren't going to learn about this?” Deputy Jameson chimed in.

Sam glared at him, a sense of bravado in her since Mom was right beside her. “He wants time to tell
them first. I can understand he needs to be the one they hear it from.”

“But we need to speak to his parents,” Deputy Malone said softly. “While this friend might not have seen any traces of Tam or a clue to where he went, it's possible his parents may have noticed something minor that was off. Something they wrote off as unimportant, but once they know what happened, they might recall.” He lowered his voice a little more and leaned in closer to her. “The longer this goes on, the more likely they are not to remember some minor thing that could be the very clue that leads us to Tam.”

Sam nodded. “I know. I'll tell you his name, as soon as he lets me know it's okay to do so. I can't give up my source without permission.”

“You're a middle school kid, girl. I don't think you have real sources,” Deputy Jameson said.

“Oh, quite the contrary,” Sam's mother interrupted. “Just because you don't like what she has to say doesn't mean what she's saying isn't right.”

“Do tell.” Deputy Jameson dripped sarcasm more than Chewy drooled over bacon.

Sam's mother crossed her arms and rested them on the table, then leaned forward and narrowed her eyes as she spoke to the deputy. “The last time I checked, Arkansas still had the reporter's privilege protection as well as many shield laws. Not only are these safeguards in place to assist national and state reporters, they are
also there to protect college, high school, and middle school newspaper reporters from giving up their sources of information. I understand you're doing your job, I do, because my husband is a detective. Sam said she would turn over the name, but that doesn't mean you need to bully her. She's giving you information that you haven't been able to uncover on your own.”

Man, Sam loved it when her mother went all journalist on people. Deputy Jameson looked like he'd been hit across the head.

Sam's mother turned to face Sam. “Having said that, Sam, a child's life is in the balance and I don't believe any reporter should withhold information about a missing child.”

Sam felt sick to her stomach. It did all come back to Tam. She'd been so wrapped up in watching her mother defend her rights as a reporter, she forgot Tam was still missing. “Hang on. Let me text him quickly to tell him I'm about to give his name.” Without waiting for any type of response from anyone, she bolted into the hall.

After sending Jared a quick text that simply read:
I'm having to give up your name. For Tam's sake. Hope you've had time to tell your parents.
Then Sam went back into the conference room and took a deep breath before she said, “Jared Hopkins.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I
'm sorry, Mom,” Sam said as soon as they were in the car and heading home.

“For what?” Sam's mother kept her eyes on the road.

Sam shrugged, even though her mother wasn't looking at her. “For making you come into the office and defend my reporting. I should've just given them Jared's name as soon as he told me. I wasn't thinking.”

“Oh, my girl, you have so much to learn, but your heart is always in the right place. I'm so proud of you for today.”

“Really?”

Her mother flashed Sam a quick smile and nodded. “Of course. I told you it's hard to balance reporting when your emotions are involved. You made a very hard and grown-up decision to tell your source you would buy him time to inform his parents. But you did
give up your source to help find Tam. That's was a hard call to make, but I believe you made the right one. I'm very proud of you.” She reached over and squeezed Sam's shoulder.

Sam felt as if a ton of weight had fallen off her shoulders. She couldn't wait to call Makayla and tell her everything. She planned to do just that as they pulled into the garage and her mom shut the door behind them. But they'd barely stepped into the house when Dad met them in the hallway.

His face was red. His eyebrows scrunched to where they almost formed one single line. He did not look happy.