Dead End: Cassandra Sato Short Story (A Cassandra Sato Mystery) by Brakenhoff Kelly

Author:Brakenhoff, Kelly [Brakenhoff, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emerald Prairie Press
Published: 2020-07-22T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

Cassandra ran her finger down the page until she located Andrew Gloria’s name and contact number. She punched in the number. After five rings, the call went to an automated mailbox full message from the wireless company. She tried the other three students’ phones with the same result. Not a coincidence.

Traffic heading towards town was sparse compared to cars moving inland. “Let’s head down towards campus until we see them,” said Jocelyn.

Jocelyn seemed very confident the four missing students were headed back to Oahu State, but they could have gone anywhere. Anger shortened Cassandra’s breath and made it hard to think logically. “You want to head back down towards the shore. Where tsunami waves are beginning in twenty minutes or less.”

“Andrew must’ve had a good reason. Try call him again. I’ll see if we can borrow a car or catch a ride.”

Before Cassandra could answer, Jocelyn hurried towards the church office to find their staff.

Cassandra leaned against the wall near the church entrance and hit redial. No answer.

Jocelyn appeared in a few minutes holding out car keys. “Ancient Toyota Corolla out back in Fr. Brian’s reserved parking spot. I’ll pull it around front while you tell Mona and Kathy where we’re going.”

“Listen, bossy pants.” Cassandra planted her feet and crossed her arms. “We aren’t borrowing a priest’s car to drive into a tsunami.”

“Nah, of course not. Fr. Brian said I could drop it off at the other church near the college.” Jocelyn was already halfway around the building’s corner. “It’s just outside the inundation zone.”

Cassandra hurried inside St. Damian’s to tell the college staff that she and Jocelyn were going to find the missing students. By the time Cassandra exited the front door, Jocelyn was parked at the curb. Hopping in, Cassandra said, “If we—“

Jocelyn quickly merged into traffic and completed a U-turn at the next break in the median. Cassandra clung to the overhead handle above the door. “What makes you so sure our Andrew is going back to campus and not over to Zippy’s restaurant to wait it out on the patio with a plate lunch special?”

Heading towards town on the mostly empty side of the Pali Highway, they were actually moving fairly well.

“Because Andrew has a big heart for his friends,” said Jocelyn. “We just talked this morning. He wouldn’t go to all this trouble if it wasn’t important. I believe in him.”

Cassandra said, “This is the dumbest thing we’ve done since sophomore year when we put dish soap in the university fountain.”

“Oh that was good times!” Jocelyn laughed. They’d worn hats and sunglasses at night to disguise themselves; their little band of friends had been so lucky. “I can’t believe we never got caught.” She shook her head. “Those bubbles!”

But Cassandra was a thirty-three-year-old adult now. She hit redial on Andrew’s number again. The passenger window was stuck several inches from the fully closed position and wouldn’t budge up or down when she pushed the button. Frayed interior roof fabric drooped in the center so badly that a heavy rain might swamp the car’s occupants.

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