The Promise
funny girl, just watch your step around here. We warm up slowly to strangers, if at all.”
     
    With that, she turned abruptly and headed into the parlor.
     
                  Samantha, feeling embarrassed, looked at Elie and apologized, “I haven’t seen her so angry since her and that Taylor girl got into it last week. Wow, I’m so sorry.”
     
    As she started to follow Raven into the ice cream parlor, Elie grabbed her arm, “Wait a minute. Did you say that Raven and Allison Taylor had an argument last week?”
     
    Samantha smiled weakly, “Well, it wasn’t that big a deal, just girl stuff. You know, cat fight.”
     
    Elie pressed her, “Are you aware that Allison is missing?” Samantha went red in the face, “Uh, yeah. She was like, kidnapped or something?”
     
                  “Yes, something like that. Have you heard anything about it, Sam?” At that point, Samantha noticed that Raven was now walking back towards them, “Uh, no, I haven’t heard anything about it. I have to go.”
     
                  As Raven approached she stared at Samantha and then spoke to Elie, “Did I hear someone mention Allison Taylor?”
     
                  Elie nodded, “Yes. Are you aware she disappeared a week ago?”
     
                  “Of course, I’m not some hick from a small town.”
     
                  Elie clenched her fist, “And, you had a fight with her right before she disappeared?”
     
                  “Nice try, chickie. But, it was just an argument about her dad, the creep.”
     
                  Elie’s could feel her eyebrows shooting skyward, “Her dad?”
     
                  Raven slyly smiled, “Are you deaf? It’s no secret he hits on younger women. And, Allison finally found out about it.”
     
                  “So, because he hits on younger women is that any of your concern?”
     
                  Raven smirked, “Take a wild guess, cute but clueless one.”
     
                  Elie was stunned. “He hit on you?”
     
                  The black-haired beauty rolled her eyes, “Are you always this dumb!”
     
                  “And, that made Allison mad?”
     
                  “Yeah, it made her furious. Then, she blamed me. I told her to get her head out of her ass. That’s when she tried to hit me. Big mistake, dumb broad.
     
    A dumb broad with a split lip.”
     
                  Elie was afraid to pepper Raven with too many more questions so as not to arouse any suspicion. So, she let it go. She had also lost her appetite.
     
    Elie smiled, “Yeah, some girls are dumb. Just ask Dr. Phil. Well, gotta go. It’s Saturday. That’s bath night in our small town. See ya!”
     
    As she looked back over her shoulder, she could see Raven talking intensely to Samantha. She appeared to be scolding her.
     
                  Verna sighed, “I’ll meet you back at the dorm. I’m craving those chili cheese fries!”
     
                  “I don’t blame you. I just realized I left my clothes in the washer. See you back at school.”
     
                  As she watched Verna walked away, the young agent could not wait to talk to Mike Gallagher about the new development.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Fifteen-A strange Clue
     
                  Chief Parker sat in his office frustrated at the lack of progress in the Allison Taylor case. He somberly intoned to himself, “ We need a break here.”
     
    He was feeling the heat of a billionaire father, a community that was worried about a murderer on the loose, a college campus under heavy guard and his own reputation as a law-enforcement officer.
     
    He called his lead detective, “Gallagher?”
     
    Within a minute, his request was

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