Lost and Found: A Once & Future Short Story: Once & Future

By Meredith R. Stoddard

Amy Monroe returns to the scene of the crimes, and she is sure she's guilty of being the worst friend on the planet. Not only did she let a stalker into her apartment, but when attacked her roommate, Amy in her grief, and shame, and confusion managed to blame the victim.

Well, her former best friend set her straight yesterday, and she's back to apologize. There's just one problem. Her friend has disappeared.

Fleming Sinclair's job for Alba Petroleum's security department has taken him all over the world, but there is something about North Carolina that just feels right to him. He can relax here. It's comfortable, so comfortable that last night the woman he was supposed to be guarding disappeared right out from under his nose. He's got to find her if he wants to keep his job, and his best hope, is the woman that caused the trouble in the first place.

Can they find Sarah in time for Amy to mend fences and Fleming to keep his job?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Meredith R. Stoddard
• Release date: Feb 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9780990433392

Book preview

For the friends who aren’t afraid to call us out when we’re wrong.

December 27, 1995

A rime of frost skittered around the edges of the brown leaves covering the ground and crept up the corner of the red brick building in front of her. On what was sure to be the coldest morning so far this winter, Amy Monroe couldn’t seem to make herself get out of the car. Yesterday she had practically run from that building after being read the Riot Act by her former friend and roommate. She had deserved every word of Sarah’s tirade, which made it hurt even more.

After a night of contemplating her own culpability in the destruction of their friendship, she was back. She had convinced herself when she left her parent’s house that morning that she should face Sarah and apologize. Now that she was sitting in front of her old apartment building, she wasn’t so sure she was ready for that. She also wasn’t sure Sarah was ready to hear it. From the waves of tension that had been rolling off her friend yesterday, Amy had a feeling Sarah was dealing with a lot more than the strain on their friendship. Still, if mending fences could help ease a little of Sarah’s problems, then she had to give it a try. It was clear that Sarah needed a friend, and Amy had failed her spectacularly in that department.

She opened the car door and got out. A deep breath of frigid December air burned through her sinuses. Might as well get this over with. Soon Sarah would be heading off to Scotland and she would miss her chance. The hallway between apartments wasn’t much warmer than outside. Facing the door, Amy mentally pulled on her big girl pants.

She decided to knock this time. Yesterday, she had used her new key to open the door. She hadn’t gotten very far before finding herself cornered by Sarah’s bodyguard and his stun gun. The bodyguard that Sarah felt she needed now, thanks to Amy’s mistake or thanks to Sarah’s association with a Scottish oil baron. Amy was still confused about why her life and her relationship with her best friend had been blown apart by a serial killer who romanced her to get close to Sarah.

The dead bolt slid open with a thunk and before she could react a hand came out and yanked her inside. The door slammed behind her.

Amy spun around to find herself nose to nose with a frantic Scot.