and thumbed through it. “This one's pretty good.” She handed it over.
Lara studied the photo. “Auburn hair, blue eyes, slim build.”
“Yeah. Vanessa's really pretty.” Megan gave her bowl of M&M'S a guilty look. “She's not overweight like me.”
“Any trouble with guys?” Lara asked.
Megan shook her head, and her brown curls bounced about her face. “People are always assuming that Vanessa dates a lot, but it's not true. She… she's sorta picky. She wants to save herself for the right guy.”
“I see.” The missing girl didn't sound like the type to run off to have an affair. Lara turned to LaToya. “Has her family been contacted?”
“Yeah,” LaToya said. “They have no idea where she is. They say she's never run off like this before.”
“And the ex-boyfriend checked out?” Lara asked.
“Yeah. He has an alibi. And he's happily engaged to another girl. It's a dead end.”
Lara focused back on Megan. “You have no idea where she could be?”
“Nope.” Megan shoved more candy into her mouth. She filled her hand with more M&M'S.
“Did you go anywhere with Vanessa last night?” Lara asked.
Megan's hand went slack, and the M&M'S fell with a pattering sound back into the bowl. Her face went blank. “We were in our room, studying.”
A chill crept up Lara's arms. Megan's face was expressionless, just the way Harvey's had been. The paramedics and the Trents had looked the same way. God, no. Don't let Jack be involved with this.
“I told you it was weird,” LaToya whispered.
Lara cleared her throat. “Megan, it was Saturday night. Surely you went somewhere? Maybe to get something to eat?”
“We were in our room, studying,” Megan repeated.
“And Vanessa never went out at all?”
“We were in our room, studying,” Megan whispered.
“I understand.” Lara stood and slipped Vanessa's photo into her jeans pocket. “Thank you for your time.”
Megan blinked and looked surprised. “You're going?”
“Yes. I'll keep in touch.” Lara headed for the door.
“Okay.” Megan's eyes were once again eager. “I hope Vanessa will be okay. She… she's really nice to me, you know. She showed me the proper way to put on makeup.”
LaToya led Lara down the dormitory hall. “You see what I mean by weird? Megan was acting normal, then she turned into a zombie.”
“I know,” Lara grumbled. “It looked like she'd been programmed.”
“And we know only one person who's capable of doing that.”
Lara winced. Not Jack, please. “There could be others with that ability.” Hadn't he said something about protecting others? Others who could be like him? But if his friends were capable of kidnapping, what did that say about Jack?
LaToya knocked on door 124. “Vanessa's friends live here. Carmen and Ramya.”
Lara talked to the two girls. They were both pretty brunettes. Carmen looked Hispanic and Ramya came from India. They were clearly worried about Vanessa and eager to help in any way they could. Until Lara asked if they'd gone out the night before.
Their faces went blank and their eyes shuttered. “We were in our room, studying,” they answered in unison.
Gooseflesh slithered down Lara's arms. “Thank you.” When the door shut, she turned to LaToya. “Don't say it. It can't be Jack.”
LaToya grimaced, then headed toward the stairs. “There's someone else I want you to meet.”
Lara followed her up to the second floor. “All three girls were programmed to say the same thing. They must have all gone out together. But why was Vanessa abducted, and the other girls sent back?”
“Maybe the perp can handle only one vie at a time.” LaToya turned right, down the hall.
“I don't think so. With mind control, he could handle a room full of women. He wouldn't even need restraints. They would just obey him like sheep.”
“Well, that's a good point.” LaToya knocked on a door. “This is Roxanne's room.”
A girl with dyed black hair, heavy black eyeliner, and a lip ring
Lara studied the photo. “Auburn hair, blue eyes, slim build.”
“Yeah. Vanessa's really pretty.” Megan gave her bowl of M&M'S a guilty look. “She's not overweight like me.”
“Any trouble with guys?” Lara asked.
Megan shook her head, and her brown curls bounced about her face. “People are always assuming that Vanessa dates a lot, but it's not true. She… she's sorta picky. She wants to save herself for the right guy.”
“I see.” The missing girl didn't sound like the type to run off to have an affair. Lara turned to LaToya. “Has her family been contacted?”
“Yeah,” LaToya said. “They have no idea where she is. They say she's never run off like this before.”
“And the ex-boyfriend checked out?” Lara asked.
“Yeah. He has an alibi. And he's happily engaged to another girl. It's a dead end.”
Lara focused back on Megan. “You have no idea where she could be?”
“Nope.” Megan shoved more candy into her mouth. She filled her hand with more M&M'S.
“Did you go anywhere with Vanessa last night?” Lara asked.
Megan's hand went slack, and the M&M'S fell with a pattering sound back into the bowl. Her face went blank. “We were in our room, studying.”
A chill crept up Lara's arms. Megan's face was expressionless, just the way Harvey's had been. The paramedics and the Trents had looked the same way. God, no. Don't let Jack be involved with this.
“I told you it was weird,” LaToya whispered.
Lara cleared her throat. “Megan, it was Saturday night. Surely you went somewhere? Maybe to get something to eat?”
“We were in our room, studying,” Megan repeated.
“And Vanessa never went out at all?”
“We were in our room, studying,” Megan whispered.
“I understand.” Lara stood and slipped Vanessa's photo into her jeans pocket. “Thank you for your time.”
Megan blinked and looked surprised. “You're going?”
“Yes. I'll keep in touch.” Lara headed for the door.
“Okay.” Megan's eyes were once again eager. “I hope Vanessa will be okay. She… she's really nice to me, you know. She showed me the proper way to put on makeup.”
LaToya led Lara down the dormitory hall. “You see what I mean by weird? Megan was acting normal, then she turned into a zombie.”
“I know,” Lara grumbled. “It looked like she'd been programmed.”
“And we know only one person who's capable of doing that.”
Lara winced. Not Jack, please. “There could be others with that ability.” Hadn't he said something about protecting others? Others who could be like him? But if his friends were capable of kidnapping, what did that say about Jack?
LaToya knocked on door 124. “Vanessa's friends live here. Carmen and Ramya.”
Lara talked to the two girls. They were both pretty brunettes. Carmen looked Hispanic and Ramya came from India. They were clearly worried about Vanessa and eager to help in any way they could. Until Lara asked if they'd gone out the night before.
Their faces went blank and their eyes shuttered. “We were in our room, studying,” they answered in unison.
Gooseflesh slithered down Lara's arms. “Thank you.” When the door shut, she turned to LaToya. “Don't say it. It can't be Jack.”
LaToya grimaced, then headed toward the stairs. “There's someone else I want you to meet.”
Lara followed her up to the second floor. “All three girls were programmed to say the same thing. They must have all gone out together. But why was Vanessa abducted, and the other girls sent back?”
“Maybe the perp can handle only one vie at a time.” LaToya turned right, down the hall.
“I don't think so. With mind control, he could handle a room full of women. He wouldn't even need restraints. They would just obey him like sheep.”
“Well, that's a good point.” LaToya knocked on a door. “This is Roxanne's room.”
A girl with dyed black hair, heavy black eyeliner, and a lip ring
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