Page 53 of Her Dying Secret

Gretchen closed her notebook. “Yes, an Amber Alert will go out as soon as possible.”

“It was some sort of custody dispute, wasn’t it?”

“I’m very sorry, but we can’t say at this juncture.” Josie took out a business card and slid it across Hope’s desk. “We appreciate your time, Mrs. Bailey. You’ve been extremely helpful. If you could ask any members of your staff who do remember Mira to contact us, we’d appreciate it.”

For a beat, it seemed as though Hope might push the issue but she still looked quite nauseated. “Of course.”

Outside the school, the parking lot was empty save for a handful of vehicles. Instead of going toward theirs, Josie and Gretchen began walking around the side of the building in silent agreement. Once out of sight of the front entrance, Gretchen said, “You saw what I saw in there.”

It wasn’t a question.

Josie nodded anyway. “Let’s find that soccer field.”

THIRTY-NINE

The soccer field was along the side of the building, sandwiched between a playground and a softball field. Teryn Bailey was the only person in sight. Since she was not a suspect in any crime, they didn’t need Hope Bailey’s permission to speak with her, even though she was a minor. They didn’t even need to notify Hope that they were going to do so, which was a good thing because it was clear that Hope did not want her daughter involved in the investigation now that it was so much bigger than a missing persons case.

As they drew closer, Josie saw a line of small orange cones spread out in the center of the field. Teryn skillfully weaved through them, dribbling the soccer ball. Josie and Gretchen stopped about ten feet from the first cone and waited for her to turn back toward them. She halted for a moment when she noticed them. Then she bent her head toward her feet, a look of steely determination hardening her face as she zigzagged back.

“Does my mom know you’re here?” she asked, resting one foot on top of the ball.

“No,” said Gretchen. “We’re not required to tell her under these circumstances.”

Teryn used the sleeve of her hoodie to wipe the sweat from her brow. “Good. We probably have about a half hour before she comes looking for me. I know she said an hour but trust me, she’ll be finished with her paperwork and calls before that, and don’t worry, her office window isn’t on this side of the building.”

“We’re not worried,” Josie said. “But thanks.”

Teryn gave a half-hearted shrug and rolled the ball back and forth under her foot. “What’s wrong with your voice?”

“Laryngitis,” Josie lied.

Teryn gave a quick scan of their surroundings but no one else was there. “I was right, wasn’t I? About the photo my mom showed you in there. That’s the woman who was just abducted by the guy who killed April. I saw her picture on social media yesterday and I knew it was the same Miss Summers who used to work here. I mean, the same hair! I thought about asking Mom to check the school employee records but she’s nuts lately. Ever since April’s body was found, it’s like she doesn’t want me even talking about it. Like she thinks that if I know the details, somehow I’ll be in danger.”

Knowing what she did about April’s condition at the time of her death, Josie suspected Hope was just trying to spare her daughter the pain of knowing what April’s last year and final moments were like. If Josie’s mental vault didn’t work so well, the image of April’s gaunt face would drive her mad.

Gretchen said, “She’s protective of you. That’s a good thing.”

Another shrug, feigning nonchalance. “Whatever. What do you want to know?”

Josie said, “You remember Mira Summers? She only worked here for five months.”

Teryn tapped a finger against her bun. “The burgundy hair. Teachers and staff were never allowed to dye their hair different colors, you know, other than the standard stuff. Every kid was fascinated with her because of that, although keep in mind, we were all young and pretty stupid. I mean, now if I saw someone with burgundy hair, it wouldn’t even register. It’s not even a cool color.”

“How well did you know Miss Summers?” Gretchen asked.

“Nobody knew her. She was just…weird. A little mean sometimes.”

“In what way?” Josie asked.

“Like she was supposed to give food out in the cafeteria. We had free lunches back then. Now you have to pay, but anyway, that was literally her job, to give us food, and there were certain kids she would withhold food from. Like not put it on their trays and stuff. One time, she actually came out from behind the counter, right up to a table, and took food from a kid’s plate.”

Josie’s heart fluttered briefly before resuming its natural pace. What had Rebecca said about Seth? I can’t have him thinking that the food we’re eating has been tampered with or that our water supply has been poisoned.

Carol Summers had said something similar about Mira always going back to Seth. Doesn’t matter what weird new shit he wants her to do, like only eating food he grows himself in some special soil…

Mira hadn’t just taken the job at Hillcrest Elementary so that her daughter could attend school, she’d been carrying out Seth’s instructions, based on his delusions.

“Her boss or coworkers didn’t have an issue with this?” asked Gretchen.

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