Mississippi Heat, page 4
“You need to shut your mouth and walk away.”
“Why? What are you going to do if I don’t?”
“Well, let’s just say that little nose job you got last summer is going to need some upgrades.”
Gasping, Ashley’s hand shot to her nose as the jaws of each of the girls beside her dropped.
“I did not have a nose job,” she hissed from behind her hand. “And you wouldn’t dare lay a hand on me.”
“Wouldn’t I?” Now Lacey rounded the table to stand toe to toe with the other girl, not caring about the people who were watching to see what happened next. “Keep talking shit about my friend, someone who could be in serious danger or worse, and see if I don’t.” Hot tears welled up in Lacey’s eyes as she glared at Ashley. “You wouldn’t be saying any of this if it was one of your friends.” Lacey gestured to the other two girls. “Or someone you loved. So, how about instead of being the heartless bitch you usually are, you try for a little common decency, since it’s the best we can hope for?”
The sound from the slap that cracked across Lacey’s cheek was quickly smothered by the collective gasp from onlookers. Lacey heard Jo’s outraged “what the fuck?” just before her friend’s chair scraped back from the table. But before Jo had the chance to come to her best friend’s aid, Lacey reacted by balling up her fist, swinging back, and decking the pert blonde with everything she had.
Before the students around them could start the timeless chant of “fight, fight”, Lacey’s arms were grabbed from behind. Since she saw a teacher was also grabbing Ashley, Lacey didn’t struggle.
“What in the world is going on with you two?” The teacher who held Lacey released her to step between the two girls.
“Lacey started it,” Madison, Ashley’s best friend, accused.
“The hell she did.” Jo pointed at the other girl. “Don’t even try lying to protect your little ringleader over there. We’ve got plenty of witnesses.” Looking to the teacher, Jo gave the rundown of how the situation had escalated, while Lacey stood nearby, eyes stormy, as Ashley sobbed and held her face.
“Okay, ladies. You need to see Principal Dwyer. Jeremiah,” the teacher called to a redheaded boy sitting nearby. “Please go ask the nurse to come to the front office to see to Ashley. If anyone stops you along the way because you don’t have a hall pass, you send them to me.” Turning back to the girls, the teacher pointed. “You, you, and you three,” she said, pointing to Lacey, Jo, and Ashley’s group, “let’s go.”
Less than an hour later, Lacey found herself suspended for the rest of the week. She’d sat in stony silence as Principal Dwyer had lectured them all about bullying and fighting in school. The whole time, Ashley had sat nearby, sniffling and clutching her bag in her lap, a ‘pity me’ expression on her face.
The fact she was playing the victim had Lacey doing everything she could to resist the urge to get up and hit her again.
Since the front office had called her mother while the group of girls was being admonished, Lacey didn’t have to wait long to be picked up from the principal’s office. She and Jo sat, hip to hip on the bench in the lobby, as far away from Ashley as they could be. No one spoke a word as first Ashley’s mother came through the door, then Lacey’s. And Lacey knew from the look on her mother’s face that she was in for another lecture, if not two, before the night was over.
“Come on, you two.” Caroline wagged a finger between the girls with a sigh. “Jo, I told your mother I’d pick you up and drop you at the hardware store, since she couldn’t leave.”
Still silent, the friends picked up their backpacks, slinging them onto their shoulders as they made their way to the parking lot.
No one said a word during the brief car ride until Caroline had dropped Jo off with her mother.
“What in the world were you thinking?” Caroline asked without preamble. “Starting a fight? That’s not you, Lace.”
“Ashley started it by running her mouth about Claire.” Slouching down in the passenger seat, Lacey crossed her arms. “Not to mention the fact that she hit me first. I wasn’t going to stand there and take it, so I hit her back.” Now she shrugged. “Don’t ask me to apologize, because I won’t. She deserved it.”
“Lacey.” Now her mom’s tone was tired, defeated. “I know this whole situation about Claire has you torn up--”
“It’s not just that, Mom.”
