Page 62 of My Child is Missing

“Let’s look at the messages,” said Noah.

Josie went back into the messaging feature and opened the conversation between Kayleigh and Ajax2733. The most recent messages were at the top, but she decided to start from the beginning, scrolling back until her thumb ached.

“Wow,” said Noah. “These two were in constant contact.”

Josie shook her head. “This was pretty smart though, on Kayleigh’s part, since her parents are so strict, and on the boyfriend’s part, too. Even though the age of consent here is sixteen, he’s still dating a minor. Rather than having a trail of texts or social media messages, which are the first thing that anyone would check—her parents and us—he keeps the contact here in a story app.”

“Kind of like how pedophiles use gaming systems to chat with and message with kids,” Noah pointed out.

Josie finally came to the beginning of the messages. Ajax2733 had initiated contact, leaving Kayleigh a message that said:

I’ve read everything on your profile. I can’t get enough. I hope you’ll be uploading new content soon. You’re brilliant. Your command of language is impressive and your fearlessness in tackling taboo subjects leaves me wanting more. Forever your fan, Ajax

“Does he know at this point that Kayleigh is a minor?” asked Noah. “What kind of information about users is available?”

“He wouldn’t have known that. Users can only upload avatars. Geographic location is optional, but Kayleigh’s was listed as here in Denton. Other than that, all they can share is a few lines as a bio, but from what I gleaned from a brief look at this app before you came up is that most users simply designate whether they’re a reader, writer, or both, and the subjects they like to read or write about.”

“But her original username had the words ‘Story’ and ‘Girl’ in it,” Noah said. “I wonder what taboo subject she wrote about.”

“Not really the point,” said Josie, scrolling through several more messages. For a month Ajax and Kayleigh exchanged messages solely about Kayleigh’s stories, with Ajax going into great detail about what he loved and why. From the conversations, it appeared that Kayleigh wrote about sex a lot which probably explained Ajax’s sudden and fervent interest. At some point, they decided to meet.

Ajax:I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, and feel free to say no, but your stories really turn me on. I’d love to meet.

Kayleigh:I was hoping you would ask. Of course I want to meet you.

Ajax:I feel so connected to you. I need to see you in person.

Kayleigh:What if I am a disappointment in person? Most people seem to think I am.

Ajax:Then most people are assholes. I don’t know how anyone could know what’s in your amazing mind and think you are disappointing.

They set up a meeting time, after one of Kayleigh’s shifts at Timber Creek, at the same coffee shop that Josie and Olivia had gone to. Josie looked at the date of the proposed meet-up. It was nearly a year ago. There wouldn’t be any security camera footage now. After agreeing to meet, there was a lull. Kayleigh messaged him but he didn’t message back. After four attempts to re-establish contact with him, he finally answered.

Kayleigh:I knew it. I was a disappointment to you in person. You could at least grow a spine and just say so instead of ghosting me.

Ajax:That’s not true at all. You were anything but a disappointment. You were everything I hoped for and more in person. I can’t stop thinking about you. I want to see you all the time, but you must realize that things are complicated. We live in different worlds. We’re too different for this to work in the real world. At least, for now.

Then came lengthy conversations on the subject of whether or not they should see one another again although rather than saying that Kayleigh was sixteen, Ajax continued to say that she was “too different.”

Noah gave a low whistle. “This guy really knew what he was doing.”

“Classic grooming,” Josie said. “Clearly, Kayleigh’s got self-esteem issues. She puts him on notice of that immediately, telling him she’s a disappointment to most people. He’s laying it on thick though with the ‘you’re everything I hoped for and more’ and ‘I can’t stop thinking about you.’”

“I think the only thing he missed was ‘you’re so special,’” Noah grumbled.

Josie sighed. “I’m sure if we scroll long enough that’ll be here, too.”

“He seems like he’s trying to break it off so she’ll be even more inclined to want to be with him. Forbidden love. Except this guy is so careful, he won’t ever explicitly say that she’s a minor. They’re just ‘different.’”

“Exactly.” Josie scrolled through more messages. Eventually, they decided to return to their original app-based relationship where he read her stories and they discussed them. In the weeks after that, Kayleigh offered him story after story and finally, he messaged to say that he couldn’t resist her and agreed to see her under certain conditions.

Ajax:We have to keep this secret. Everything. Even the fact that we talk about stories.

Kayleigh:Even that? Why?

Ajax: If you want to do this, really do this, I need you to not ask questions. Don’t you want to be together?

Kayleigh:Of course. More than anything. These last weeks have been hell not being able to see you.

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