Melinda Metz - The Vanished

"It's her!" Kyle shouted. "She did something to my father! She's in on it! She's in on it!"

Liz watched, stunned, as the security guards quickly led Kyle away. He kept shouting as they half pulled him out of sight around a corner. Liz's stomach clenched with a mixture of guilt, sympathy, and fear.

"Liz, what happened here?" Ms. Shaffer asked.

"Well… Kyle wanted to date me a few months ago, and I turned him down. He hasn't been too happy with me since then." She figured it was good to mix some truth into her story. "And just now? I don't really know what the deal was. Kyle started yelling something about his father. Some kind of family problem. I had no idea what he was talking about. And then he just snapped."

"Huh," Ms. Shaffer replied. "Strange. Very strange."

"You can say that again," Liz said. She scanned the principal's face for any sign of disbelief, but she seemed to buy Liz's story.

Ms. Shaffer touched Liz's arm lightly. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, I'm fine," Liz said. Only after the principal asked did she realize how fast her heart was beating. "Just a little shaken up." She took a deep breath. "Well, I guess I should get to class."

She took off down the hall, ordering herself not to break into a run. As soon as she turned the corner, Liz slumped against the wall.

Kyle knows, she thought. Kyle knows! Liz and her friends weren't responsible for Sheriff Valenti's death, but they were there when it happened. And DuPris had used Adam's body to do the dirty work. If Kyle suspected them and kept digging, Adam-and the rest of her friends-could be in a lot of trouble.

Liz pushed herself off the wall and walked to the water fountain on the other side of the hall. Kyle'd grabbed her before she got her drink. As she sipped, she forced herself to look at the situation rationally.

What, exactly, did Kyle know?

Enough to accuse her, but not anything more than that, she decided as she straightened up and continued down the hall and up the stairs. He had no proof of any kind. And his accusations were based on circumstantial evidence at best.

But did he know more than he was letting on?

Did he know about Project Clean Slate? Did the sheriff tell his son he was on Max, Isabel, and Michael's trail? Had Kyle ever hung out at the compound?

Maybe Kyle is the one who chased us through the desert, Liz thought, taking a deep breath. He was obviously off at the moment. It definitely could have been him.

Liz headed toward the lab, her mind reeling. If Kyle was the one who'd chased them, did that mean he'd somehow managed to move the ship, too?

Pausing outside the biology lab door, Liz took one more deep breath to steady herself. Kyle couldn't have moved the ship.

Not without a lot of help.

Somehow that wasn't a very comforting thought.

Isabel drove the Jeep through the suburban back streets of Roswell, heading for Alex's house. Max and Michael might have decided to leave Mr. Manes alone for the time being, but that didn't mean Isabel had to do the same.

Since Valenti died, Isabel had felt safe. Or at least safer than she'd ever felt before. The man who had haunted her nightmares for years was no more.

But apparently the maniac had friends right here in Roswell.

Isabel had to know if Alex's father was Clean Slate. Until she found out for sure, it would drive her crazy. The whole idea that the Major could belong to an agency that seemed dedicated to her personal eradication made her feel like she was itching all over her body. She'd met him. She'd had dinner at his table.

What if Alex's dad is Clean Slate and he's the one who removed the ship? Isabel wondered as she turned up the Maneses' driveway. He could be jeopardizing Alex's only chance to get home… and not even know it.

Isabel had no idea what she would do if she discovered the Major was part of the same horrible organization as Valenti, but she'd think of something. She'd have to. No matter what it took, she couldn't allow Alex's own father to get in the way of saving him.

No matter what it took.

Isabel killed the engine. She'd risk anything to get Alex home safely. Even snoop around in the house of a man whose mission in life could be tracking Isabel down, locking her away, experimenting on her, and then…

Isabel ordered herself not to complete the thought. She climbed out of the Jeep and headed up to the front door. This is for Alex, she repeated in her head. Think of Alex.

Isabel was unprepared to have Mrs. Manes answer the doorbell. She'd been ready to flirt with the Major and sweet-talk him into letting her look around. Isabel liked Mrs. Manes, but she had no idea what Alex might have told his mother about their breakup. With his dad, she could have been sure that Alex hadn't told him anything. Alex and his dad didn't do the talking thing much.

She had to rethink her whole game plan quickly. "Yes?" Mrs. Manes asked. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she'd been crying. "Oh, Isabel. I didn't recognize you for a second. I was-come on in."

"If it's no trouble," Isabel said. "I don't want to bother you-"

"No trouble at all," Mrs. Manes broke in. "Please. I could use the company."

Mrs. Manes led Isabel through the wide foyer into the casual yet tastefully decorated living room. She sat in a short leather upholstered armchair and faced Isabel. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I can't stop thinking about Alex," Isabel answered. Her voice squeaked a little as she said his name, but she steeled herself and plowed on. "I've been worried about him. I guess… I guess I just wanted to see how you've been holding up and if you've heard anything."

Mrs. Manes picked at the seam of the leather armchair for a long moment, and when she looked up at Isabel again, her eyes glistened with tears. Her mouth twitched as she tried to reply. "I'm… I'm sorry," she said finally. "It's just that, with you being so concerned, I suppose I was caught off guard." A tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it away. "I'm not usually like this," Mrs. Manes explained. "I've been trying to be strong-"

"You don't have to be strong," Isabel said softly. "Nobody's asking that of you."

"If only that were true," Mrs. Manes replied. She rearranged herself on the chair and cleared her throat. "Listen, I've got one son in the marines and two in the air force. I've worked hard at preparing myself for any eventuality, no matter how grim. But this is Alex we're talking about. Alex is different. He's-"

"Sweet," Isabel supplied.

"Sweet," Mrs. Manes agreed. "I know my youngest. He wouldn't have run away, not without leaving some sort of note. Which means something must have happened to him…"

Mrs. Manes's face crumpled up, and the tears spilled over onto her pale cheeks.

Isabel knew she wasn't going to win any awards as the world's warmest person, but she had to do something. She stood up and walked over to Alex's mother and covered her hand with her own.

"Mrs. Manes," Isabel said. "You don't know what's happened. Nobody does. He could walk through that door any minute."

I wish, Isabel added silently.

"Thank you," Mrs. Manes said, clinging to Isabel's hand. Isabel almost cringed. The woman's fingers were so cold-as if the life were seeping out of her. "Thank you for your kind words. It means a lot to me."

"No problem," Isabel said. "Can I get you a cup of tea or something? Or maybe you should lie down for a while? You don't look like you've slept since… in ages."

"I could use a rest," Mrs. Manes said. "But my husband has the police calling in on the hour, and he calls even more frequently than that. I've got to answer those calls-"

"I'll handle it," Isabel offered. "You go lie down and take a good nap, and I'll cover for you for an hour or so. Okay?"