Page 61 of Fire Harbor

Nikki waited, drumming her fingers on the counter, all the while staring at Lake for an answer. “I guess you’re wondering why Alice and I always fight.”

“It had crossed my mind,” Lake said.

“We used to be best friends until she started hanging out with the popular crowd. That was in sixth grade. Once those kids dropped her, she had to spend practically the last two years eating alone in the cafeteria.”

“You couldn’t have asked her to sit with you for thirty minutes and eat lunch?”

“I was still angry about her ditching me for the snooty crowd.” Nikki dropped her head and swallowed hard before looking up again. “But about a week ago, we decided to start hanging out again. You told us to set aside our differences. That’s what we did. We had a fun afternoon together gorging on ice cream and Reese’s Pieces. We spent the night together last Saturday night. Our first sleepover in two years. That’s how I know she’s missing. I’ve texted her a dozen times since we moved over to the elementary school for safety reasons. But so far, she hasn’t replied to a single text.”

When the phone rang, Lake saw it was Julianne calling back. “Hello?”

“I’m calling Brent Cody. Karen didn’t keep Alice home today. She left the house at her normal time wearing a pair of faded denim jeans, a white lace top over a brown vest, and a pair of brown boots. Lake, Alice is definitely not at school. She’s gone missing.”

Lake stood at the hallway door to the high school watching Brent and Eastlyn enter the building along with what looked like two FBI agents sporting suits and ties.

“Why are they showing up here at the one place they know Alice isn’t?” Nikki asked Lake.

“Very good question. But they may be looking for security footage that covers the outside of the building.”

“Oh. Like on TV,” Nikki surmised. “Wow. Do you have CCTV in here?”

“Not inside. But we have an outside camera that overlooks the parking lot and street, another angle from the school.”

“So they’ll be looking at that tape, too?”

“It’s all on the same system.” But as she explained it to Nikki, Lake wondered if any footage of last summer still existed. If it did, they might get a glimpse of the person who stole the books about serial killers. That footage might be used to catch a killer.

When Eastlyn approached, Lake asked her about it. “Would that footage still exist?”

Eastlyn shook her head. “Unfortunately, the video is set up to tape over the existing footage every month. Last summer’s video would be long gone by now.”

“That’s a shame. What can the rest of us do to help?”

“Julianne is making up posters to hand out,” Eastlyn remarked before turning to Nikki. “Do you remember Alice mentioning anything last night that might give us a clue as to where she could be?”

Nikki shook her head, worry lines puckering her brow. “She seemed fine, just excited about our plans for lunch today. We were bringing our special sandwiches—pineapple, cream cheese, and mayo—we used to eat it all the time in grade school when we were kids. I can’t imagine where she would go without telling anyone.”

Glynnis cleared her throat and looked at Eastlyn. “I might have some information. Last week, when I was leaving work, Alice was headed out the door, too. I saw a man hanging around the parking lot. He seemed interested in Alice, a little too interested if you know what I mean.”

“What type of vehicle was he driving?”

“It was a black SUV with a big grill. I remember it because it looked like a government-type car, only not new, more like five years old. My husband’s a truck buff,” Glynnis explained.

“That could help a lot,” Eastlyn said as she texted the information to Brent.

“I also overheard Alice talking to the driver,” Glynnis added. “She went over to the car and had a conversation about school. Alice acted as if she knew him.”

“Interesting,” Eastlyn muttered as she keyed that information to send to Brent.

Angling toward Nikki, Lake asked, “Would you have any idea who Alice might’ve been talking to that afternoon? Did she mention an adult who drove an SUV?”

Nikki shrugged. “She has a crush on David Gilkey, but he doesn’t have his driver’s license yet.”

“Does David have an older brother who drives?”

“No. But he has an older cousin who owns his own car. Fergus Gilkey works at the water park in Santa Cruz.”

“Fergus Gilkey has gotta be twenty-two years old,” Lake lamented. “He drives an older model silver BMW. It’s his pride and joy. Fergus is not the guy Alice was talking to.”

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