Mystery Island Chapter three

Jesse's mother had told him that the only information the social worker gave her at the time of the adoption about his birth parents was that they lived on an island in the Atlantic Ocean. That is why Jesse chose to come here. He didn't know what Island they were from and he had already visited three island's without any luck of finding them. He had a good feeling about finding them here.


The next morning when Jesse woke up he found Natasha serving his breakfast out by the pool.


“Wow, what is all of this? It's a buffet.” Jesse said with his mouth watering at all the delicious food in front of him.


“Mrs. Applegate told me to serve your breakfast here by the pool and she will join you after her morning run.” Natasha dismissed herself leaving Jesse to devour the buffet.


The smell of bacon and the ocean air made this feel like a resort. He filled his plate and sat down at the table. The waves were crashing in off the ocean hitting the rocks along the shore. Seagulls were flying over the sand and darting down at times to find crumbs. The sound of the ocean waves and the freshness of the air was relaxing. As he enjoyed his breakfast he thought about how this was the life and he could get use to living like this. He felt sad and scared for Marla. She was a beautiful woman and there were a lot of people, especially men who would take advantage of her sweetness. Jesse told himself that he was going to try to be a protector while he was staying here. He also wanted to convince Marla to get extra security on her property and herself.


“How's breakfast? Did you sleep well?” Marla said coming from the beach with her black spandex running pants on and hot pink tank top. She grabbed a white towel that was on one of the lounge chairs and wiped the sweat off of her forehead and chest.


“Yes, I slept very well, thank you. Breakfast is unbeleivable. How was your run?” Jesse asked with genuine interest.


“Great. There is something about running that clears my head. It's kind of my therapy.” Marla looked refreshed and relaxed.


“So, have you given any more thoughts to finding your birth parents?”


Jesse was devouring his breakfast.

"Yes, I am going to start my search later today after I finish with the pool and lawn."


“Everyone knows everyone else here. I just cannot imagine that your birth parents still live here. I would think that someone would have mentioned giving up a child by now. I haven't heard anything at the salon. And believe me, those women tell it all in there.” Marla said with a serious look on her face.


“I may not find them, but someone here might know who they were and where they are now. I plan on going to Jake's Handy Mart to ask around.”


Jake Carpenter was restocking his canned food section when Sheriff McCoy came into the store.


“Jake, how's it going? Heard the latest about Marla  letting that punk stay in her cabana?


“No, what is she thinking. That guy looks like trouble to me. I have seen his kind before and there is never anything but trouble around a punk like that. Maybe you should run a check on him or pay Marla a visit to try and talk some sense into her.”


Margaret Lowery came rushing into the store, “Sheriff McCoy, my daughter spent the night with Kayla Morrow two nights ago and she hasn't come home. I thought she was at Kayla's. I called to see when she was coming home and Mrs. Morrow said she left to come home the first night. She said she didn't want to spend the night and was going to come back home. She left about seven o'clock. The island is small. We have called everyone we know and looked everywhere for her. Please, Sheriff McCoy, please help us find her.” When Mrs. Lowery had finished relaying all the information she broke down sobbing uncontrollably.


“Mrs. Lowery, I know this is difficult for you, not knowing where Stacey is right now. We will get to the bottom of this, but I need you to be strong. Do you have a recent picture of her? I need you to take that over to the police station. We need to fill out a missing person's report. I will take you over there.”


“Sheriff McCoy, I think you need to check out where our new island friend was two nights ago. I bet he had something to do with all of this.” Jake said accusingly.


“Jake, I am going to pay Marla a visit as soon as I get done with Mrs. Lowery at the station. Do you want to come along with me to Marla's?”


“I sure do. Let me get one of my girls to watch the store. I will walk over to the station when I get things under control here.”


Jake found his oldest daughter filling orders at the grill. “Nancy, I am going on an errand. I want you to watch the store until I get back.”


“Okay, I need to finish giving out two more orders and I will be there. Where are you going, daddy?” Nancy asked.


“ I am going with Sheriff McCoy to Marla Applegates' house. She is letting that new boy that showed up on the island stay in her pool cabana. We think he had something to do with Mrs. Lowery's daughter who is missing.” Jake thought of how much he loved his three daughters. He would be insane right now if it was one of his girl's missing. They were all he had. His wife had left him years ago for another man. She left him with three girls to raise all alone. They were his whole world.


“Stacey is missing? Daddy, that is so terrible and scary.” Nancy said with a look of fear on her face.