“So, talk to me, honey. Let me help.”
“You can’t help!” The outburst surprised Lacey as much as it did her mother. “There is absolutely nothing you can say or do to make things better for me.”
“You don’t know--”
“Yes, I do.” Sitting up straight now, Lacey turned to face her mother. “I have all of this… this stuff going on inside of me and I feel like I’m going to explode. I’m so worried about Claire, wondering if she’s okay or even alive, that I feel sick to my stomach more often than not. So, I’m not really eating.” Lacey paused to take a quick breath before she continued. “I’m scared to death to go anywhere alone, because this guy is still out there and nobody knows who he is or even where he is. I’m scared because if he was watching Claire, then at some point he was watching me, because we’re almost always together. Which means I could be next. Which means on top of not eating, I’m also not sleeping. And when you put all of this together, well, I’m not exactly myself.”
Exhausted by her confession, Lacey slumped back against the seat again, staring at the scenery as it passed her by. After another moment’s silence, Caroline’s question was quiet.
“Honey, you should have said something. This is not healthy.”
“You think I don’t know that?” A tear slid its way down Lacey’s cheek. She gave it an impatient swipe as she continued to stare out the window. “Dad’s worried about the whole situation and not only how it impacts his daughter but also his community. You’re worried not only because of the situation but because of me and because of Dad. I didn’t want to add to it so I’ve been dealing with it the best I can.”
“I’m going to say this as plainly as I can.” Caroline’s voice was still quiet, but her tone was matter-of-fact. “I don’t ever want you to worry about adding to any concerns, fears, or worries your father and I may have. If you need to talk to us, come talk to us. Don’t let it get this far again. Okay?” At Lacey’s nod, Caroline reached up to pull the keys from the ignition. “Good. Now, let’s go inside and try to put this morning behind us.”
Following her mom into the house, Lacey did her best to set the morning’s events aside. And, even though she had little to no appetite, did her best to choke down some food, if for no other reason than to ease her mother’s worries about how she was eating. She followed lunch with an attempt at a nap, which resulted in tossing, turning, then simply staring at the ceiling for a while.
The sound of a vehicle pulling into the driveway had her pulling herself from the bed and wandering over to the window. Seeing her dad’s cruiser, emblazoned with ‘Sheriff’ in big bold letters, had Lacey sagging a little.
“Looks like Mom filled him in,” she muttered to herself. “Since he’s home…” she paused to check her watch, “two hours early.”
Steeling herself for yet another lecture, Lacey trudged to her door, stopping herself as she heard her parents talking. She listened as Caroline filled her father in on the incident, followed by listing her concerns over Lacey’s mental health and overall well-being. Mitch could be heard murmuring in agreement as his wife vented her thoughts. When Mitch asked where his daughter was now, Lacey took the question as the opportunity to face the music.
“I’m here, Dad.”
“Well,” he began, as he turned at the sound of her voice, “I hear you’ve had quite the day.”
“You could say that.”
“I have to say, I’m more than a little surprised at what happened.” With a quiet thanks to his wife, Mitch took the glass of sweet tea she passed to him. “Fighting, Lace?” He shook his head as he took a quick sip. “It’s not like you.”
“I know.” Dropping into a chair at the kitchen table, Lacey drew her knees to her chest and propped her chin on them. “I didn’t intend to hit her. I just wanted her to stop talking. But she hit me and well… I reacted.”
“Uh-huh.” Mitch pulled out his usual chair and took a seat. “Look, hon. You know I don’t approve of fighting but I’ve always told you to defend yourself if someone took the first swing. So, I can’t be mad. But I can be worried. Your mama told me all the stuff you said’s been going on with you and why you didn’t tell us.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s our job to worry, kid. It’s what good parents do. Now, about the fact this guy’s still out there.”
