the driveway at home when I left to come down here Sunday morning.”
Lieber wrote something in her small notebook. “Okay. At least we know there’s only one car involved.”
“Have you found it?” Robbie asked, surprised by how raw her own voice sounded. “Have you found Joanne’s car?”
Lieber shook her head. “We’ve also checked credit card charges for both Joanne and Kaitlin, but haven’t found anything since last Thursday when Joanne bought gas on Miami Beach with her credit card and Kaitlin bought some clothes at the South Beach Urban Outfitters on her card on Friday morning.”
Urban Outfitters. There was something so personal about that. Robbie liked to shop there too. And once again, the connection hit her. Her sister, not some disembodied name, was missing. Her sister, Kate. And she had very likely been raped and—what?
“We’ve been interviewing people at all the clubs to see if anyone remembers Joanne or Kaitlin,” Lieber said. “So far, we’re coming up empty-handed.”
“What do you think happened to Kate?” Robbie asked.
“Assuming she was with Joanne, there’s a good chance that she may have gone through . . .” she hesitated, “through the same experience as Joanne.”
“But it’s been two days since Joanne was found,” Robbie said. “Wouldn’t Kate’s b—” She glanced at her father and started over. “Wouldn’t you have found Kate by now?”
“Not necessarily. The creek connects to the bay.”
The unspoken implication hung over them. Robbie looked out toward the broad expanse of water. If Kate’s body washed out to sea, she might never be found.
Robbie’s father spoke finally. “You’re talking like you’ve already written my daughter off.”
“That’s not true, Dr. Brooks.”
“Why aren’t the police doing more?”
“We’re doing everything possible.”
“Everything possible? My daughter may have been drugged and raped and is very likely now being held captive.” He ran his fingers through his gray hair with a quick, nervous motion. “Why haven’t you called in the FBI? Why aren’t you going door-to-door to find her?”
“I know how upset you must be. But we’re looking into every angle. House parties the girls may have attended. Other victims.”
“Flunitrazepam is known to induce anterograde amnesia,” her father said. “Kaitlin may have no recollection of an abduction or rape. She may be wandering about lost.”
Lieber sighed, shaking her head ever so slightly. “The drug would probably only block her memory of that specific incident,” Lieber said. “If she is out and about, why hasn’t she contacted anyone?”
A shrill whistle came from the table with the men in ties. Theywere looking out toward the bay front path. An attractive woman in a bikini was rollerblading behind a stroller with an infant. She ignored the ogling men.
“Let me ask you something else, Dr. Brooks,” Lieber said. “Did Kaitlin give you any indication that she had plans to leave her group of friends on South Beach?”
“I already told you when you asked me before. No.”
“Other than Robbie, does Kaitlin have any friends or relatives in the area that she may have decided to visit?”
“I told you. No.” He picked up the flattened straw wrapper and rolled it between his fingers.
“Has Kaitlin ever gone off somewhere without telling you?” Lieber said.
He shook his head, not looking up.
Hoots and banging came from the table with the guys in ties. The waitress went over to them with her pad.
“What if it wasn’t rape?” Robbie’s words came out haltingly, the idea only half formed. “Or what if it was, but the girls had somehow been complicit, maybe giving their abductor the wrong message. Like they were open to having some fun.”
Her father’s face turned red.
“What makes you think that?” Lieber said.
“You said Kate and Joanne told their friends they might be going off somewhere and not to worry or call their parents.” She
Lieber wrote something in her small notebook. “Okay. At least we know there’s only one car involved.”
“Have you found it?” Robbie asked, surprised by how raw her own voice sounded. “Have you found Joanne’s car?”
Lieber shook her head. “We’ve also checked credit card charges for both Joanne and Kaitlin, but haven’t found anything since last Thursday when Joanne bought gas on Miami Beach with her credit card and Kaitlin bought some clothes at the South Beach Urban Outfitters on her card on Friday morning.”
Urban Outfitters. There was something so personal about that. Robbie liked to shop there too. And once again, the connection hit her. Her sister, not some disembodied name, was missing. Her sister, Kate. And she had very likely been raped and—what?
“We’ve been interviewing people at all the clubs to see if anyone remembers Joanne or Kaitlin,” Lieber said. “So far, we’re coming up empty-handed.”
“What do you think happened to Kate?” Robbie asked.
“Assuming she was with Joanne, there’s a good chance that she may have gone through . . .” she hesitated, “through the same experience as Joanne.”
“But it’s been two days since Joanne was found,” Robbie said. “Wouldn’t Kate’s b—” She glanced at her father and started over. “Wouldn’t you have found Kate by now?”
“Not necessarily. The creek connects to the bay.”
The unspoken implication hung over them. Robbie looked out toward the broad expanse of water. If Kate’s body washed out to sea, she might never be found.
Robbie’s father spoke finally. “You’re talking like you’ve already written my daughter off.”
“That’s not true, Dr. Brooks.”
“Why aren’t the police doing more?”
“We’re doing everything possible.”
“Everything possible? My daughter may have been drugged and raped and is very likely now being held captive.” He ran his fingers through his gray hair with a quick, nervous motion. “Why haven’t you called in the FBI? Why aren’t you going door-to-door to find her?”
“I know how upset you must be. But we’re looking into every angle. House parties the girls may have attended. Other victims.”
“Flunitrazepam is known to induce anterograde amnesia,” her father said. “Kaitlin may have no recollection of an abduction or rape. She may be wandering about lost.”
Lieber sighed, shaking her head ever so slightly. “The drug would probably only block her memory of that specific incident,” Lieber said. “If she is out and about, why hasn’t she contacted anyone?”
A shrill whistle came from the table with the men in ties. Theywere looking out toward the bay front path. An attractive woman in a bikini was rollerblading behind a stroller with an infant. She ignored the ogling men.
“Let me ask you something else, Dr. Brooks,” Lieber said. “Did Kaitlin give you any indication that she had plans to leave her group of friends on South Beach?”
“I already told you when you asked me before. No.”
“Other than Robbie, does Kaitlin have any friends or relatives in the area that she may have decided to visit?”
“I told you. No.” He picked up the flattened straw wrapper and rolled it between his fingers.
“Has Kaitlin ever gone off somewhere without telling you?” Lieber said.
He shook his head, not looking up.
Hoots and banging came from the table with the guys in ties. The waitress went over to them with her pad.
“What if it wasn’t rape?” Robbie’s words came out haltingly, the idea only half formed. “Or what if it was, but the girls had somehow been complicit, maybe giving their abductor the wrong message. Like they were open to having some fun.”
Her father’s face turned red.
“What makes you think that?” Lieber said.
“You said Kate and Joanne told their friends they might be going off somewhere and not to worry or call their parents.” She
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