“We don't know if she is just playing a joke on her parents and hiding or if she really is missing. Either way, I think it would be a good idea if we pay Marla a visit and see where her guest was two nights ago.”


Jake walked over to the station just as Sheriff McCoy was coming out of the station. “Hop in Jake.". The two talked about different scenarios as to the whereabouts of Stacey Lowery. Everything they thought of somehow ended with Jesse being to blame.


“Jake this is official police business. I will do all the talking you just keep quiet and listen, okay?” Sheriff McCoy said to Jake like he was a little child.


Jake didn't like the way Sheriff McCoy talked to him, but he just let it go. “Okay, don't worry about me.”


Marla's house was in view now as they were driving down her driveway.


Sheriff McCoy rang the door bell. Natasha answered, “hello, Sheriff, what can I say is the reason for your visit?”


“Just need to ask Marla a few questions.”


“Wait right here and I will get her for you.”


“This place is something. I wouldn't want a mansion on the beach. If a hurricane hit it there would be nothing left.” Jake thought out loud.


“If you had as much money as Lawrence left Marla with, then you would just build again.” Sheriff McCoy said to Jake.


“Sheriff McCoy, Jake, please, come into the living room and have a seat.” Marla said graciously.


“Thank you, Marla. We came out here to check on you. That young fellow you got staying here, well we have reason to believe that he is suspicious. We are worried about your safety having him stay here with you. Mrs. Lowery's daughter, Stacy went missing two nights ago. We are afraid that he had something to do with her missing.” Sheriff McCoy said to Marla.


“Sheriff McCoy. That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Jesse is a very nice young man. You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. I am certain that he had nothing to do with Stacey missing. She is a little rebel. She is probably here on the island just giving her parents heck.” Marla said adamantly.


“Well, we don't know that to be a fact, Marla. We are just concerned for your safety and we wanted to let you know our suspicions. Please, if you find out anything that might help our investigation, please let us know. Thank you for your time.” Sheriff McCoy stood up to leave and Jake followed him. Just as they were leaving, Jesse came into the house to ask where he could find the hedge clippers.


“Hello, Sheriff, Mr. Carpenter.” Jesse said politely.


“I would like to ask you a few questions. When did you first arrive on the island and who was the first person that saw you here?” Sheriff McCoy asked him.


“I arrived...
“No, Jesse, you don't have to answer any of these questions. He is a good guy and has had nothing to do with what you want to accuse him of. Now, if you would both just leave. If you want to question Jesse, then you need to come back with a subpoena.” Marla knew a little about the law because of Lawrence who had to deal with law suits from time to time. When you have lots of money someone is always trying to sue and get their hands on it.


Going to the patrol car, Jake kept thinking about how there was something familiar about Jesse and it wasn't that he had stopped by the store the day before. It was something else that Jake could not put his finger on just yet.


“You are awfully quiet, Jake. What are you thinking about?” Sheriff McCoy said interrupting Jake's thoughts.


“Oh, it's nothing. I still don't trust that guy. Are you going to get a subpoena to question him?” Jake asked sternly.


“Yes, I am. I think he had something to do with that girl missing around the same time he showed up here and I am going to prove it.” Sheriff McCoy had a look of satisfaction on his face.


They got a group of locals together to search the entire island for Stacey Lowery. They looked everywhere. By late evening, no one had found even one clue as to where she could be. Mr. and Mrs. Lowery were devastated and torn to pieces. When it got dark they called off the search until the next morning.


The only doctor on the island, Doc Peters, gave Mrs. Lowery something to help her sleep. Mr. Lowery was being strong, but you could tell by looking at him that he was shaken up, too. Where was their daughter and why haven't they found a trace of her anywhere on the island.


Sheriff McCoy came into the station to talk to Deputy Smith. “Did you pick up the pieces and clean up real good like I told you to the other night?”


“Yes, sir. I took care of everything. I always clean up after your messes, don't I? This time I think you went too far. Your little mess might explode even though I cleaned it up for now.”


“I don't need your opinions on anything. You owe me and you need not to forget it. It will do you good to keep your mouth closed about what you know.” Sheriff McCoy said to Deputy Smith in a threatening way.


“I will never be able to forget that I owe you, 'cause you make sure to remind me twenty times a day. Did you talk to that Jesse fellow?”


“No, Marla stopped our conversation and said we would have to subpoena him for questioning.That bimbo is trouble too. She thinks that because she has all that money she can order the law around. Let's she how she likes it when I throw her little boyfriend in the slammer.”