coat.”
Laughter bubbled in my throat and escaped before I could stop it. “That’s right. It was one of those fake leather things that buttoned up. You were so skinny you were swimming in it.”
“Yeah, I was pretty nerdy.” He raised his shoulders and then let them fall with a deep sigh. “So I’m sorry.”
“Me too. I’m sorry I didn’t see it.”
“Like you said, no one could have.” He turned for the door, clearing his throat. “You did do the right thing by reporting your information. Thanks for that. If you find out anything else–no matter what it is–call me right away. Kailey’s got to be our priority.”
“I will, and for what it’s worth, I hope you’re right about Justin.”
He smiled. “Goodnight, Lucy.”
Some time after midnight, the shrill ring of my phone dragged me out of a troubled sleep. Sharp fear pierced my pounding heart; middle of the night calls only brought bad news. I didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?”
A moment of quiet, accompanied by quick, hushed breathing. “Um. Hi.” The whisper belonged to a child. “Is this Lucy?”
I sat up. “Yes. Who is this?”
“It’s Josie. Do you remember me? You gave me your card at my school.”
Scrubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I stifled a yawn. “Yes, of course. Are you okay?”
“I’m not supposed to be on the phone.”
“It’s awfully late,” I said. “You should be sleeping.”
Josie sniffed. “Do you think they’ll find Kailey?”
This poor child. She’d carry the guilt of Kailey’s disappearance her entire life. “I hope so.” I paused, wondering if I should push her. “Did you have any more information? Something you just thought of?”
“I never should’ve let Bridget talk me into going to the lot. That place is horrible. And full of nasty men and dark places.” Josie sucked in a shaky breath. “I hate it.”
“We all make bad decisions,” I said. “What happened to Kailey isn’t your fault.”
“I didn’t want to go.” Josie’s whisper splintered into a hushed sob. “I never want to go back there.”
“You don’t have to,” I said.
“I don’t want to go to school, either. But my mom is making me.”
This is the part of CPS I missed: comforting the kids, letting them know that no matter what terrible things are in their lives, I’ll be there for them. “Why don’t you want to go to school? Are the other kids mad at you? If anyone’s giving you a hard time about Kailey, go to the principal. That’s not okay.”
“They’re not. It’s just…I can’t get away from it.”
“You can’t, but you can’t run away,” I said. “The best thing you can do is think positive thoughts for Kailey.”
Josie hiccupped. “You know what he’s doing to her. If she’s still alive, I bet she wishes she was dead.”
The sudden flatness in her voice sent an icy dagger of fear down my spine. “Josie, you can’t think like that. We can’t give up.”
“It’s how I would feel.”
“Josie, have you talked to your parents about this? I bet they could find someone for you to help sort out your feelings–”
“I have to go.”
The beep of my phone told me she’d ended the call. I sat it on the nightstand and lay back down, the hopelessness in Josie’s voice embedding into my spirit. I knew it would accompany my dreams, providing the soundtrack for the fear that chased me at night.
I rolled over and grabbed my e-reader. Sleep isn’t for the wicked.
Kenny called me at the crack of dawn. I managed to peel myself out of bed and meet him in Chestnut Hill, on the northwest side of the city. I grumbled at the drive, but Kenny was protective of his lucrative clientele and had no interest in being seen with a private investigator.
Although he’s a small-time drug dealer specializing in marijuana and wary of anything resembling authority, Kenny’s one of the best people I’ve ever known. He’s the one link from my past I cherish.
By the time I arrived at Pastorious
Laughter bubbled in my throat and escaped before I could stop it. “That’s right. It was one of those fake leather things that buttoned up. You were so skinny you were swimming in it.”
“Yeah, I was pretty nerdy.” He raised his shoulders and then let them fall with a deep sigh. “So I’m sorry.”
“Me too. I’m sorry I didn’t see it.”
“Like you said, no one could have.” He turned for the door, clearing his throat. “You did do the right thing by reporting your information. Thanks for that. If you find out anything else–no matter what it is–call me right away. Kailey’s got to be our priority.”
“I will, and for what it’s worth, I hope you’re right about Justin.”
He smiled. “Goodnight, Lucy.”
Some time after midnight, the shrill ring of my phone dragged me out of a troubled sleep. Sharp fear pierced my pounding heart; middle of the night calls only brought bad news. I didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?”
A moment of quiet, accompanied by quick, hushed breathing. “Um. Hi.” The whisper belonged to a child. “Is this Lucy?”
I sat up. “Yes. Who is this?”
“It’s Josie. Do you remember me? You gave me your card at my school.”
Scrubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I stifled a yawn. “Yes, of course. Are you okay?”
“I’m not supposed to be on the phone.”
“It’s awfully late,” I said. “You should be sleeping.”
Josie sniffed. “Do you think they’ll find Kailey?”
This poor child. She’d carry the guilt of Kailey’s disappearance her entire life. “I hope so.” I paused, wondering if I should push her. “Did you have any more information? Something you just thought of?”
“I never should’ve let Bridget talk me into going to the lot. That place is horrible. And full of nasty men and dark places.” Josie sucked in a shaky breath. “I hate it.”
“We all make bad decisions,” I said. “What happened to Kailey isn’t your fault.”
“I didn’t want to go.” Josie’s whisper splintered into a hushed sob. “I never want to go back there.”
“You don’t have to,” I said.
“I don’t want to go to school, either. But my mom is making me.”
This is the part of CPS I missed: comforting the kids, letting them know that no matter what terrible things are in their lives, I’ll be there for them. “Why don’t you want to go to school? Are the other kids mad at you? If anyone’s giving you a hard time about Kailey, go to the principal. That’s not okay.”
“They’re not. It’s just…I can’t get away from it.”
“You can’t, but you can’t run away,” I said. “The best thing you can do is think positive thoughts for Kailey.”
Josie hiccupped. “You know what he’s doing to her. If she’s still alive, I bet she wishes she was dead.”
The sudden flatness in her voice sent an icy dagger of fear down my spine. “Josie, you can’t think like that. We can’t give up.”
“It’s how I would feel.”
“Josie, have you talked to your parents about this? I bet they could find someone for you to help sort out your feelings–”
“I have to go.”
The beep of my phone told me she’d ended the call. I sat it on the nightstand and lay back down, the hopelessness in Josie’s voice embedding into my spirit. I knew it would accompany my dreams, providing the soundtrack for the fear that chased me at night.
I rolled over and grabbed my e-reader. Sleep isn’t for the wicked.
Kenny called me at the crack of dawn. I managed to peel myself out of bed and meet him in Chestnut Hill, on the northwest side of the city. I grumbled at the drive, but Kenny was protective of his lucrative clientele and had no interest in being seen with a private investigator.
Although he’s a small-time drug dealer specializing in marijuana and wary of anything resembling authority, Kenny’s one of the best people I’ve ever known. He’s the one link from my past I cherish.
By the time I arrived at Pastorious
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