Page 15 of Next Level
I jump on the bike and fly over to Brooke’s in record time. When I pull up, there are two police cruisers in front of her house.
Fuck me.
My heart still hasn’t stopped racing.
Not my baby girl.
Before I reach the door, it swings open, and Brooke comes barreling out. I embrace her, comforting her as much as I can without losing my composure.
“Tell me what’s going on,” I say as calmly as I can. “Why the fuck are the cops here?”
When we enter the house, I find several people, along with the cops, sitting in the living room. I notice Amanda sitting there with her mom, crying.
“What’s going on?” I fire off, needing answers.
My worst fear is coming to life.
An officer approaches as I hand Brooke off to her husband, Mike, so that I can speak with the officer.
“It appears from the video we’ve obtained, your daughter was walking in the direction of her home when a gray Pontiac stopped next to her. The occupant of the vehicle engaged in a conversation with her, and then she got into the car. That’s all we know as of right now.”
I walk over to Amanda and snarl, “Who was it?”
People start to interject, but I hold up my hand.
Looking Amanda in the eye, I announce to the room, “I know she knows something. If Sam got in the car, she had to have known the person. My girl would never get in a stranger’s car, so who was it?”
The room is silent for a beat before an officer steps forward. “Mr. Amato, the girl gave us her statement. Let’s just wait and…”
I raise my hand without breaking eye contact with Amanda, shutting up the cop. I sit down across from her on the coffee table and say very slowly, “Amanda, was she talking to someone before she left your house? Were you two gaming?”
Amanda’s face cracks, and she blurts out, “It was Jared, I think. He was online talking to both of us, and he knew she was with me at my house.”
Everyone sounds shocked. I knew better. These two are thick as thieves.
I start my interrogation. “Does he know where you live?”
Amanda replies, shaking her head, “No, I don’t think so.”
“Do you know his last name?”
“No, just his gaming handle and his first name,” Amanda answers honestly.
A cop jumps in and asks, “Do you think she ran off with him?”
Amanda snaps her head to the cop. “No, never. She just met him in person for the first time on Saturday.”
The cop continues, “But your Ring recording clearly shows her getting into the car willingly.”
I turn to the cop. “Show me the video.”
Lucy, Amanda’s mom, walks over and pulls up a video. “When I saw this, I came right over.”
The recording isn’t of good quality. You can barely see Sam or who’s driving the car. Rage, pure rage, ignites inside me.
Someone took my girl.
I look at the cops. “What’s next?”
