The Scare Event

Inside Ellen's Diner, Robert Michaels, a man dressed in green and bangs over one eye, was having breakfast when John Sullivant, a big and muscular man dressed in blue, with blue eyes and thick eyebrows walked in. He walked past Robert and knocked over his glass.

"Hey. Do you mind?"

"Not at all."

Robert picked up the knocked over glass. "Just stay out of my way." He moved to another seat.

———–

Laura Reed entered the Diner and cleared her throat. "Excuse me. Can I have everyone's attention, please? I'm sorry to interrupt your morning, but I just wanted to remind everyone that Halloween will be here soon." Everyone turned their attention to her. "As always, the Pixfare theater troupe is hoping that everyone will get involved and will help with their haunted house. All we need are a few energetic volunteers. So who wants to join me?" Everyone went back to eating and talking amongst themselves.

Laura Reed walked out the door, disappointed. Jack followed after her.

———–

Outside the Diner, Laura Reed was walking and Jack caught up to her.

"Hey. Mind if I join you? So what's this haunted house, and why are you beating yourself up over it?"

"It's an annual Halloween tradition. The community theater does a haunted house. They use it as a fundraiser. It's an amazing event. Everyone loves it."

"It doesn't seem like everyone loves it."

"It's not the haunted house. It's me. Last week, I had 10 volunteers. This week, they all dropped out."

"You think this is about what happened with Clark?"

"Oh, I know it is. A few of them told me as much. I've never...been a homewrecker before."

"It's gonna roll over. You made a mistake with Clark. It happens. You don't have to do charity to win people's hearts back."

"I have to do something. And this is the best I can do. Love ruined my life."

Jack's phone suddenly rang and he answered it. "Sheriff Swan. Yeah. I'll be right down." He hung up. "Well, apparently, duty calls." They stopped walking and he looked at her, putting a comforting hand on her arm. "Hang in there. And if there's anything I can do to help, I will."

"I know. Thank you." She smiled as Jack left.

———–

The theater troupe was outside setting up for the haunted house.

Amelia Madge, a woman with bangs over one eye and wearing a green pantsuit, was busy on the phone. She suddenly bumped into Robert, who was walking by, and the pile of papers in her hand dropped to the ground.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there. I..." She apologized frantically.

He took one look at her and smiled. "No problem at all."

She bent down to pick up the papers. "I was in such a rush to hand these designs in that I didn't realize where I was going."

"Can I see them?" He asked. She handed him the designs for monster costumes. "Wow." He flipped to the page with a werewolf. "Ooh, this is amazing. But..." He borrowed her pen and started drawing on the design. "I suggest you show more claws and fangs, see? And then give the mouth more of a growl. Makes for a more effective scare."

"Oh. Then I guess that makes you my hero."

"I'm nobody's hero, Miss."

"Oh. You can just call me Amelia."

"I'm Robert." He handed her the papers back.

Amelia gasped. "I love it! How did you know to do that? Are you a designer?"

He scoffed. "I work in an office."

"That's...wonderful."

"No, it's not. I deal with paperwork all day. What I really wanted to do... was act. I've even tried out for the theater troupe, but they kept saying I wasn't good enough."

"You know, someone once told me 'You can do anything as long as you can dream it.'"

"You really think so?"

"Sure! Look how easily you fixed this design. I bet you could do anything. Oh, I should, uh, get back to the theater. Nice to meet you, Robert."

He smiled as she left. She looked back at him multiple times, almost bumping into people.

———–

At the town line, the sheriff's car was parked in front of a car crash. Jack took pictures of the interior of the crashed car. He searched the compartment in the dashboard.

Olga drove into the scene and approached Jack. "You mind if I take a look, too?"

"What for?"

"Well, just because I got fired from 'The Droid' doesn't mean I can't do a little freelance reporting." She took a picture of the car. Jack closed the right back door. "So what do we got here?"

They walked around the car, taking pictures of it while talking.

"Trashman found this thing on the side of the road, abandoned, engine running, nobody around. Registered to Evelyn Grimm. She's MIA."

"Evelyn Grimm, whose husband very publicly left her?" Jack opened the left back seat of the car. "I mean, the story writes itself. If I get a scoop like that, 'the Daily Droid' would have no choice but to take me back."

"Calm down, Missy. You don't work for Derek anymore. Evelyn got accepted to a law school in Boston. Maybe after Clark dumped her, she decided to leave town. Car broke down. She hitched the rest of the way. That's what I would do if I was running away from my problems." Jack opened the trunk of the car and found a suitcase inside.

"And, uh, would you leave your clothes in the car?"

"Time to pull Evelyn's phone records and find out who she spoke to last."

"Yeah, you know, if you go through the Sheriff's Department, it'll take you days to get those. I've got a contact over at the phone company, who used to help me out when I was at the newspaper. I can get those in a couple hours."

