The Video Store by S J Sargent

Author:S J Sargent [Sargent, S J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: H&H Publishing House
Published: 2020-06-02T22:00:00+00:00

44335557 48899933377766666 26999

“Wait, that’s it?” Alex asked, looking down at the numbers. “No letters? Just a bunch of numbers?”

Molly nodded.

“That is gibberish. It looks like one of those automated email replies when I try to send something to an unknown address. That’s no code, Molly…”

“Maybe. Or maybe it is.” She brought the paper closer to Alex. “I thought maybe they corresponded with letters so I tried that. But it was just random. DDCCEEEGG DHHIII…even when I unscrambled them, there was no clear answer. It made no sense. I spent about an hour working on it on Monday night. I called the numbers. I googled them. None of it worked. I tried responding to the email, but it bounced back. I don’t know. Thought maybe it was just junk.”

“But…?” Alex led her to continue.

“But it wasn’t. I still think it was her. She was trying to tell me where she was.” Molly put her head in her hands. “But I failed. I couldn’t figure it out in time.”

Alex examined the numbers closely. “I don’t know. I can’t see how this is anything.” Silence overcame them as all of Alex’s energy went to the random numbers she had scribbled down. “What if…it’s numbers like on the old T9 flip phones we used to have? Remember how we used to have to text by pressing a number a bunch of times for each letter? Like 222 could be A-A-A. Or just C?”

Molly immediately looked at the numbers with Alex again. He drew a phone and wrote the numbers under each number as a guide to help him decipher the code. “What if that was the only way she could send anything? Maybe she had an old school phone or…I don’t know. I’m just guessing…”

He started writing down letters, pausing after he finished the first series of numbers.

GGDDJJJP.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Molly said. “I don’t think that’s it. It still doesn’t work.” Alex kept plugging away while Molly looked up at Sofia, who was glaring right at her. Sofia looked away. Molly scooted closer to Alex.

“Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s nothing…”

“Then why did you tell me?” Alex said.

“Because I needed to tell someone,” Molly snapped back. “I wasn’t asking you to solve it. You can’t just fix everything, Alex.” She paused for a moment, catching herself in her anger. “It wouldn’t make a difference now anyway. Plus, if word got back to the cops that I had this information and held on to it, they would try to tie me to this.”

“They already are trying to…” Alex pointed around. “Why didn’t you tell them sooner? Don’t they have people on the police force who try to break codes? They could have helped.”

“In Pecos?” Molly asked. “Are you kidding?” Her tone stayed fierce. “I told you. I didn’t think it was real so I didn’t think about it again until a few days ago.”

Alex kept looking down at the words. “The problem is…” Alex kept jotting down letters. “…each number could represent one number or three.

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