porch.
Jacob
pressed the doorbell, which echoed inside the house. "Looks
like she hasn't been around for a few days."
Zack
frowned. "Three newspapers. Three days. She went
missing on Friday."
"Maybe." No one answered the bell so Jacob rang it
again. When that didn't work, he pounded on the door. The two walked around to
the backyard and looked in the utility room door. There was no sign of anyone.
"She must have lived alone."
"Let's
talk to the neighbor," Zack said.
They
crossed the yard to another house that looked very similar. However, this house
still had Christmas lights strung along the roofline and in several of the
naked dogwood trees in the front yard. There was a snowman in this yard; a
plastic red sled; and a blue bucket filled partly with snow, rocks, and sticks.
Jacob
rang the bell. Immediately he heard the sound of footsteps running around and
young children yelling. A woman's voice followed before steadier footsteps
crossed to the front door. The glass storm door sucked inward as the heavy
wooden one behind it opened to a young woman with a toddler on her hip.
Clinging to her legs was a boy who looked about four.
The
older boy wore a bath towel around his neck like a Superman cape. The toddler
had green Magic Marker scribbles up and down his arms. A haphazard ponytail
held the woman's hair. She wore no makeup, a stained Virginia Tech T-shirt, and
sweatpants.
From
his back pocket, Jacob pulled out his police badge. Zack did the same. "Ms.
Betty Smith?" Jacob asked.
"Yes."
"Ma'am,
we're with Henrico County Police."
The
four-year-old's eyes brightened as he popped his thumb in his mouth. He clung
to his mother's leg but his eyes didn't leave the cops.
The
mother was more cautious. The woman frowned and made no move to open the storm
door. "You've come about Jackie?"
"Yes."
"Did
you find her?"
Jacob
avoided the question. "Can you tell me why you filed a missing persons report?
The
woman unlatched the storm door and propped it open with her foot. Immediately,
warm air scented with hamburgers and fries rushed out to greet them.
"Come
on in the house," she said.
They
stepped into the house. The front room was a combination living room and family
room. A thick gray carpet warmed the floor and an overstuffed blue couch and
ottoman hugged the wall. The coffee table was covered with crayons and coloring
books. A corner hutch housed a television, which now displayed a cartoon.
Beyond the family room was a small kitchen. A pot boiled on the stove.
"I
haven't seen Jackie in a couple of weeks. The kids have had colds and we've not
gotten out much. But yesterday I had some extra cake left over from a birthday
party and thought she might like some. She loves cake." She smiled as if she
sensed she was rambling. "I saw all the newspapers. Jackie always lets me know
when she's going out of town."
"She
could have taken off on the spur of the moment," Jacob said.
"Jackie
plans out everything. She's got a thing about schedules. Washes
her car every Saturday. Taking off is not like her at all."
Jacob
pulled out his pad and noticed the kids were staring at him with wide eyes. He
nodded, not sure what someone was supposed to say or do with children that
small. "How long have you lived next to Ms. White?"
"Less than a year. She moved in last summer after she
separated from her husband."
"Was
the separation friendly?" Zack asked.
A
crease furrowed her brow. "I don't think so. Her ex came by just before
Christmas. I think they had a fight, because he drove off real fast. I know
that because the boys and I were in the front yard stringing Christmas lights.
Honestly, that argument was playing in the back of my head when I saw the
newspapers."
"Do
you know her husband's name?" Jacob asked.
She
thought for a moment. "Phil White, I think." The baby started to squirm so she
put him down on the floor. That made him fuss louder so she picked him up again
as she glanced at the boiling pot on the stove. "Is Jackie all
Jacob
pressed the doorbell, which echoed inside the house. "Looks
like she hasn't been around for a few days."
Zack
frowned. "Three newspapers. Three days. She went
missing on Friday."
"Maybe." No one answered the bell so Jacob rang it
again. When that didn't work, he pounded on the door. The two walked around to
the backyard and looked in the utility room door. There was no sign of anyone.
"She must have lived alone."
"Let's
talk to the neighbor," Zack said.
They
crossed the yard to another house that looked very similar. However, this house
still had Christmas lights strung along the roofline and in several of the
naked dogwood trees in the front yard. There was a snowman in this yard; a
plastic red sled; and a blue bucket filled partly with snow, rocks, and sticks.
Jacob
rang the bell. Immediately he heard the sound of footsteps running around and
young children yelling. A woman's voice followed before steadier footsteps
crossed to the front door. The glass storm door sucked inward as the heavy
wooden one behind it opened to a young woman with a toddler on her hip.
Clinging to her legs was a boy who looked about four.
The
older boy wore a bath towel around his neck like a Superman cape. The toddler
had green Magic Marker scribbles up and down his arms. A haphazard ponytail
held the woman's hair. She wore no makeup, a stained Virginia Tech T-shirt, and
sweatpants.
From
his back pocket, Jacob pulled out his police badge. Zack did the same. "Ms.
Betty Smith?" Jacob asked.
"Yes."
"Ma'am,
we're with Henrico County Police."
The
four-year-old's eyes brightened as he popped his thumb in his mouth. He clung
to his mother's leg but his eyes didn't leave the cops.
The
mother was more cautious. The woman frowned and made no move to open the storm
door. "You've come about Jackie?"
"Yes."
"Did
you find her?"
Jacob
avoided the question. "Can you tell me why you filed a missing persons report?
The
woman unlatched the storm door and propped it open with her foot. Immediately,
warm air scented with hamburgers and fries rushed out to greet them.
"Come
on in the house," she said.
They
stepped into the house. The front room was a combination living room and family
room. A thick gray carpet warmed the floor and an overstuffed blue couch and
ottoman hugged the wall. The coffee table was covered with crayons and coloring
books. A corner hutch housed a television, which now displayed a cartoon.
Beyond the family room was a small kitchen. A pot boiled on the stove.
"I
haven't seen Jackie in a couple of weeks. The kids have had colds and we've not
gotten out much. But yesterday I had some extra cake left over from a birthday
party and thought she might like some. She loves cake." She smiled as if she
sensed she was rambling. "I saw all the newspapers. Jackie always lets me know
when she's going out of town."
"She
could have taken off on the spur of the moment," Jacob said.
"Jackie
plans out everything. She's got a thing about schedules. Washes
her car every Saturday. Taking off is not like her at all."
Jacob
pulled out his pad and noticed the kids were staring at him with wide eyes. He
nodded, not sure what someone was supposed to say or do with children that
small. "How long have you lived next to Ms. White?"
"Less than a year. She moved in last summer after she
separated from her husband."
"Was
the separation friendly?" Zack asked.
A
crease furrowed her brow. "I don't think so. Her ex came by just before
Christmas. I think they had a fight, because he drove off real fast. I know
that because the boys and I were in the front yard stringing Christmas lights.
Honestly, that argument was playing in the back of my head when I saw the
newspapers."
"Do
you know her husband's name?" Jacob asked.
She
thought for a moment. "Phil White, I think." The baby started to squirm so she
put him down on the floor. That made him fuss louder so she picked him up again
as she glanced at the boiling pot on the stove. "Is Jackie all
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