Mississippi Heat, page 3
“We can’t find Claire.”
“What do you mean you can’t find her?” David asked, confused. “I just saw her a few minutes ago.”
“Where?” Mitch demanded, rounding on the boy. “Where did you see her?”
“She was over that way.” He pointed towards the corner of the opposite end of the building where the boy’s locker room was housed. “She was talking to some guy.”
“Adam Lewis?”
“Yeah, I think that’s him. About sixteen or seventeen, skinny, shaggy brown hair.”
“That’s him,” Jo confirmed. “So, where the hell did she go?”
“I don’t know, but we’re not getting anything done standing here. Sheriff Fuller, David and I will go check the boy’s locker room, if you want us to.”
“Do that.” When the pair strode away, Mitch turned to the girls. “You two go with Caroline, do a walk around the area. Check anywhere Claire might have gone with the Lewis kid. I’m going to go meet up with my deputies and fan out, check the rest of the grounds and the parking lot. Keep your phones on you so we can reach you or in the event Claire tries to call you back.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Lacey whispered to Jo as she ran her hands over her head.
“We don’t know anything is happening, yet.” But Lacey could hear the worry in Jo’s voice. “If she were around, where would she go?”
“Couple of places come to mind. If she was about getting a little private time with a guy, she’d either go up there.” Lacey pointed to the announcer’s booth above the building housing the locker rooms. “Or she’d go back behind the concession stand.”
“How do you get up there?” Caroline asked, pointing as her daughter had.
“There’s a stairway around back. The door at the top is supposed to stay locked, but it next to never is. Kids have been using it for years as their own personal fort.” Noting her mother’s arched eyebrow, Lacey added, “Or so I hear.”
“Uh-huh.” Shaking her head, Caroline gestured to the girls to lead the way. It didn’t take long to mount the stairs, go through the unlocked door, and see that the small booth was empty.
“Concession stand, you said?” The older woman asked as they jogged back down the stairs.
“Yeah. There’s a little storage room around the back.”
“Or so you’ve heard.”
“Something like that.” Now jogging, Lacey made her way quickly over the small graveled area to the little building that served as the concession stand. Unlike the announcer’s booth, it was locked up tight with no sign of Claire, or anyone, in the area.
“This makes no sense,” Lacey declared in frustration. “Even if she was slipping off to make out with some guy, she would have texted us.” Looking at Jo, Lacey got silent confirmation. “For her to not answer her phone… that’s what’s got me worried.”
“Could she have followed the path to the parking lot? Gone to the car, maybe?”
“Maybe. But she wouldn’t have gone alone. She promised. Us, Dad, her parents.”
“Let’s go see. Maybe she decided to do things the old-fashioned way and use the backseat of the car.”
Following her mother, Lacey watched around her, looking for any signs her friend had been in the general area. She didn’t know what she expected to find, but she was damn well going to keep looking.
That’s when she saw it. Laying in a clump of grass on the side of the path, glinting in the sunlight, was the necklace Claire wore every day. The chain, clearing broken, trailed along the path, the Celtic knot pendant draped haphazardly between blades of grass.
“Mom.”
At the tone in her daughter’s voice, Caroline came to an abrupt stop. At the stricken look on Lacey’s face, the older woman hurried back to where her daughter stood, stopping in front of her and bracing her hands on the girl’s shoulders.
“What is it, honey?”
“That’s Claire’s necklace.” Her voice dull, Lacey pointed to where the necklace lay. When Jo reached down for it, Caroline stopped her.
“No, JoEllen. Don’t touch it. I need to call Mitch.” Pulling her cell phone from her pocket, Caroline made the call. Her husband appeared within minutes, jogging around the curve in the path.
“What did you find?”
“Claire’s necklace.” Gesturing again, Lacey felt the tears well up in her eyes. “Dad, she wears it all the time. In fact, the only time she takes it off is if she’s going to be in the water.”
“And you’re sure she was wearing it today?”
