34: Where have you gone?

The next morning. The offices of the Beverly Judith Berry House. Sue enters. She is a bright younger girl of twenty. She comes in and looks at her desk which is nicely set up and then goes to the other door in the room. The other door is slightly ajar. She peeks in.

Sue: Paula? Paula? Paula?

She goes to her desk drawer and takes out the keys.

Sue: Oh no.

The telephone rings.

Sue: Beverly Judith Berry House, Sue speaking.

Camden: (on phone) Yes. I’m calling to speak with Paula. She’s called me several times, but I was performing surgery around the clock yesterday and I didn’t have time to phone her back.

Sue: Oh. Did you want to leave a message? She isn’t in this morning.

Camden: No. No thank you. This is nothing unusual. Just have her call me if she wants.

Sue: Will do. Bye.

The telephone rings again.

Sue: Beverly Judith Berry House.

Alfred: Hello is a Ms. Paula Pluckston available?

Sue: I’m afraid not. She isn’t in this morning. Can I take a message?

Alfred: I’m rather worried. I don’t know her at all, but she called me yesterday and said it was a matter of life and death.

Sue: Really? Oh my.

Alfred: Yes. So I wanted to get a hold of her. Oh well. Have her call me at the Goode Candy Company when she gets in. My number is: 555-6781.

Sue: I’ve got it, sir.

Alfred: You are efficient.

Sue: I can type almost a hundred words a minute, sir.

Alfred: Nice. I might have a position opening for you down here. (He laughs)

Sue: Oh, you kid.

Alfred: Not really. But thank you. I’ll try back later.

Sue: Bye.

Alfred: Good bye.

Sue sits there blankly. After a moment she takes out a nail file and checks the hallway outside the office. She goes back to the desk and takes out a tabloid and starts reading. After awhile, she gasps at some of the articles. She reads and reads. Then she taps her nails on her desk. She picks up the phone.

Sue: Constance? Hi. Yeah. Sorry to bother you on your days off, but Paula never came in today. No. I don’t know what to do. She usually leaves me work in the morning on my desk, but she hasn’t. In fact, the keys were still in my desk when I came. I don’t even know if she locked up last night. Who would I ask? Oh I’ll call him. Thanks. Have a good rest of the vacation. Bye.

She dials another number.

Sue: Jim? Yes. Oh sorry to bother you. I was wondering if you saw Paula last night. You did? What time? Did you see her leave here? Oh. You were going to come down here? Her light? In her office? Hmmmm. That is not like her to leave the light on all night. Oh you can see it from the house?

Sue gets up and goes through the door into Paula’s office. She clicks off the light in the room. Goes to the window and waves.

Sue: Hi, there. Yeah that’s me. Well you go on and get out of here. I guess I didn’t realize it was on all night. I couldn’t tell when I came in. You should have come checked. Nobody can find her. Oh. Well I guess I should call her at home. I didn’t even try her cell phone yet. Thanks, Jim.

She puts the phone down and starts reading her magazine again. The telephone.

Sue: Beverly Judith Berry House-

Janet: Is Paula there?

Sue: Is this Janet?

Janet: Yes.

Sue: No, I’m afra-

Janet: She’s not?

Sue: No. No she isn’t.

Janet: I’m at her home –with her son. She didn’t come home last night.

Sue: She didn’t?

Janet: No. We were supposed to have dessert here with her. She never came home.

Sue: When was that at?

Janet: Seven pm.

Sue: That was almost 14 hours ago.

Janet: Yes.

Sue: I think we should call the police.

Janet: Yes, I do too. Frederick is crying. He won’t stop crying. Fred, stop it. Please.

Sue: Oh dear. I’m really very worried now.

Janet: Me too.

Sue: I’ll call the police.

Janet: I will too.

Sue: Well you don’t need to, if I do it.

Janet: If we both do it, then they will really think it’s a problem. And they will find her.

Sue: Sure. Sure they will.

Janet: Yeah.

Sue: So you are calling?

Janet: Yeah.

Sue: Let’s call each other when we get off the phone with them.

Janet: Okay.

Sue: Bye. Good luck.

Janet: By-

Sue hangs up. She goes back to reading her magazine. The clock ticks on.