"I guess you probably want to know what clues I got, right, Ebony Markson?" Aaron was teasing her now, and Ebony wasn't going to stand for it. She flicked Aaron hard on the shoulder impatiently, sending the message. Ebony needed all the clues she could get, and she couldn't stand Aaron wasting time. 

"It isn't nearly as much as you got, but it's something." Aaron paused for a moment, getting up and pacing across the kitchen. "I went back to Cherry Bridge yesterday." Ebony's mouth dropped open, and she crossed her arms. Why in the world would he go without her, with a possible kidnapper on the loose AND those crazy teenagers patrolling the area?

"I know you're probably mad, but I went during the day. I didn't want to bother you and I knew you'd probably want to talk with your dad anyway." Ebony looked down, not wanting to meet Aaron's eyes. The boy still had no idea her dad was far out of town. "But what I found was significant. Wait here." Aaron left the kitchen, heading back into the hallway and into a room. Ebony slowly got up from her chair, wandering around the kitchen. She stopped at the fridge, where she could see a picture of the entire Ky family. Aaron's mother was really pretty, with long black hair and pretty eyes. In the picture, Aaron looked to be about ten years old, with a grumpy look on his face. Besides him, there was an eight-year-old Mayla, smiling so big it looked painful. Ebony smiled to herself. Aaron was a cute kid, even with his bad attitude. Besides the picture, there was a note addressed to M. Ky. Ebony assumed it was for Mayla. It only had one word on it, which was "September". Whatever that meant, Ebony had no idea. Probably just a family thing, and none of her business.

Ebony heard footsteps, and she turned to see Aaron walked back into the kitchen and placing a shoebox on the kitchen counter.

"You'll never believe what I found." Aaron was grinning. He was really enjoying this whole investigation, and he looked really proud to have found a significant clue. "It's the other sneaker."

Ebony's eyes widened, and Aaron grinned even wider at her reaction. She ran quickly over to the counter, flipped open the box to reveal an incredibly mud ridden shoe. It was, in fact, the same type of shoe Max would wear every day to school. He had used to tell Ebony all about how he believed that owning more than one pair of shoes is a waste and that sneakers could be worn in every situation, even with suits. She had always thought that this way of thinking was stupid, but also incredibly funny. Now, looking at that muddy, ripped up and damaged shoe, she almost wanted to cry.

"The sneaker that the cops found was definitely placed there on purpose. Someone wanted to frame your dad. I found this sneaker about two miles from the bridge, in a muddy shoebox. How the police didn't find it, I don't know. The Seldom Police are definitely shady people." Aaron was in deep thought, trying to solve the mystery that lay in front of him. "For now, we're keeping the sneaker. The cops already have one, and I don't trust them. At this rate, we'll find Max years before they even start heading the right direction."

Ebony agreed, even though she knew this was a risk. If the cops found out Jim Markson's daughter was withholding information about the Blackburn Case, her life would go to hell. But for now, she pushed that thought to the back of her brain to dance with her other fears that involved her father and mother. She looked at Aaron, her eyes asking the most important question: How did he know it was Max's for sure?

"We don't know if it's his, that's the thing." Aaron rubbed his chin. "There's only one logical thing to do. We have to get one of his family members to confirm that it's his. They knew him best, next to only you, and they'll know." Ebony scrunched up her eyebrows. There were many flaws in Aaron's plan, including the fact that she believed both Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn probably thought her father had taken their son. Not to mention the fact that their eldest son Colin would probably murder her on sight.

"Don't worry, I know a Blackburn that'll be willing to help us." Aaron had that look on his face, the look he got when he was determined and nothing, not even God himself, we're going to stop him. And, and Aaron shoved the shoebox into his backpack and headed out of the house with Ebony on his heel, she knew that there was no way she was going to try and stop him from finding the one and only Max Blackburn.

~

"Here." Max stopped abruptly on his bike, in front of the Seldom Park playground. It was a huge, wooden playground with all sorts of ramps and towers that Ebony remember vividly running through at the age of six. It was when her parents were still together, back when she spoke words so colorful that they made her mother's eyes crinkle in the corners as she smiled. As the memory faded from her mind, Ebony now looked up at the empty playground and the swirling autumn leaves in the air. The only color she seemed to see was gray. It was an oppressive, suffocating gray that burned through the sky and reminded her of all the words she never said.

"Ebony. Ebony!" Aaron was waving his hand in front of her face, and she jumped. He was already off his bike, having parked it in the bike rack. "C'mon, we don't have all day." She nodded, letting her thoughts drift from her mind like the leaves in the wind.

After parking her bike, Aaron led her right into the playground, and they walked up a ramp and climbed a ladder into one of the towers. As they were about to reach the top, a voice rang out into the cold air.

"Who goes there?" It was a young, teenage boy's voice.