"Great. Call me the minute you get your hands on those phone records."

They saw Clark's truck pulled up along the side of the road.

"There he is."

"Time to break the news."

"You really think he doesn't know?"

"I'm about to find out." Jack walked over to Clark.

———–

Robert entered the lobby of the theater and came over to the front desk. Abigail, the theater director, an older snobbish woman was filling out forms.

"Where can I sign up?" He asked. She just ignored him. "What? I want to be a part of the haunted house."

"Mr. Michaels, we've discussed this before. You lack the skills. You don't belong in a haunted house."

He glanced at Amelia on the other side of the room. "It looks like you can use all the help you can get. Please... just give me a chance."

"Very well. We need help manning the ticket booth."

"You ordered how many tanks of helium?!" James, a husky, bald man shouted at Amelia.

"I-I meant to order twelve." She said nervously.

"You ordered twelve dozen. Return them."

"There are no refunds."

"We needed that money. You knew that. You know how she feels about us. You fix this, Amelia. You fix it now." He angrily walked away.

Robert overheard the conversation and walked over to Amelia. "Hey. What's the problem?"

"The problem is I'm an idiot. We get a stipend each year for expenses, and it's all carefully budgeted except for the part where I spent it all on helium. And now we can't pay our rent."

"So, you'll make it up when you get your next stipend."

"Which isn't till next month. The rent is due next week. And the only income we have are the haunted house tickets."

"Well, so how many do you need to sell?"

"Like, a thousand."

"How many did you sell last year?"

"Forty-two."

"Ask your landlord to cut you a break."

"Ms. Wood doesn't offer much leeway."

"Ms. Wood is your landlady?"

"If we miss a payment, we're out. And then they'll reassign us, and we'll have to leave Pixfare."

"No, you won't. You know why you only sold forty-two last year? Because you didn't have me. This year we're going to sell all of them."

"Wow!" Amelia smiled. "Robert, I guess you really are my hero." He smiled back, touched.

———–

"She's just gone?" Clark asked, looking at the empty car.

"You really don't know anything, do you?" Jack gave him a look.

"I-I don't-- I don't understand. Wh-what happened?"

"I don't know. I'm trying to find out. What can you tell me? When was the last time you spoke to Evelyn?"

"Yesterday afternoon."

"Okay, look, I know there has been lies and deceit, and I'm really not judging you, but is that the truth?"

"Yes. I haven't spoken to her since we… I ended things. And I came home yesterday, and all her things were gone. I assumed she was going to Boston. That's what she told me. Am I a suspect or something?"

"No. I know when people are telling the truth, Clark, and you are. She hasn't even been gone twenty-four hours. She's not even technically missing. But, if she is, trust me, I will find her."

———–

Derek sat in his office when a fax came through. It was two pages of Evelyn's phone records. Derek grabbed his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, Olga? Those phone records you wanted – I have them. And I think you'll find them quite helpful."

———–

At the Halloween festival, Robert and Laura Reed were trying to sell tickets at their booth.

"Buy your tickets here! Experience the haunted house! Face your biggest fears!" She shook her head, hopelessly. "This isn't working."

"You're right. We should pack it up."

"Now you're quitting?"

"If the customers won't come to us, we got to go to them, door to door."

"If they hate us here, what makes you think they'll like us in their homes?"

"Exactly. They'll pay us just to leave." He gave her a mischievous smile.

———–

At another booth, Olga was playing ring toss.

Jack walked up to her. "What are you doing?"

"What's happening?"

"I just got off the phone with Evelyn's school in Boston. Registration was this morning, and she never showed up."

"Something did happen."

"It looks that way."

"Why didn't you say anything? You're looking for a suspect, someone with a motive. Richards over there has got one a mile high." She pointed to Laura Reed.

"She had nothing to do with anything. Trust me."

"But she's the one-"

"Trust me. I know her. Just get me those phone records." He walked away.

———–

Amelia got down on the ground to pick up the plums that she dropped when Robert entered the theater. Laura Reed watched from the other side of the room.

"Amelia?"

"Hi." She smiled and stood up.

"I have to talk to you. See, I have some bad news."

"Oh, no. What is it?"

"The bad news is that… That… You guys are going to be really busy with that haunted house, cause me and Laura Reed just sold all the tickets. You're not losing the theater. You're not going anywhere."

Amelia hugged Robert, laughing with joy.

———–

Afterwards, Laura Reed pulled him aside.

"How could you tell Amelia that we sold all those tickets? That's five thousand dollars, Robert. Five thousand dollars that we don't have."

"Don't worry about it, alright? I got a plan.

"What plan? A plan like going door to door and having everyone in town laugh in our faces?"

"Just give me till the end of the day. I'll figure something out."

"And why is this so important to you?"

