Pretty Little Killers by Geoffrey C. Fuller Daleen Berry Page B

have kept her eyes turned away from the newly gathered pile of leaves and branches. The search took several long minutes, as shesent text after text—until finally she heard Rachel’s ringtone. There it was, a little ways off in the grass. Shelia slipped it in her pocket and headed back to her car.
    No doubt Shelia saw the large dark stains in the road, but she was so elated over finding Rachel’s phone she likely didn’t give them a single thought.

ten

    The Timeline
    After Dave found Skylar’s bench and realized she had snuck out, he immediately called Shelia. If anyone knew where his daughter was, Shelia would. That afternoon when Dave asked Shelia if she’d seen Skylar, the teen said no. But she did admit she had talked to Skylar around midnight the night before.
    A few miles away, Mary was growing more concerned about Dave being worried, so she gathered up her purse and prepared to leave work early. The walk from the hospital to Mary’s car took longer than the short drive home. When she arrived, Dave was still on his cell. Just as she’d expected, he’d worked himself into a distraught state.
    Dave was missing two key phone numbers: for Skylar’s friends Hayden McClead and Shania Ammons. He called Shelia again to ask for them. He wasn’t sure Shelia would have Hayden’s number, because she usually steered clear of Skylar when Shelia was around.
    He knew Shania was an old friend of Shelia’s from Blacksville. They had gone to middle school together. For social activities like making a McDonald’s run or going to concerts and movies, Skylar, Shelia, and Shania were together as often as Skylar, Shelia, and Rachel were. When it came to teen secrets, Shelia often confided inShania—which is why Shania knew more about the Skylar-Shelia-Rachel trio than almost anyone.
    As Dave expected, Shelia didn’t have Hayden’s phone number. She also reminded him Shania was at the beach.
    Dave snapped shut the cell phone and turned to Mary. “Now what?”
    Mary shrugged. “We could give it a little time, see if someone gets back to us.”
    â€œMary, she’s missing .” His tone was exasperated and pleading at the same time.
    â€œOkay, then call 911.” As Mary walked toward her recliner, the house landline rang. Mary answered and learned from the Wendy’s manager that Skylar hadn’t shown up for work.
    She hung up and faced Dave. “Call 911 now .”
    The house phone rang again. It was Shelia.
    â€œI need to tell you the whole truth,” she told Mary, “about what happened last night.”
    â€œWhat happened?” Mary’s thoughts raced to images of Skylar at a party, Skylar drunk, Skylar drugged after a boy slipped her one of those date-rape drugs. She even envisioned Skylar deserted in a dark corner after passing out at a party.
    â€œI did see Skylar. She snuck out about eleven. Rachel and I picked her up and we went joyriding for about forty-five minutes. She made me drop her off at the end of the road so we wouldn’t wake you.”
    Mary was momentarily relieved. She was more concerned about the girls sneaking around than the thought of some random stranger snatching Skylar off the street. That kind of scenario seemed farfetched in their tiny suburb of Morgantown.
    â€œWhy do you girls continue to sneak out when we’ve told you just come to us when you want to do something?” Mary scolded. “You don’t need to do this sneaking stuff.” Mary didn’t know how upset she was until she realized she’d lit her cigarette inside the kitchen, a strict violation of their lease. She opened the sliding door and stepped out on the balcony. “We can’t find Skylar anywhere.”
    â€œI heard. Do you know what happened yet?”
    â€œWe don’t know.”
    Tara, Shelia’s mother, then got on the line.
    â€œMary, what’s going on?” Tara asked.
    â€œI