“Dad--”
“Nope. My turn to talk, your turn to listen.” The words, so often said throughout her life, were said without heat and had Lacey going quiet. “I know the fact that this guy-and everyone I’ve talked to in law enforcement is saying guy-is out there is scary. And I know that if it’s scary for me, it has to be terrifying for you. Especially since it’s hit so close to home.”
Feeling the tears well up in her eyes, Lacey simply nodded.
“And it sucks that, until we get a viable lead, there’s nothing law enforcement can do about it. But, as your dad, I can.” Mitch waited until his daughter’s eyes met his. “First, we’ll review basic safety precautions for when you’re out somewhere.”
As he asked his questions at a rapid-fire pace, Lacey answered just as fast. When he’d run through his list, Mitch nodded in satisfaction.
“Good. Very good.”
“I just don’t feel like those things are enough, Dad.” Knuckling away another tear, Lacey sniffed. “Claire knew all those things, too.”
“I happen to agree. Which is why I’m giving you this. Now, Caroline,” Mitch said in reply to his wife’s objections to the canister he held, “I’m making sure she has every way possible to protect herself, outside of packing a gun. And believe me, if I could arm you, I probably would.” Turning back to Lacey, Mitch held out the canister of pepper spray.
“You know what this is?” he asked.
“Yes.” Dropping her feet to the floor, Lacey took the canister and studied it.
“I know I don’t have to tell you this, but this is to be used only in emergency situations.” He held out a hand for Lacey to return it. Once he held it again, he demonstrated. “Super easy to use. Aim at the face, push this trigger, and move it around in kind of a zigzag. Gives you a better chance of spraying the face.” He handed it back to her, watched as she studied it again, watched as she got comfortable handling it. “Be careful of the cloud of spray, though. Don’t want it coming back to hit you in the face.”
“Makes sense.” Lacey gripped the canister, held it out at arm’s length.
"Keep this to yourself, okay? Legally speaking, you're not supposed to have it, since you're not eighteen yet. But I want you to keep it with you at all times, just in case. Promise me."
“I promise.” Her hand still wrapped around the spray can, she leaned over to hug her dad. “Thanks,” she whispered.
Lacey served out her suspension by keeping herself busy. With her mother at the office and her father either on patrol or at the station, it was mostly busy work. Chores, her regular list and a few extra, were marked off in record time, prompting her to ask her father to take her to work with him.
"There's nothing you can do with the case, honey." Her dad's response to her initial request had been said in tired and defeated tones.
"I know. But I can help out with filing paperwork and stuff."
"You'll be bored in an hour."
"Maybe. But it'll get me out of the house."
She finally wore him down, which was how Lacey found herself sitting at a scarred, empty desk in the corner of the small room that served as the station's bullpen. She had a stack of old files in front of her that needed to be digitized, a task her father had felt was perfect for her.
"Hey, Lace."
Lacey looked up to see Deputy Hank Martin standing at her elbow, thumbs hooked into his holster belt, smiling down at her.
"Hey, Hank."
"I see they finally put Scott's old desk to use. You thinking about joining the department?" His question was accompanied by a quick wink.
"No. Just needed something to get me out of the house. Dad thought I could help with these." She waved a hand up and down the stack of old files next to her on the desk. "So here I am."
"Thank God you're doing it. Otherwise, it might be me. And I suck at computers." His smile widened when Lacey gave a short chuckle.
"Deputy Martin," she started, her laughter fading, "if I ask you a question, will you give me an honest answer?"
"Depends on the question." He settled his tall frame onto the chair next to the desk Lacey occupied, rested his elbow in the scant empty space of the surface. "Seems kind of serious, though."
"Yeah." Lacey sucked in a deep breath. "It's about Claire's case."
"Figured as much."
"Dad won't tell me a whole lot, but I need to know what's going on."
"He's not telling you a whole lot because there's not a whole lot to tell." Hank reached up, used the nail of his broad index finger to scratch at the stubble on his neck. "I wish there was something more I could tell you, but I'm guessing the Sheriff has told you all there is to know at this point."