"Aaron and Ebony. I had an appointment today." Aaron said loudly. Ebony, who was just below Aaron on the ladder, looked up, confused. Appointment?

"Oh, Mr. Ky! Come in, Come in." The voice was confident but also had the familiar crack that was associated with adolescent boys. Ebony knew the voice, but she couldn't quite place it.

Aaron climbed into the tower ahead of her, and Ebony followed in tow. When she made it inside, she found Aaron and Miles Blackburn sitting in the small room at the top of the tower. The room had a low ceiling that met in a point at the top, and for large windows including the one, she was climbing in through. There was a plate of cookies in the center of the room and Miles was wearing a bright red cap, the one that he always seemed to be wearing, even in school. Miles was the smarter, less attractive version of Max in Ebony's opinion. He was said to be smarter than all of the kids in his seventh-grade class, and Ebony knew for a fact that he was a million times more logical than Max ever was. 

Miles Blackburn gave Ebony a huge smile, and he looked happier than she thought possible for a thirteen-year-old boy whose brother had gone missing.

"Ebony! I haven't seen you in so long. Mom really misses you, and everyone is upset that they are blaming your father for Max's disappearance. After what Aaron found, I think your father is innocent for sure. He's too smart to leave evidence just lying around."

Ebony smiled at Miles, nodding her head. It was comforting to see him again, and she was pleased to know that he didn't hate her guts. 

"Colin kinda hates you a bit though. I'd stay away from him if you ask me." Miles waved his hand as if his brother's threats were merely bothersome and nothing of much significance. "Anyways, welcome to Blackburn Tower, my official headquarters. Out of this office, I am running an official search and rescue for my brother."

Miles grinned at both Aaron and Ebony as if they were seeing the beginnings of a historic event. "And you, my friends, are my first agents. Aaron and I have been in contact via email, Ebony, and he told me of your mission to find my brother. So now I'm your boss." Ebony raised her eyebrows, and Aaron shrugged at her. She supposed it wouldn't be so bad having an extra brain to help them sort out this mess.

"So, let this meeting commence. Aaron, you've brought a bit of evidence, haven't you? Let's see-"

"Wait!" All three of the kids in the tower jumped at the sound of a girl's voice. "Wait for me!" A girl with black hair scrambled into the tower, and Aaron immediately scowled. 

"Mayla, what the hell are you doing here?! Do you follow us?" He shot at her, and Mayla rolled her eyes as she sat next to Ebony and crossed her legs.

"Oh, grow up, Aaron! After hearing what you were talking about in the kitchen, I knew I had to help out Ebony!" Mayla threw her arm around Ebony, smiling sweetly at her brother. Ebony watched as Miles' faced turned a deep maroon red as he watched Mayla Ky. Ebony covered her mouth, giggling.

"I can't believe you, Mayla! How many times has mom told you not to listen to other people's conversations?!" Aaron was visibly pissed, running his hand through his hair in exasperation. "I guess, now that you know everything, we have no choice but to include you. But if you mess anything up, you're dead. D-E-A-D. Boss, what do you think?"

"She's c-cool." Miles stuttered, clearly unsettled by the fact that he now had Mayla's full attention. Mayla smiled sweetly at him, and Ebony watched as Aaron's eyes basically rolled into the back of his head out of annoyance.

"Then it's settled! We're a team!" Mayla squealed, Aaron, groaning loudly at the exact same time. Ebony, trying to get everyone back on track, reached into Aaron's backpack to grab out the shoebox. Everyone stopped talking, watching Ebony as if her movements were ten times louder than words. She opened it up, and everyone stared in silence as she lifted the shoe that had once belonged to Max Blackburn and placed it next to Miles' plate of cookies.

Miles picked up the shoe slowly, surprisingly quiet. He ran his fingers over it, flipping it over. He then looked inside of it, as if he was going to find some sort of explanation for his brother's disappearance written in the soles. 

"I can't believe. How could they police miss such a thing? It's so-" Miles stopped, and time seemed to move increasingly slower. "Wait. There's something inside of it." Everyone drew closer as Mile reached inside. He pulled his hand out and opened his palm to reveal a single, emerald green stone that glimmered in the faint light that came in through the tower's windows.

Everyone was quiet. The mood in the tower had changed so quickly that it was unnatural. They all looked at Ebony as if she could explain the stone. She had written about it so many times, for police officers, Max's parents, and the entire town. And now, there it was again, or at least one just like it. It had haunted her nightmares, and now, looking at Miles holding the stone in his hand, Ebony couldn't help but see him as his brother two years ago. 

"Ebony," Aaron whispered. "What does it mean?" The question echoed through the air. Ebony had been asked this question too many times lately, and it made her feel helpless. Ebony shook her head, wishing she had an answer. All she knew is that the stone meant nothing good. It was a cursed stone and only led to missing boys and lonely girls.