"The troupe…" He glanced over at Amelia. "They're going to have to leave."

Laura Reed gasped, realizing what was happening. "Oh, my God. You like her! She's a secretary, Robert. Could you possibly pick anyone any less available?"

"Says the girl who went after a married guy?" He argued. "At the end of the day, you're no better than I am. You got your reasons for being here. I got mine. And when I say I'm going to get that five thousand dollars, I'm going to get that five thousand dollars."

———–

At the station, Jack was looking at pictures from the crash site on a bulletin board. Olga soon entered.

"You find something?"

She handed Jack a folder. "Evelyn's phone records. Every call she made the day she crashed her car, including an eight-minute call between her and Clark within an hour of the accident."

"That's not possible. He said he didn't speak to her that day."

"Then, he's lying."

"No. I know when someone is lying, and Clark--"

"It's right here on paper, Jack. Phone records don't lie. People do. And our friend Clark does it better than most. Don't beat yourself up over this. You're not the only person Clark fooled."

———–

Laura Reed was having a drink at the Diner. Robert came in and sat next to her.

"I'll have what she's having."

"Well? Did you get it?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you're right. I was dreaming if I thought the town harlot could accomplish anything."

"Yeah. Just dreaming."

"Robert, you understand that a relationship between you and Amelia can never happen."

"Yeah, yeah. My whole life people made it their business to tell me what I can't do. She was the first person that said I could do anything, who believed in me. I didn't want to disappoint her."

"But there are consequences to following through when the world tells you not to. I mean, look at me. I'm a pariah in this town."

"What about your good memories?"

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you have moments with him that you love? Do you regret them?"

"No, of course not."

"Isn't that what life's about? Holding on to your good memories. All I wanted was a moment with Amelia-- One moment to give me hope that any dream's possible. You've had all that, Laura Reed, so stop feeling sorry for yourself and enjoy it. Because I haven't."

"Well, if I had the dream, I'm sorry to say, it wasn't worth it."

"And sitting here drinking won't end this pain."

"What will?"

He thought for a moment and then got an idea. "I can only think of one thing."

———–

At the Halloween festival, Robert approached the actors, who were dressed as monsters.

"John, I have an idea of how to get people into the haunted house. If we scare them, I mean really scare them, they'll see just you guys can do."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. Just follow my lead."

-

A small group entered the haunted house's maze, which had dim, green bulbs on the walls.

The lamps were covered with cobwebs and rubber bats.

Robert and the actors were hiding behind a curtain. "Everyone clear on the plan?" He whispered. They nodded. "Ok. Let's do this."

An eerie fog rolled into the main hallway. Robert silently counted to 3 and pressed a button, setting off spooky sounds. The group turned around, startled by each sound. Several of the costumed actors jumped out during certain sections of the house as the visitors walked through. They screamed, which could be heard from outside. The group made it out of the house, panting and laughing.

-

Everyone mobbed Laura Reed to buy tickets. She soon noticed that the entire roll was empty. Robert soon approached the booth.

"Robert... we sold out. The haunted house is a big hit." The two of them hugged, laughing. They saw Amelia standing with Abigail and James. "Well, go on. Give her the news. Have your moment."

Robert brought the box of money over to them.

"Excuse me." Amelia stepped away for a moment.

"Five thousand bucks. Piece of cake."

"You sold them all?"

"I had a little help."

"You made it happen."

"You have no idea."

"I don't know what to say." She stammered and took the box.

"You're welcome."

"Mr. Michaels," They turned to see Abigail approach them. "Perhaps I misjudged you."

"That was quite a stunt you pulled." James added. "I look forward to having you join us."

Robert stared in shock as they left. "I can't believe it... I'm finally part of the theater troupe!"

———–

Jack looked over Evelyn's phone records at the station. The name 'C. Grimm' was highlighted. Derek soon entered.

"If this is about the blackout, I've got the guys from the power company down there working on it."

"That's not why I'm here. It's been twenty-four hours since my friend Evelyn went missing. Have you found anything?"

"I found something. I just don't know what it means."

"Well, what is it?"

"At this point in the investigation, it's best I don't divulge that information."

"If you're covering for someone, if you're not doing your job, Sheriff Swan, I'll find someone who will." Derek turned and left.

———–

Laura Reed made a 'sold out' sign and put it at the front of the ticket booth. She walked to her car, which still has the word 'tramp' spray-painted on it. She stared at it for a moment and then decided to go back to the festival.

Clark watched Laura Reed walk past as Jack arrived and approached him. "Jack."

"Clark, we need to talk."

"Did you get a hold of Evelyn?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Then, what is it?"

"I need you to come to the sheriff's station with me and tell me everything."

"I'm sorry. I thought I already did."

"So did I."

Everyone watched as Jack led Clark to the squad car and sat him in the backseat. Laura Reed watched worriedly.