Sheriff Pete Terkinberry recently called a town meeting to be held at the Ya’ll Sit Cafe, and urged everyone in Maple Valley to attend. Despite efforts by Quintin O’Dillmotte to spread rumors the sheriff called the meeting because he is worried about his chances of reelection, therefore, it would be best if the good folks of Maple Valley not waste their time by attending, the cafe was crowded, with room only for those willing to stand. Shorty and Hannah Cloverton provided free lemonade and coffee.

The first order of business was an interruption by Mayor Alvin Thrashborn who vehemently argued only he had the power to call a town meeting and ordered an immediate dismissal of the gathering because, as the mayor put it, the meeting was out of order. Pete Terkinberry stared at him for a moment, then continued.

“Folks, the reason I’ve asked you to come here tonight, for whatever anyone chooses to call this meeting, out of order or not…”

“I object!” Quintin O’Dillmotte shouted as he jumped from his chair on the third row. “The sheriff is obviously just trying to get attention for himself because he is worried about losing his job.”

A low murmur of voices danced across the cafe.

“Quintin, I don’t know what to say to you. I have a job to do, and I’m here to ask for help,” the sheriff said.

“Help in keeping your job?!” Quintin shouted.

“Sit down and shut up, O’Dillmotte!” someone shouted from the back of the room.

Quintin suddenly looked like a balloon popping in slow motion. He wilted to his seat.

Sheriff Terkinberry again tried to explain the reason for the meeting. “Last week I received two phone calls. Phone calls to the sheriff, obviously, are not unusual. What made these two calls stand out is that both female callers identified themselves as Sylvia Meisner.”

Another rumble of voices.

“All of you know Sylvia disappeared almost three years ago. Investigations by my office and other law enforcement agencies have turned up nothing.”

Quintin O’Dillmotte couldn’t help himself. He stood up again and loudly said, “And that is the reason I am glad all of you are here tonight! I am asking you fine folks to immediately remove Pete Terkinberry from his position as sheriff and appoint me, Quintin O’Dillmotte, as the new Sheriff of Kertok County. Can I see a show of hands from all…”

Quintin suddenly stopped talking as two uniformed officers walked through the doors and headed toward him. One of the officers took Quintin by the arm and led him from the cafe. He didn’t resist.

“As I was saying,” Pete continued, “I received two phone calls. The caller identified herself as Sylvia Meisner. She knew the exact number of days Sylvia has been missing. When I said we have missed her, the caller hung up. She sounded like Sylvia, and I was persuaded it was really her.

After the call ended, I waited for a few moments and she called again. When I said I was glad she called back, the caller, who again identified herself as Sylvia Meisner, said she had not called me before. She recited the exact number of days Sylvia has been missing, just as the previous caller, and to me, the voices sounded exactly the same. Again, when I said we have missed her, the caller hung up, and I’ve not heard anything else since that day.

Now, either two people, both of whom sounded enough like Sylvia Meisner to fool me, just happened to call the sheriff’s office on the same day, just a few minutes apart after nearly three years, and this is an elaborately sick joke, or, it really was Sylvia and she called me twice.

I chose not to share the phone calls with anyone. So, unless any of you have been contacted with a mysterious phone call such as these, this is the first time you have heard about them. Let me ask you, have any of you received calls from someone claiming to be Sylvia Meisner?” Pete asked.

People looked at each other, and slowly, hands began to rise. As deathly silence gripped the room, Pete Terkinberry counted twenty-two hands. A third of the people crowded into the Ya’ll Sit Cafe have received two phone calls, each beginning with, “This is Sylvia Meisner.”