Samantha Sanderson Without a Trace by Robin Caroll

okay?
    â€œSam, we’re going to be in trouble.” Makayla sounded like she wanted to cry.
    â€œJust hang on.” Sam held her bottom lip between her teeth. She hesitated for just one more minute before she typed a response.
    Who is this?
    â€œSam!”
    â€œShh. Let’s just see.”
    Tam Lee? Is that really you?
    Sam stared at the blinking cursor. She typed again.
    Who is this?
    The reply came across the screen.
    Who is this ?
    â€œSam, what if it’s that predator or somebody like that? We need to sign off.” Panic rose in Makayla’s voice.
    But this was the only lead Sam had.
    I asked first. Who is this?
    This isn’t Tam. Who is this?
    â€œSam, please.” Makayla had tears in her eyes.
    â€œJust one more second.” Sam hovered over the screen name. Instead of giving the little box of info like usual, it was blacked out. Now Sam’s pulse raced in panic. “Okay. You’re right. Get us out of here.”
    â€œFinally.” Makayla took over the keyboard and with two clicks and one string of code, the screen went blank for a moment, then back to Sam’s desktop. Makayla let out a burst of air, then collapsed onto the bed. “Don’t. Ever. Do. That. To. Me. Again.” She sat up and stared at Sam. “Ever!” She sounded like she’d just finished one of her karate tournaments.
    â€œSorry.” But Sam found herself a little out of breath as well.
    â€œWho do you think that was?” Makayla asked.
    â€œI don’t know. I’ve never seen that black out of information before. Have you?”
    Makayla shook her head. “It’s almost . . . creepy. Like someone knew we were in Tam’s account.” She shuddered. “Okay, I might not know what I want to be when I grow up, but I can assure you, a spy isn’t one of them.”
    The mental image of Makayla creeping around in her karate uniform broke the tension and made Sam laugh out loud.
    â€œWhat?” Makayla wanted to know.
    â€œYou take karate and are awesome at it, but you are so non-confrontational it’s not even funny.”
    Makayla sat still for a moment, as if trying to decide whether to be offended or not, then joined Sam in the laughter.
    Then guilt over laughing when Tam was missing sobered Sam right up. “I just wonder.” She went to Facebook, signed into her account, and opened a search for Anon . Nothing came up. “That’s so strange.”
    â€œI know. It creeps me out.”
    â€œYeah.” Not only did it creep her out, it really bothered her. It was as though someone knew they were in Tam’s account . . . and Sam didn’t like that. She typed in Tam’s name, brought up his page, then clicked on his list of friends.
    â€œWhat are you doing now?” Makayla asked.
    â€œI’m going to send Jason Turner a message.” She clicked on his name, then on “Send a message.”
    â€œWhat are you going to say?”
    Sam shrugged. “I’m just going to ask him if heremembers Tam.” She typed, Hi, Jason. I think I might have met you at the EAST conference last year in Hot Springs. Are you going again this year? Then she hit send.
    â€œYou didn’t mention Tam,” Makayla said.
    â€œNo. I’m just starting a conversation. If he has nothing to do with Tam’s disappearance, he should ask about him, or at least mention him.” That was logical, right?
    â€œOh. Maybe.”
    â€œIt’s better than nothing.” Because as of right now, Sam had no other ideas.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    S am!” Mom hissed.
    She rolled over in bed and put her arm over her face, covering her eyes from the light spilling in from the hallway. Sam groaned.
    â€œSamantha!”
    That got her attention. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
    â€œYou girls need to get up and put on robes. The sheriff’s deputies are here to talk to you both.” Mom sounded more than a