The Bindlestiff Mystery

One Mystery Solved

Ben I watched television for about an hour before Brookie’s sister showed up. Mom ran through the living room and out the door to meet her on the porch. I guess she wanted to prepare her for what she might find in our living room.
Brookie’s sister name was Helen. She was younger, lady and when she walked through the door and saw Ben her face when pale and a tear ran down her face. “Brookie! It’s me, Helen.”
Ben looked confused. “I don’t know you, young lady.” He said.
She sat down beside him and held his hand. “You are my big brother. I know it! Do you have a birthmark on your back? It’s shaped almost like California,” she chuckled. “Remember, I couldn’t say your name, Brooklyn, so I called you Brookie?”
Ben said, “I don’t remember, but I do have a birthmark.” Through teary eyes, he said, “I want to remember.”
Mom showed him the picture of him with my uncle, and he stared at it. “That does look like me. Who is that with me.”
“That’s my brother, Jim, he was your best friend.” A tear ran down her cheek.
I could tell she wanted to ask him so many questions, but she knew not to push it since he couldn’t remember.
“We need to call the police and let them know, Brooklyn is alive. They’ll want to know, so they can close his case.” Mom went to the phone and called Officer Bentley.
Ben’s sister took him home with her to see the rest of his family, and the next day he was to meet with the police. I do believe the police were more likely to believe him, now they know who he is. He’s not just some derelict anymore.
***
The newspaper had two big headlines that next day. One that Julie was awake, but couldn’t remember what happened, and the second big headline: Brooklyn Jameson Found Alive After Almost 16  Years After His Disappearance in 1960.
The story mentioned my uncle had drown the same night Brooklyn went missing, and that at the time no one knew the two incidents could be related. It also said has amnesia and don’t remember the events that led up to his disappearance.
My mom was hopeful that he’d eventually remember exactly what happened that night, so she might finally know what really happened to Jim.
Another surprise that morning was Mark showing up at my front door. I had seen or talked to him since the morning we found Julie. He knocked on the door, and waved me outside.
We sat on my porch steps. He looked at me with tears in his eyes. “Caleb, you’re my best friend, right?”
“Sure,” I said.
“I have to tell you something, but you have to promise me you won’t say anything to anyone.”
I felt sick. What if he was confessing to hurting Julie an expected me to keep his secret. “Don’t tell me, Mark. I can’t make that promise without knowing what it is.” I stood up to walk away.
He pulled me down beside him. “Ok, I won’t ask you to do that, but I need your help.”
Chills ran down my spine. Was my friend capable of almost killing another person?
“I knew Julie was hurt, and I was scared.” Tears ran down his face. “I was afraid no one would believe me. We were in the wooded area making out, until we heard sirens. We both took off running, she went the opposite way, toward the hobo’s camp site. I tried to get her to follow me, but she was so scared. We both were.”
“So, what happened exactly?” I asked.
“I put my shirt on and she was gone, I called for her. Then I heard her screaming and running toward that old tree. I tried to grab her arm. She must’ve though I was thought old hobo, and she jerked away. She fell back and hit her head on she wouldn’t get up. I panicked and ran to your house.”
“How could you leave her there?”
“I heard the sirens, and I thought the cops or someone would surely find her and she’d be ok. Really, I did!” Mark broke down and I’d never seen him cry like that ever. “I don’t know what’d I would’ve done if she had died, Caleb.”
“You have got to tell the police what happened. They have to know, and they need to know that Ben didn’t do it.”
“Will you come with me?”
“I’ll do it, but your parents need to be with you too, Mark. You have to tell them.”
We went inside and Mark called his parents to come pick us up. We went to the police station, and Mark told his story.
For what it’s worth, I believe him, but I don’t know if I can continue a friendship with someone who’d leave a person injured. Maybe my mom was right about Mark all along