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American Thriller

Knapsacks Rule


The phone began to dial, then Hank Farley thought to close the window so his message would be heard. The line that ran just past his apartment was busier than usual today, and typically the railcars slowed along this stretch to accommodate for narrowness. 


Hank Farley’s eyes drifted upward from the tracks to a far off hill near a busy intersection where children rode sleds in the freshly fallen snow. 


He nearly forgot the business at hand when he heard the mailbox tone:


VOICEMAIL

“You’ve reached Madison with Stepping Stones, if this is a parent, leave a message and a text and I’ll respond as soon as possible.”


HF

“Madison, I’m sorry to say this with haste. I am resigning. Do not contact me going forward. Take care."


In the next hour, Hank Farley packed a small amount of clothes in a knapsack, removed the cash from his safe and scribed a letter to be left for his siblings. When it occurred to him that he could not use public transportation he strapped the leather bag tight to his person then drank whiskey by the bar and waited. He went on drinking for a few moments then moved toward the windows, peering outside. 


Hours later the space was dark and quiet. Hank Farley’s wallet and phone sat in the center of the kitchen counter where he'd received multiple calls from a coworker. By chance, he’d made no acquaintances in the complex and had no such relationship with anyone that might warrant a courtesy check. He never collected mail, had no pets to walk, had an attached garage and always took the stairs up to the sixth floor. It was quite possible his closest neighbors hadn’t the slightest idea of his appearance, or maybe even his existence. There were no residents that witnessed any departure from the James Square Apartments the night of the twenty fifth. 




—-



The following document was released to public record from the Jackson County Sheriff's Department in May of 2026. The document has been redacted to protect the identities of any minor(s) involved, and crucial ongoing investigation specifics. 



TO: LT. J.P. SHAW

REPORT FROM: SGT. M. GARDNER


INCIDENT INFORMATION:

Day/Date/Time of incident: Friday, January 25th, 2023 18:30

Location of incident: Stepping Stones Child Care, 55801 Suite 106B on Rolf Blvd near intersection JC Nichols Rd

City: Vine City, MO ZIP: 64141 County: Jackson


—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


VINE CITY, MO. - Officers responded to a call at 55801 Suite 106B on Rolf Blvd on 01/25/23 1830pm at the Stepping Stones child enrichment center. Program Lead **************** (34), tenured six years, phoned the emergency line at 1822pm and reported that she had made a disturbing discovery at her place of employment involving a colleague’s property. After being tasked with cleanup following a company-wide meeting of approximately thirty people, Ms. ********* located a 5” x 7” Moleskine journal in the NW corner of the conference space. The notebook, now classified as evidence, was found under a chair and was colored dark green with a brown leather lace binding. Black and blue ink make up the majority of the first entries, which were dated, but mostly mundane in content. Some pages contained grocery lists, household tasks, math equations, and some doodles of freight locomotives. Toward the end of the document written in red ink were a series of ****** entries with ************************* enrolled in the program. One child **************** by name in several entries. All were dated within the tenure of employment for a Mr. ********** (38), who was identified by Ms. ********* after reviewing security footage on site, and was seen seated near the location of where the evidence was found. Ms. ********* confirmed that she had worked closely with Mr. ****** and that she had seen said notebook in his possession on numerous occasions before the incident. Having obtained probable cause Sgt. ************* requested Ms. ********* contact Mr. ****** without mentioning the discovery under the facade of returning it to him. In tandem our contacts with the Federal Bureau of Investigation were notified and preparations with deputies of the Jackson County Sheriff’s department were made. We were unsuccessful in our attempts to arrange a meeting by phone. We have since ****************************** to launch ***** and detain operation, which is pending upon your review of this report.


SGT. M GARDER 8801


01/25/2023





Roadblocks had been established around the vicinity at an impressive pace but the manhunt was thus far unsuccessful. A heavy law enforcement presence remained at the James Square Apartments in the hours following the raid. The suspect seemingly vanished without a vehicle and with few belongings, if any. A letter left inside the apartment mentioned an expedition to Europe but investigators thought this to be incredible. 


Still, two officers guarding the yellow tape snickered about the “invisible man”. They subbed with another pair for a coffee break, then walked off behind a shed adjacent to the rail line, away from the lights and commotion. Shoulder to shoulder, their joking demeanor cooled, and briefly they confided in each other on the seriousness of the matter.


Officer One

“It truly does make me sick.”


Officer Two

“Deplorable. Absolutely and utterly deplorable. ”


They stood in silence briefly before receiving a call on the walkie. 


Investigator

[muffled] “We need cardboard, please get some from the wagon and bring it up.” 


This was followed by a sincere and quiet gasp from both men when they spotted the many dozens of foot tracks disrupting the pristine snow, in an ugly gash from the edge of the parking lot to the dark brush line across the field, behind which the railroad sat. 


The investigator called once more, this time startling the pair from their gaze:


Investigator

[muffled] “And hurry up boys! Lots of nasty business to attend to this evening!”


The distant whistle of the freight train echoed as the two officers retrieved their flashlights.


Hank Farley had, with some luck, sustained travel a colossal distance away but was very uncertain about what to do next. Now there was a vast and never-ending landscape in his sights. He was certain, however, that he would use a knapsack for the rest of his life, because zippers were “unreliable”. 


"Knapsacks Rule" He thought.


February 13, 2025 20:01

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