Q is for Query the Quarry - April A to Z Blog Challenge

Amory Hunter is frustrated with his lot in life. He is having to work in what he feels is a demeaning job, because of a whiny criminal that charged him with excessive force and brutality. The opportunity to get back to what he loves, is exhilarating him.

He begins his search for his long time friend’s errant wife with google. Since he is no longer a member of the force, he doesn’t have access to all the tools of his trade, but he still has his investigative skills. Google netted him nothing using Abby’s or Trent’s names, except for a link to Trent on the Steel company’s website. He could use that as a starting point, if he didn’t find anything better.

Next he tried Facebook. Bingo. There is Abby. He sent her a friend request. His facebook account didn’t have his full name, he used AM H Online for his facebook identity, so there was a chance she might accept his request. He wouldn’t have long to wait. Within a couple of hours, she did accept his request. He didn’t message her right away. Instead he stalked her page looking for information and clues about where she might be. It looked like she was in Ecuador, but that couldn’t be right. But the posts, friends, photos, sure pointed in that direction. He waited a couple of days before messaging her.

Abby had been very careful with her Facebook account, before and after coming to Ecuador. Before she left, there was nothing about Ecuador, her moving, or any other clues posted to her social media accounts. She unfriended anyone that Cole might have access to, including Lizzy Grant, the night before her flight out of the U.S. All her security settings were set to the max. But her down fall is that she does love to play facebook games, and has always accepted friend requests from fellow players. She received and accepted the request from AM H Online, thinking it looked like an online gamer account. Until late one night when she received a PM from an AM H Online:

AM H Online: Do you live in Ecuador?

While this question would not normally set of any alarms, she had indeed talked to several of her game friends about Ecuador, and belonged to several FB groups for expats in Ecuador, for some reason, when she saw the message, her breathing changed to short rapid gasps, her heart began racing, and a general sense of panic and dread set in. She sat looking at the message for several minutes, before responding. She never knew why, but her initial response was wary.

AM H Online: Do you live in Ecuador?

Abby Grey: Who is this?

AM H Online: Amory, I’m a friend of Cole’s. I lost track of you guys a few years ago and was trying to find Cole.

Abby Grey: Amory Hunter? I’m sorry, I can’t talk to you. Cole and I are divorced now. And quite honestly, he’s drinking again and gone crazy. For my safety, I can’t answer your questions about my whereabouts or anything else for that matter.

AM H Online: I understand. I’m sorry to bother you. I’m not surprised you are divorced, I figured it was only a matter of time before you saw the dark side of him. I swear I will not tell him I was in contact with you. I’m glad you got away from him. We have been friends since childhood, but that man is messed up, and I know it full well.

Abby Grey: You know what happened to his daughter-in-law, right?

AM H Online: No, I haven’t talked to him in about five years, what happened?

Even though she was suspicious and frightened she continued the conversation long enough to tell Amory about the girl’s mysterious disappearance and the circumstances surrounding it. She bid him good night, and immediately unfriended him. She had never answered his question about where she was living. She went back through her facebook posts and determined that most of her posts about Ecuador, didn’t point to anything more than a tourist visit, thankfully. She just had to pray at this point, that Amory would keep his word. She felt that she had been able to impress upon him the dire situation if Cole found her, and that as an officer of the law, at heart at least, his protect instinct would be stronger than his serve instinct to an old friend that he purportedly knew was a mental case.

Amory sat stunned, rereading the conversation,trying to decide who to believe. He decided to sleep on it and make some contacts regarding what he had learned tonight before getting back to Cole. He began his search again on Google, looking for the story of a young woman’s disappearance. Then he would decide whether to tell Cole he had found Abby or not.

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~*~
Scarlett Braden
in Cuenca, Living the good life!