The Galaxy Chose Earth’s Exile Humanity Didn’t Hesitate to Leave sc part 04 of 05

That morning 22 year old Amanda Sue Whitman backed her yellow Honda Civic out of the driveway just as she had every morning for the last three years Amanda lived with a college roommate and was working toward her teaching degree at the University of Southern Mississippi satellite campus her plan was simple graduate and return home to Bologsy to teach elementary school just like her mother had done. Amanda was the type of young woman a small town was proud of polite hard working and kind on weekends she volunteered at the local animal shelter during holidays she helped her mother at the family bakery and every Sunday she sang in the church choir her voice strong and beautiful during amazing grace her disappearance shattered everything the first red flag came at 4 30 PM that Tuesday Amanda never showed up at Magnolia LL. Where she was completing her student teaching Helen Morrison the supervising teacher waited 15 minutes before calling the office Amanda had never been late once in eight weeks in fact she usually showed up early to prepare lessons by 6 PM panic set in Amanda's roommate Jenny Patterson tried calling her again and again no answer Jenny drove the route between their home and the elementary school three times. Hoping to spot the yellow Civic nothing at 715 PM Amanda's mother Elena received the call while locking up the bakery Jenny's voice was shaking as she explained that Amanda hadn't come home hadn't called and wasn't answering her pager the one Elena had given her for emergencies Elena tried to calm Jenny suggesting maybe Amanda was at the library or helping someone. But deep down Elena felt a cold dread she knew her daughter Amanda was responsible to the core if she was late she called if she changed plans she left a note this wasn't her the Bolognese police department was small just 12 officers serving a town of under 4,000 people missing person reports usually involved teenagers sneaking off or elderly residents who wandered the desk sergeant Bobby Hutchins had known Amanda since grade school he reassured Elena saying Amanda was probably just distracted but Elena shook her head Amanda didn't get distracted when it came to responsibility that evening search parties began to form neighbors church members students all joined in they searched for Amanda or at least her yellow Civic everyone was sure daylight would bring answers but by dawn the car was still missing and the town knew this was was no simple disappearance Amanda hadn't just been delayed she was gone and Bologsy would never be the same sheriff Thomas Tom Bradley only 18 months into his term got the call that morning at 52 years old and a Vietnam veteran he would soon face the most difficult investigation of his career the FBI insisted on handling the witness interviews themselves that decision quickly caused problems waitress Linda Hoffman who had been working the night Sarah disappeared ended up being questioned for different times by four different investigators each one asked slightly different questions and none of them seemed to share their notes by the fourth interview Linda's memory had started to blur she began second guessing details she had once been certain about the biggest confusion came.