Select (Select #1)(64)

Mrs. Bartell’s classroom phone started to ring. She looked at it, confused, like she’d never heard it ring before. I looked over at John, wanting to say something that might bring us back to normal—somewhere more casual and safe. He leaned in to hear what I was going to say, but suddenly I turned my attention to Mrs. Bartell. I knew that phone call was about me.

“Hello?” Mrs. Bartell said. Even before she hung up, I started to pack my things.

“Julia? You’re being called down to the front office.” Mrs. Bartell shrugged her shoulders, indicating she had no idea what was going on.

“Thank you.” I was ready to go. I doubted anyone else besides John noticed that I’d stood up before Mrs. Bartell said my name.

I didn’t look at John on my way out. At that point I still thought we had more time.



I reported to the front office. “Hi. I’m Julia Jaynes.”

The young man at the front desk leapt up and said, “Right this way.”

Someone was waiting for me. I’d assumed it was only a transcript problem or a schedule technicality.

I was led into a small conference room with shabby chairs and a long table. Three people rose to greet me—two men in suits, along with the school principal, Mrs. Brown. She looked extremely nervous.

Oh no. Had Mrs. Bartell said something?

“Julia, these two gentlemen asked to speak with you. Would you like to speak with them?” I could tell she was trying to clearly express that this was my decision and, for the record, no one here was strongarming me.

I was confused because I’d seen these men somewhere before. A cloud passed over the sun, briefly dimming the light in the sterile office. In that instant I placed them. One of them was the man who appeared out of nowhere after my car was rear-ended back in September.

“Please sit.” The younger man gestured to a seat across the table. “Would you like a bottle of water?” The other man closed the door behind us but allowed the principal to stay in the room.

I remained standing. I turned to look at Mrs. Brown, who stepped forward.

“I let them know you need to get back to class.”

“Yes, we’d like to ask you just a few questions.” The older man sat himself down across from where I stood, clearly trying to draw attention away from Mrs. Brown. “Would you like some water?”

Again with the water. Did they want to get my DNA illegally? I shook my head.

“Who are you? I’ve seen you before,” I said accusingly. The two men looked at each other, one annoyed with the other.

“I’m Russell Kelly with the FBI, and this is Agent Rhodes, also with the FBI.”

“Is this legal?” I looked to Mrs. Brown.

Before she could open her mouth, she was not so subtly interrupted by Agent Kelly. “We have some questions for you about Kendra Wilson. Do you know Ms. Wilson?”

I needed to not say a word. I knew that.

Agent Kelly paused for effect. “She’s missing. She was last seen with your father, at his office. Have you seen Kendra? Her family is frantic.”

I had to just stand there, knowing I had a mountain of information that would help Kendra.

“Is there anything you could tell us about her or something you’ve heard?”

I remained silent, trying not to think about her family.

Knowing they weren’t getting anywhere, Agent Kelly changed tactics. “We also wanted to check in with you. Make sure you have our information in case you need help.” He passed two business cards across the table. I let them lie there.

“Why would I need help?”

The younger agent jumped in. “We’ve had a close eye on your father for a while now. We know your family is very insular, and you may need a hand in case you’d like to restart your life away from them.”

“Excuse me?” They thought we were some kind of cult I needed to escape from? That made me want to laugh. I was relieved this wasn’t going to be a big deal after all.

“Do you know where your mother lives?”

I went cold.

“My mother lives here,” I replied.

Agent Kelly said, “Your birth mother is in the San Francisco Bay Area. She used to work for us, and she had an interesting theory about your father—she almost got him to come in to talk with us.”

The younger agent interrupted. “But then your mother became pregnant. Shortly after you were born, your father disappeared, and you vanished with him. It took years to connect you with that group in California. Until your father had a problem staying off the radar.”

Agent Kelly interjected, “We can put you in touch with her.” It went unsaid that they would want information from me in return. I realized they were looking to me for confirmation that Novak was the same person they’d been pursuing in California.

I cut him off. “You can speak to me with my parents and their attorney present.”

You could feel the heaviness and annoyance when they realized it had been a mistake to approach me. They must have seen me as their big opportunity—the clear outsider, the one most likely to talk.

Mrs. Brown looked relieved. She may have been strongarmed into calling me down when they flashed their badges, but it must have occurred to her that she would have to answer to my father.

I turned to leave. Mrs. Brown opened the door for me to exit.