Hello, my name is Howard. I am a detective
for average people. I do not do work for
celebrities..although I have been asked to,
many times.. I do work for people like you
and me.. average people.
Take for instance my latest case I have been
working hard on. About a week ago, a woman
in her Mid thirties came to me with a
problem. Her daughter, Amanda, has been
missing since the night of a cocert her and a
friend had attended. The other girl is fine,
its Amanda thats missing.
The mother, we will call her Ms. L sice I can
not give out my clients full names, had
dropped both Amanda and Sara off outside of
the large sporting arena around 6:30pm for
the concert. The two girls were very excited
that they were going to a "Fleamarket Boys"
concert, and had front row seats at that.
Ms. L told the girls to meet her outside in
the same spot after the concert, and to bring
her back a tee-shirt too.
When she, Ms. L, arrived around 11:00pm the
two girls were not there yet, so she parked
and waited for them to arrive. About ten
minutes later, the concert let out, and mobbs
of scraming teenagers..and some older
fans..came rushing out, heading twords the
back of the building. While waiting
patiently for Amanda and Sara, she couldnt
help but wonder..what was going on behind the
building? Thats when Sara knocked on the
window.
Opening the door, she let her in, and asked
why wasnt Amanda with her. Sara explained
that the two had gotten seperated in the
corridor where all these girls were pushing
and shoving..and they screamed to each other
that they would meet at the car. "But that
was five minutes ago" Sara said. Not
worried, knowing that her daughter was a
smart child, she waited for about a half hour
more..sending Sara back in twice to find her.
With no luck each time.
When Amanda hadn't shown up by 12:00am, forty
five minutes after the concert let out, Ms.L
flagged down a police officer and told him
her daughter was missing. He tried to calm
her down some, explaining that sometimes,
fans stick around in the back to see the
performers come out. When she explained to
him that Sara had already looked there, and
inside to, his reaction still had not
changed. He took her name and nmber down,
along with Saras to, and told them to go to
the police deptment and file a missing
persons report.. but until then, there was
really nothing else he could do.
That brings me back to today. Im about to solve the case, and I have with me Ms.L,and Sara here in my office eaiting, along with several police officers to.
See, after she
filed that report, and looked around more
herself that night and the next day.. she
came to me. She had heard about me through a
co-worker who had also once lost a child.
She explained to me the details, along with
giving me a picture of Amanda to go by. The girl was pretty, had to be no more than 15 years of age.
I started off my investigation right after Ms.L left my office. I called the police deptment to get a cop of the report filed the night of the concert, along with a list of th officers that had worked the concert that night. When I received the material from a good friend, I contacted several of the officers, showing them the picture, and playing 20 questions with them..of which, no one has seen, nor heard of her. Except for the last officer on the list.
~~~~~
"BOB" had been inside the areana that night. He was posted right next to wherethe girl's seats were located at. He had noticed that at one point during the concert, the other gir (Sara) had left to either get sodas for the two, or had gone to the washroom. Either way, while she was one, a man who had an officle badge form the "Fleamarket Boys" approched Amanda. They talked for a few minutes, shook hands, and he handed her a card, which she then put into her purse.
When Sara came back, he says it didnt look like she (pointing to Amanda's picture) told her friend about the guy at all. After that, I really wasn't paying attention at all. He told me.
~~~~~
After my interview with him, it left me with a sense that a certain someone knows something, and hasnt said a word to noone.. and we are going to find out why. Thats why I am now about to visit Sara at home. She will not return my phone calls, nor come to my ofice to talk to me, so I'm going to her house, to find out just exactly where Amanda is.
~~~~~~~~
When I knocked on the door to Sara's house, at first I didnt hear anything. So I knocked again. This time i heard a young girl say that someone was at the door, and to call back in a few minutes. But of course with Sara being 15, talking on the phone is nothing new..its the call back in a few minutes, that is.
Sara answered the door with a look of worry on her face, as if she was scared to see who it was. I introduced myself to her, and she nearly slammed the door in my face, saying she wasnt going to talk to any "fake wanna be cop" when I yelled to her that she either opens the door and talks to me, or I call the police and let them know that she was with holding important info from them, and that she could end up in jail for it she came back.
For a girl who had just lost her friend about a week ago, she sure wasn't heartbroken about it. So I know she is hiding something.
She was scared. I noticed this while I talked to her. She need someone to talk to I could see, but she probably had no one. And all she could do was keep looking at the phoneas if not wanting it to ring..or did she? So i tried to keep my questions coming until it would ring.
From her I found out that Amanda did infact tell her about the guy talking to her. She said that Amanda had told her that her was a manager for the group, and he had, yes, givan her a card. Which she didnt actually see for her self. When I asked her why she didnt tell this to the cops, all she could do was shrug her shoulders and not really give me an answer.
When i asked who she was talking to on the phone previously she turned white. She said "just a friend" and wanted to know why.
"Just asking" was all i could say. Thats when the phone rang.
She excused herself to answer the phone, of which she quickly told the caller to hang up and not call back for an hour as quitly as she could.