“Yes.” This was from Jo, who was nodding emphatically. “She has a ritual where she touches it just before it’s her turn in an event. We had a couple of events together today. She definitely had it on.”
“Shit.” Mitch got on his radio again, asked for a deputy to bring him an evidence bag. While he waited, he took out his phone to photograph the necklace where it lay. It only took a minute for Deputy Martin to come and secure the jewelry in the plastic bag, to seal and initial it.
“This path leads to the parking lot, right?” he asked. It wasn’t much of a path, mostly a narrow gravel line with grass growing through it.
“Yeah, kids use it as a shortcut from the locker rooms to the parking lot.”
“We were heading for the parking lot when Lacey found the necklace,” Caroline told her husband. “We thought that, maybe, Claire and Adam had maybe gone to the car for a little… privacy.”
“Let’s keep going then.”
While Lacey and Jo walked, arm in arm for comfort, Mitch and Caroline fell into step behind them. Little was said as the group followed the curve of the path to the parking lot. As they approached the stretch of asphalt, Lacey felt Jo give a little jolt.
“What?”
“That looks like a shoe.” Releasing Lacey, Jo rushed over to where a running shoe lay on its side, still tied as if the wearer had tugged it off and tossed it aside. Crouching, Jo took a closer look, her hand flying to her mouth. When Lacey reached her side, she saw why.
“It’s hers. That’s Claire’s shoe.” When her parents jogged up, she pointed. “See there, Dad. We all initial our shoes right there so we know who they belong to.” Tears now spilling over, Lacey tried to scan the parking lot for a glimpse of her friend. All she saw was Brooks and David making their way over to where the Fullers stood with Jo.
And all she could do, as her father called in the Amber Alert, was cling to her friend and cry.
3
Time slowed to a crawl Saturday afternoon. Instead of going out for pizza and celebrating, Lacey and Jo had to give statements to the deputies about Clair and what they’d seen. Or what they hadn’t.
Afternoon dragged into evening. Lacey, now at home and pacing the house, waited for some scrap of news. Her mother tried to comfort her, but she was just as worried as her daughter. Lacey wished Jo was with her so they could talk it all out, but she’d gone home at the insistence of her parents, leaving Lacey feeling more alone than ever.
It only got worse when Mitch had come home from talking with Claire’s parents. Lacey knew from the fierce hug he’d given her when he’d come through the door, the conversation hadn’t gone well. He’d had no answers for them and could only share in their fear and worry over their daughter.
Sunday found Lacey, Jo, and their families out scouring the area in hopes of finding Claire. They called friends from school, swapped texts with suggestions on where to look next. While Claire’s parents spoke with the news outlets and reporters, Lacey and Jo joined those who were putting posters up on every phone poll, bulletin board, and storefront window they could find.
The night ended as it had begun, with no news and mounting frustration and worry.
Monday morning, Lacey begged her mom to stay home from school.
“It doesn’t feel right, Mom. Going to school like nothing’s happened.” Tears, never-ending tears, rolled down her face once more. “She’s out there. Alone, scared. Maybe hurt.”
“I know, honey.” Hugging her daughter, Caroline closed her eyes.
“I should be back out there, helping to look for her.” Lacey’s voice was muffled against her mother’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on classes, anyway. Please let me stay home from school, help look for her.”
“Lace, we’ve looked and looked. There’s nowhere around the campus we haven’t gone over at least twice. The same goes for places around town.”
“Then I’ll go to the station, help Dad answer phones.” Pulling away from her mother, Lacey’s face was set in determination.
“Lacey.” Now cupping the younger woman’s face in her hands, Caroline met her daughter’s teary gaze. “You’re in no shape to be answering phones. Especially for this.”
“I feel so useless, Mom. Like I should be out there, doing something. Anything.”
“I’m right there with you.” When Lacey started to shake her head, Caroline held up a finger. “She may be one of your best friends, but I’ve watched that girl grow up. Claire’s run with you and Jo since you all were five years old. She’s like one of my own. So, yes, I understand how you feel.”
