In 1990, their daughter went missing during her prom night, and after 22 years, her father discovered an ancient yearbook that left him in shock upon spotting something astonishing inside. …

He was actually close with Mary for a while.» This surprised John. «Mary, she and Nancy never mentioned anything to me about Samuel.

It was in 11th grade, about a year before graduation,» Olivia explained. Samuel seemed to like Mary for a few months, but it ended quickly. Once we realized what he was really like, we both stayed away from him.

Mary never mentioned him again. Olivia paused, as if recalling something. Though, thinking back, I saw them talking a few times in class.

They seemed close, which was odd because we’d decided he was a bad person. Mary even asked me strange questions about him. «What questions?» John asked, his interest growing.

She asked if I thought someone like Samuel just needed help to change, if he wasn’t as bad as we thought. One time she even asked me to drive by his house because she wanted to see where he lived. It seemed weird to me then, but Mary always had a kind heart.

She wanted to see the good in people. Did the police know about this when they investigated her disappearance? John asked. Yes, I told them, Olivia confirmed.

They questioned everyone in our class, including Samuel. But by then, Mary was dating Daniel Sokolov. He was their main suspect at first.

John nodded. «I remember Daniel. He came to our house to pick her up.

We suspected him too, but he had a solid alibi for the time of her disappearance.» «Do you know what happened to him?» John asked. «Last I heard, he left town soon after Mary’s disappearance…

It was too hard for him with the suspicions, probably.» John’s thoughts swirled. «And Samuel? What about him?» «I’m not sure about their relationship,» Olivia said.

Mary rarely showed interest in him, except for those few strange questions. John glanced again at Samuel’s photo in the magazine. Why did Mary use his page as a bookmark? And the fact that she was close with him, and neither John nor Nancy knew, seemed important.

He mentioned this to Liv, and she said, it was from Mary’s favorite magazine. I hated it so much that she tore out the page with his face. She folded it and said there was no better use than as a bookmark.

John pondered for a moment, then nodded. «Do you know where Samuel is now?» he asked. Olivia picked up her phone and scrolled through messages.

«Actually, last weekend there was a class reunion at Samuel’s house. I didn’t go, but they shared his address in the group chat.» She showed John the message.

«Could you send me that address?» John asked, pulling out his phone. They exchanged numbers, and Olivia forwarded the info. «Do you think Samuel might be involved somehow?» Olivia asked hesitantly.

«I don’t know,» John admitted. «But I want the police to know about their relationship with Mary, however brief. The fact that neither Nancy nor I knew about it makes me curious.

When Mary started dating Daniel, it was all open and transparent.» John stood, thanking Liv for her time and information. As he prepared to leave, Olivia touched his arm.

«Please give Nancy my regards,» she said. «And thanks for letting me keep the book. It means more to me than you can imagine.»

John nodded, tucking the yearbook under his arm, and stepped into the daylight, his mind full of new questions about his daughter’s life and disappearance. John sat in his car, the yearbook on the passenger seat beside him. His thoughts churned from the new information Olivia had shared.

Discovering that Mary had been close with Samuel Levine, even briefly, was unsettling not because of Samuel himself, but because John and Nancy had known nothing about it. He pulled out his phone and dialed the number for Detective Roman Shepherd, who had handled Mary’s case all these years. John knew the detective was now retired but still lived in town.

The call went to voicemail, not surprising for a Sunday. John stared at the phone, then at the address Olivia had sent. He should head home to Nancy.

He knew he had promised her they would close this chapter of their lives today. But something in Liv’s words and that bookmark nagged at him. Mary’s curiosity about Samuel’s house, her questions about whether he could change.

Just a quick drive by, he muttered to himself, starting the car. Just to see where it is. Twenty minutes later, John found himself in one of Misty Ridge’s more affluent neighborhoods.

Large homes with manicured lawns lined quiet streets, a sharp contrast to the modest house where he and Nancy had raised Mary. He located Samuel’s address: a spacious two-story home with a circular driveway and professional landscaping. The property was notably larger than the neighbors’, hinting at Samuel’s post-school success.

John parked across the street at a distance, observing the house. The gates were open, and as he watched, a man emerged from the door accompanied by a woman. Even from afar, John recognized the aged version of the boy from the yearbook.

Samuel Levine, now in his mid-forties, still handsome, with the confidence of a man accustomed to success. Samuel escorted the woman to her car, kissed her cheek, and waved as she drove off. As he turned to head back inside, his gaze swept across the street and landed on John’s car.

John realized too late that his car’s windows weren’t tinted, and he was clearly visible. Samuel’s posture shifted, becoming wary and suspicious. John decided there was no point in hiding.

He turned off the engine, got out of the car, and approached the gates. «Good afternoon!» John called, trying to sound casual. «Samuel Levine, right?» Samuel didn’t match the friendly tone.

«Who are you and why are you watching my house?» he demanded, his tone immediately hostile. «Are you a journalist? A reporter?» «Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude,» John said, stopping at a respectful distance. «My name is John Peterson.

I’m the father of Mary Peterson. She was in your graduating class and disappeared 22 years ago.» Samuel’s expression changed instantly, his eyes narrowing.

«What do you want?» John was stunned by the coldness of Samuel’s response. «I heard there was a class reunion here last weekend. I’m just trying to gather information about my daughter.

I was told you might have been close to her at some point. Who told you that? Olivia?» Samuel’s voice was sharp. She didn’t even come to the reunion.

John tried to speak calmly. «I’m not looking for trouble, just answers. It’s been 22 years, and we still don’t know what happened to her…