"I was afraid of that," she whispered, staring blankly at the keyboard in front of her before meeting his eyes again. "The odds of finding her alive aren't good at this point, are they?"
"Hell, Lace." Now the deputy used his hand to scrub it over his face, then leaned forward to brace his elbows on his knees. Sighing, he quietly said, "you know the first forty-eight hours are critical. That's not saying we still won't find her alive but--"
"But the odds are against it."
"I'm sorry." He looked at her, sorrow filling his eyes. "I wish I could tell you differently."
"Me, too."
"You should know none of us are giving up on this, Lace. We want to find Claire just as much as you do. And we want the son-of-a-bitch who did this behind bars." Sitting up straight again, he sighed. "I think your dad wants it most of all, because it affects him more than the rest of us." At Lacey's quizzical look, he draped his elbow on the desk once more, gave his hand a little wave in her direction. "He's watched Claire grow up with you. She's almost like another daughter to him. Then there's you, his actual daughter, who is smack dab in the middle of this sick bastard's preferred age range. So, he's not only worried about Claire, he's worried about you and your other friends. And because we have next to nothing to go on, despite sharing information with surrounding departments, he's feeling a bit useless right now."
"I hear him walking the floors at night," Lacey confessed. "When I wake up from dreams about what could be happening to Claire, I can hear him pacing."
"He told me this is the toughest case he's ever had." Hank nodded. "So, it's not surprising to me that it's keeping him up at night. Not much happens around here. Small town and all that. And what does happen doesn't take much to handle." Heaving another quiet sigh, he just shook his head. "I think if this one isn't solved, it's gonna haunt him."
"And the rest of us."
"Yeah." Slapping his hands on his knees, Hank stood. "Speaking of the boss, I better get back to work." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "We're doing everything we can, Lace. And I'll do my best to make sure you know if something comes to light."
"Thanks. I really appreciate it."
She watched as he gave her a mock salute and headed off to one of the other offices. With a quiet release of breath, she turned back to her task and did her best to block out everything else.
4
Nearly two weeks after Claire’s disappearance, Lacey and Jo were doing their best to go on with their lives. They were taking everything day by day, but grew more and more frustrated at the lack of progress in their friend’s case. There were no new leads, no clues. Only a gaping hole in the lives of everyone who knew Claire. People who were hoping for the best, but now preparing for the worst.
Things at school were still tense. Lacey had served out her suspension, the only benefit of the time away from school was that she spent it at the police station. Deputy Martin had kept his word, giving her the little tidbits he was hearing about Claire’s case. Even though it wasn’t much, Lacey held on tight to the information she was getting because, in her mind, it meant that hope wasn’t completely lost. But now that she was back, walking the hallways and sitting in class, she couldn’t focus. Not only because of Claire, but life in general. She should have been gearing up for finals and everything graduation related. But between her preoccupation with her friend’s disappearance and the snide comments Ashley didn’t think she heard, her concentration was non-existent. The only positive aspect about her school days was the fact that even though she kept making comments, Ashley and her little girl gang were now too scared of Lacey to push it any further.
When she’d vented to Jo about everything, her best friend had suggested that maybe it was time to get back to practicing with the team. They had state competition to get ready for, she’d pointed out, and it’s what Claire would want.
Grudgingly, Lacey agreed and on Friday, found herself riding shotgun in Jo’s second-hand Honda, on the way to a stretch of road off the beaten path. It was a spot the team ran on regularly, as it had the perks of little to no traffic and a small patch of dusty gravel for the team members to park their cars.
“You ready to do this?” Jo asked as she maneuvered her car next to one driven by one of their teammates and parked.
“Not really.” Lacey gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I haven’t run since the regionals.”
“Sounds like somebody’s going to be sucking wind today.” Laughing, Jo turned the key to kill the engine before her expression turned somber. “Seriously. If you’re not ready…”
