The next morning Joann called the airlines and booked her trip to Utah. She also talked with the dean of her college, and given the circumstances, she was given the approval to leave college for a while. Linda’s mom Cathy was able to get some sleep during the night. However, right when she woke up, she checked both phones and Facebook for any missed messages. Linda’s friends had posted on Facebook, Missing Friend Please Help along with photos of Linda. Cathy also called Linda’s roommates, Sarah and Velma, and asked if they heard from her yet.
So far, nobody has heard from Linda, and still no new news from the police. Cathy called the restaurant where she works and told them what was happening. She asked the manager for a couple of days off and he granted them with no problem. Because Cathy hadn’t heard from anyone, she decided to go out and look for Linda too. Cathy was going to go to all the places that she knew Linda goes to and has gone to in the past.
While Cathy was driving to one of the animal shelters where Linda volunteered sometimes, Joann called her.
“Hello? Cathy answered her phone in her SUV.
“Hi aunt Cathy, have you heard anything yet?” Joann asked.
“No, nothing yet, but I’m out looking in some of the places I know she frequented.”
“Okay, well, I’ll be leaving here at one o’clock. I should be arriving there around four. Will you be able to pick me up?” Joann asked.
“Sure, of course. Just let me know where to meet you when you land,” aunt Cathy said.
“Okay, I will. I love you, aunt Cathy.”
“I love you too dear. See you later,” Cathy ended the call.
Cathy pulled into the animal shelter and went inside. She talked to a couple of the ladies there who know Linda and they hadn’t seen her in a week. The next place that Cathy was headed to was the local shopping mall. And while she was in the mall looking and talking to people about Linda, the police were talking to all of Linda’s friends.
Deputy Rhonda Dean found out that in the past, Linda was seeing a guy named Devan Edwards. He has really short blonde hair, is almost 6’ 2”, and has a bulky physique. According to Linda’s friend Sky, Linda dated Devan for a couple of months secretly until he started to be verbally abusive. The police looked into Devan Edwards and saw that he has a record. His own mother called the police one time because she was afraid that he was going to attack her. So, the police went to Devan’s mother’s home and Devan’s last known residence. They were hoping to talk to both of them, but Devan moved out.
Devan’s mother told deputy Dean that he loses his temper so quickly over the silliest things. After half an hour of questioning Devan’s mother, Deputy Dean thanked her and left. Deputy Dean did find out that Devan might be living with a friend named Armon Levy. Deputy Dean drove back to the station to learn more about Armon and tell sheriff Luis what she has found out so far.
Meanwhile, Cathy has been looking everywhere and found only one other person who saw Linda before she disappeared. It was a guy from one of Linda’s classes who works at a coffee shop near the mall. His name is Jeff Bower. He is six feet tall, has short dark hair, is physically fit, and has a pleasant demeanor. Cathy found out that he has been trying to get Linda to go out with him for a while now. He told Cathy that Linda came into the coffee shop to get a cold drink like usual before she went out to the preserve.
“What is the drink that she usually gets?” Cathy asked.
“A frozen strawberry lemonade,” Jeff said.
“In that type of glass?” Cathy pointed.
“Yes.”
“Okay, thank you, Jeff,” Cathy turned to walk away.
“Can I give you my cell number? You know, just in case you want to ask or tell me anything?” Jeff asked.
Cathy paused for a moment and then looked at him, “Sure, what is it?”
After Cathy talked to Jeff she left the store. She climbed into her car and sat there trying to think of anywhere else her daughter might go. She decided to call home just to make sure that Linda didn’t come home while she was out. No answer though at home. Cathy still had time before she had to pick Joann up at the airport so she decided to go back out to the preserve.
Please join me again for more of: Unexplained Encounter.