Wild Nights, Hot And Crazy Days

Part 3.3: Exit Colin

I ate supper, constantly looking at the top of the stairs, expecting Colin to be standing there. He didn't show up. After supper we went out into the living room and watched TV. Still no sign of Colin. Finally, at around 8:30 I went downstairs to my room. I turned on the TV and just started at it. I was starting to get really worried. At around 9:30, just as I was considering crawling into bed, I heard the phone upstairs ring. I could hear Mom walking across the floor and heard her say "Hello? Yes. Yes. Just a second, I'll get him."

"Earl!" she called. "It's the RCMP."

I heard Dad shout "What?!?", then I heard his stomping across the floor from his bedroom to the telephone.

My heart had stopped beating. I quietly sneaked out of my room and saw my brother Mark standing there in his doorway, looking at me. He had heard all of this too. He put his finger to his lips and started tiptoeing toward the stairs. I followed him. We crept to the top of the stairs. The phone was around the corner, so we couldn't see Mom or Dad, and they couldn't see us, and from there we listened.

Dad sounded agitated. "He what? When? Are you sure? No, he's right here, in bed. Yes, he came home at around supper time. He's been here since. Yes, I'm sure. He watched TV in the living room with us."

Silence for an excruciating eternity, then he continued. "No. No. I understand. I'll ask him. No. If I hear from him I'll be sure to let you know. Ok, thanks for calling."

He hung up. I heard him say "It's about Colin. I need to talk to Carmen."

"Shit!" my brother whispered and disappeared down the stairs.

Before I could even move my mother appeared from behind the corner. She saw me sitting there, and said "Come here, we need to talk to you."

I obeyed. I walked over to the dining room and sat down. Dad was already sitting.

"Where is Colin?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him all day."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying, I really haven't seen him all day. I didn't even see him at school."

Dad looked at me while he considered this. I think he was satisfied.

"Where were you after school?"

"I went to the arcade."

"Who did you go with?"

"I went alone."

"Can you prove this?"

I thought for a second. "Yes. You can ask Gordie Robertson. He was working there and I got change from him."

Gordie Robertson was the brother of one of my oldest brother's friends. He worked at the arcade and lived just around the corner from us. Dad knew him because he had a Dodge Ramcharger just like the one Dad owned up until a few years ago.

"Where did you go from there?"

My brain exploded. I could not say "I went to the lake to make out with some boy I met", so instead I continued looking him in the eye and said "Nowhere. I played games for a while and then I came right home".

"Will Gordie verify that?"

"Yes", I said without hesitation. I knew Gordie would remember selling me change, but I was fairly certain he hadn't been paying any attention once I got my quarters. He wouldn't know when I had left. For all he knew I might even still be there.

Dad continued staring at me.

"What's going on? Why are the police looking for Colin?" I asked.

Dad looked strained. "Oh, you heard that, did you?"
"Yes. What is happening?"