“I can’t go to school today, Mom. Even if I can’t help somehow, I can’t go and listen to kids gossip about what happened. Or have them ask a bunch of questions just to be nosy. I don’t think I can handle it.”
“Alright. You can stay home for a couple of days. But, Lace.” Resting her hands on Lacey’s shoulders, Caroline waited until she knew she had her daughter’s attention. “At some point, you’re going to have to go back to your life as best you can.” She kept her words gentle.
“I know.”
“What about JoEllen? How’s she holding up?”
“About as well as I am.”
“Is she going to school today?”
“No. Her parents want her to stay home. I think if they had their way, she’d finish out the school year at home.”
“Don’t think the thought hasn’t crossed my mind for you, Lace.” Caroline gave a small smile at the humorless snort her daughter made. “I’ll call over and talk to Georgia,” she said, referring to Jo’s mother. “Maybe she and Jo would like to come over, spend some time here with us today. We can wait for news together.”
But news didn’t come. Not during the hours Caroline and Georgia spent at the Fuller house with their daughters. Not Tuesday or even Wednesday.
“We have nothing to go on, other than a necklace and a shoe.” Mitch complained over the dinner everyone was picking at on Wednesday evening.
“I saw the cameras outside of the building for the locker room.” Pushing the butter beans around on her plate, Lacey looked at her father. “They had to have caught something.”
“No, honey. I’m sorry.” Giving up on pretending to eat, Mitch pushed his plate to the side. “I’ve talked to the school. The cameras aren’t working. Haven’t been working for a good part of the school year.”
“But… why?” Lacey sputtered, her tone incredulous. “What’s the point in having them if they don’t work?”
“Budget cuts.” Spreading his hands helplessly, all Mitch could do was give his daughter a defeated look. “They’re putting it in the budget to get them running again, but it won’t be until next year’s budget.”
“That’s a load of bullshit.”
“Lacey.” Her mother’s admonishment was quiet but firm.
“I know I should be sorry, Mom, but I’m not.” Pushing up from the table, Lacey threw her napkin on her plate. “If those cameras were working like they’re supposed to, we might know what happened to Claire. We might even have an idea of who this guy is. But because of budget cuts,” Lacey put the words in air quotes, “we’ve got nothing.”
“I understand your frustration. I’m pissed off, too.” Seeing his wife’s arched look at his language, Mitch just shrugged as he drank from his glass. When he’d set it back down with a loud thud, he continued. “Those cameras are there for the safety of the students and staff. For us to find out, months later, that they haven’t been working? Yeah, it’s definitely something I plan on bringing up with the school board in a professional capacity.”
“Doesn’t do any good now,” Lacey muttered, picking up her plate and scraping the food into the trash. “So, I guess I’m supposed to go back to school tomorrow and pretend I’m not pissed off, too?” She shoved her plate into the dishwasher, slammed the door closed with a bang.
“We talked about this, Lace.” From where she still sat at the table, Caroline eyed her daughter who stood braced against the counter. “You have to go back to school. I know you don’t want to. And I don’t like it any more than you do. But you’ve got finals to get ready for and graduation’s right around the corner. We’re not going to stop looking for Claire but, honey, these are things that you have to take care of.”
“I could tank my finals and still graduate.” Now Lacey folded her arms and stared at the floor.
“Be that as it may,” her mother began, “you still have to show up for class. And before you ask, we’ve already talked about letting you finish out the year at home. I’m sorry, honey, but the school board won’t go for it. They say in order to graduate, you have to get back to the classroom.”
“So stupid,” Lacey muttered, pushing away from the counter.
“I know it’s hard, Lace, but it’s only for a few weeks.” Her dad’s voice was full of sympathy.
“Fine.” Lacey made a beeline for the door, before turning to her father. “I hope you find this guy soon. And when you do, I hope he gets everything coming to him and a whole lot more.”