When she returned she replied that another so called friend had called, and that she would call them after she was done talking to me. I thnaked her for her time, and left, knowing that something was still not being said.
~~~~~
When I got to my car, I quickly dialed an ex-girlfriend at the phine company. i talked her into giving me a list of phone number that had been both received and made between the night of the concert and today at Saras house. She told me to stop by her house later that night for them. I thanked her, and until i went to her house that night, I made several other phone calls to people, one which included Ms.L. I told her about Sara, and asked just exactluy how well did hse know er. She explained that Sara was like a second daughter to her, which really didnt make me feel that much better about what was happening right now.
When I recieved my phone listing like I had asked for, it was just as I had expected. I had made not of the time that I arrived at Saras house, and at what time I had left. And inbetween this time, teo phone calls had been made to her house from the same number, which was made from out of state. Just as I had suspected. I know that the person calling Sara was Amanda, I just didnt know why, and let alone where she was. I could tell fron the number thay the call was placed from Detroit, Michigan. That when I decided to call the number myself.
Only when I did, it wasn't a girl that answered the phone, it was a voicemail messages, stating that they were way at the time, and to leave a message. Which I did not. i decided to wait a while to call back, but until then, I was going back to the office to look up a few things.
I placed a few more phone calls from my office, getting almost all the info I need, along with a few extras I didnt expect. Thats when things got really interesting. I inturn placed three phone calls. One to Sara, askeing her to meet me at m office in an hour, that if she didnt, the police would be there to escort her here. One to Ms.L hoping the news I was going to give her was good, and one to the police station, asking for them to send two detectives to my office, that I had info on a case they were working on.
***************
THE CASE UNFOLDS
Sitting infront of me right now, I say into my pocket recorder as I press start, I have four people. Ms. Latona, Sara Lepinski, and offiers Calhoon, and Reed. I am about to begin telling them where the where about of one, Amanda Latona is, and how they can find her.
I thank them for coming, and I apologized for the short notice of having them come down to my office. Thats when i begin. I explain to them in story, just exactly what happened:
It all begins back to when the manager of the group "Fleamarket Boys" approched Amanda. When he talked to her, he told her he liked how she looked, and that she had the face of a raising star. She was impressed and wanted to know just excaly what that ment. Thats when he slipped her his card, and told her to meet him in the same spot after the concert
of which she agreed.
Now, when Sara came back, Amanda told her best friend everything, incluing wanting to meet he guys after the show. Sara told her to go ahead, and that she would think of something something to tell her, Aanadas, mom later. Which, she did, butnot a very good story.
after the show, Amana waitd in the areana by her seat, as Sara went outside to meet Ms. latona. Before she did, to waste sometime, she bought a shirt for her, like she has promised earlier when te were dropped off. When the manager came back out he talked to Amanda there at her seat for quiet a while, discussing options. This I know of because I already talked to the manager myself. While all this is going on, Sara reemters the arana twice. The first time, she told Amanda that her mom was askimg for her. Amanda just nodded and told her to wait, but still not to say anything.
The second time Sara went in, they were gone. anda left a note for Sara that she would call her the next day to expalin what was going on. And not to worry about her, he wuld be ok.
A few days later, Amanda did call Sara, but from Detroit, Michigan, of which she told her about the record deal she signed, and how she was now going to tour with the "Fleamarket Boys". She wasn't going to open for them yet, but was getting the feel for the next tour. She then learned about the investigation that was happening. She became worried and told Sara not to say anything for fear she would lose everything.
Thats where I came into the picture. I had visited Saras house to talk to her about the case in question. When I arrived i heard her tel someoe to call back later, which is not common for a 15 year old to do, unless they are hiding something. While i talked to her, the phone rang again, and she quickly and quietly told the person to call back later again.
I had a trace put on her last phone call, and saw it was from Detroit. I then inturn called the number, and talked to a Mr. MacLeans, who happens to be one of the "Fleamarket Boys". i old him tat I needed to talk to Amanda, he toldme he would give her the message, of which he did, and yes, she did call me back.
When I was wating for her to call, I called several places, finding out when and where te next our stop was, along with the name of te manager fo hese gental men.
From here is where i give you the rest of the info so you can pick up Amanda, i say to the officers. I give them the address to the next venue the group is stopping at, what time they are scheduled to arrive, along with the name of the manager of the group, Mr. Rights.
The officers take all the information I have provided them, and then inturn take Sara into custody for with holding important stuff. She starts to cry saying she was just trying to help a friend, at which that point, Ms. latona slaps her. Calling her a no good, lying brat. She thanks for my help and tells me she will recommend me to everyone she know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****
Update:
Amanda Latona is now home safe with her mother. She was still able to keep the contract with the record company she signed with. She was scheduled to put out an alum with four other girls, called Innosense, but has left that group to pursue her own solo career.
Sara lapinski faced a night in jail for with holding information. She was sentenced to 150 hours of community service, and must write a letter to Ms. Latona apologizing to her for the grief she had unknowingly caused.
As for me, I've decided to start helping everyone now. That includes celebrities too, I guess.
CASE CLOSED