After spending much of the previous evening alternating between fuming at the state of her world and commiserating with Jo on the phone, Lacey fell into bed shortly after midnight. Her sleep was full of fits and starts, and what little actual sleep she got was full of dreams of a man, his face a blur, taking everyone she loved.
This meant when her alarm blared at six o’clock the next morning, she was far from rested. She rolled out of bed, cranky and her head pulsing with a dull throb. A shower didn’t help and the coffee her mom handed her did little to boost her mood or energy. As a result, the ride to school was silent, with Lacey brooding in the passenger seat.
The morning dragged on, as she and Jo had only one class together before lunch and it was the first class of the day. In her last morning class, Lacey spent the bulk of it tuning out the droning of her U.S. history teacher and watching the clock. She counted down the minutes until she and Jo could find their spot in the cafeteria and find some comfort in each other’s company.
As soon as the bell rang, Lacey was up like a shot, scooping her unopened textbook from the desk, snagging her bag on the fly, and heading out the door. Jo’s class for the period was right across the hall, so they managed to meet halfway.
“This day is never going to end,” Jo groaned, her way of greeting her best friend.
“I know.” Keeping her voice low, Lacey leaned in so she could converse with her friend in the now-crowded hallway. “If I have to keep answering the same questions, or keep getting the same looks, I swear I’m going to scream.”
Jo hooked her arm through Lacey’s as they navigated the corridor leading to the cafeteria.
“I know. I feel like I’m under a damn microscope.” The girls shifted to make their way through a narrow opening in the sea of bodies. “I still don’t understand why the damn school board wouldn’t let us finish at home. We’d get more done there than here.”
“Right?” Narrowing her eyes at a group of girls whispering behind their hands, Lacey shifted her attention back to Jo. “God, I never thought I’d hate it here but I’m seriously wishing we never have to come back.”
“Preaching to the choir, sister. Preaching to the damn choir.” Sighing, Jo pointed to the food lines. “C’mon, let’s go see what they’ve got. Not that I feel like eating.”
“Me either.” But Lacey followed, going through the line and blindly adding items to her tray. When she and Jo finished their selections, they found a relatively empty table tucked back in the corner of the large room. Settling in across from each other, the girls continued their conversation.
“Have you heard anything today?” Jo asked quietly as she set her bag on the floor.
“No. I texted my dad between classes, but so far, nothing.”
“It’s so frustrating.” Grabbing the sandwich from her tray, Jo began to shred it into tiny pieces. “And I know if it’s this way for us, it’s got to be really frustrating for Claire’s parents. And for your dad, who’s trying to put it all together and get some answers for them. Hell, it’s frustrating for us, too.”
“Yeah. He says it’s like banging his head against a wall. There’s nothing there for the cops to go on, no leads to follow. It’s like she just vanished into thin air.”
“Well, wouldn’t you, if you were her?” A smoky female voice chimed in from the other side of the table.
Ashley Ballard, head cheerleader-and head mean girl-stood sneering down at Lacey. As always, her dishwater blonde hair was perfectly in place, her makeup applied by a sure hand, and her clothes were top labels. And her favorite accessories, the other two girls in their little group, flanked her, wearing matching smirks and mean eyes.
“What the hell do you want, Ashley?” Jo’s voice left little doubt that she was in no mood for Ashley’s games.
“Well, we were just walking by and couldn’t help but overhear your conversation about your little friend.” Ashley’s voice dripped sugar. “It’s such a sad thing, her taking off that way.”
“She didn’t take off.” This time it was Lacey, speaking through gritted teeth. “She wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t she?” Studying her nails, Ashley shook back her hair. “I know I would, if I were her.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Rage burning in her chest, her voice rising, Lacey stood.
“She flirted with every guy here. Didn’t she girls?” Ashley looked at each of her friends, got their smiling nods of agreement. “Claire probably just took off with one of them for a little… fun time.”
