Page 66 of The Lake of Lost Girls

Sergeant L. O’Neil:How certain can you be about that?

Ryan McKay:Come on, a guy knows when his woman is stepping out on him, don’t you agree detective?

Sergeant L. O’Neil:You’re right, son. There are things a man just knows.

Ryan McKay:Men like us don’t mess around with women like that, right?

Sergeant L. O’Neil:Sure, sure.

Ryan McKay:And Jess definitely wasn’t like that.

Sergeant L. O’Neil:Okay, when was the last time you saw Jessica Fadley?

Ryan McKay:I think it was the night she went home for her sister’s birthday party.

Sergeant L. O’Neil:April 23?

Ryan McKay:Yeah, that’s right.

Sergeant L. O’Neil:Where did you see her?

Ryan McKay:Out in front of her dorm.

Sergeant L. O’Neil:And how did Jessica seem?

Ryan McKay:Umm, anxious … like, nervous, I guess

Sergeant L. O’Neil:Why do you think that?

Ryan McKay:She didn’t like going back home. She didn’t like her mom and dad. She didn’t really get along with either of them, but particularly her father. It was a strained relationship.

Sergeant L. O’Neil:So why go home then? If the relationship was strained, why would she go back there?

Ryan McKay:Because she loved her little sister.

It seemed that Ryan had always been a liar. What he said about our family wasn’t remotely true. Jess loved us. Everything I had ever known about her proved that she was a family girl through and through.

But then I thought about what I had found hidden in her room. Her failing grades and photos of a lifestyle far from the straight-laced girl she had been when she was younger. She had clearly gone buck wild after she’d left home, but a lot of kids did that. And it wasn’t uncommon for a teenager to keep secrets from her parents—especially ones they wouldn’t approve of. It didn’tmeananything.

I flipped the page.

Description: Interview with Ryan James McKay

Occurrence From: 05/01/1999, 11:23

Occurrence To: 05/01/1999, 12:05

Reporting Officer: O’Neil, Liam (Sergeant, lead detective of Mt. Randall Police Department)

Case/File Number: A413TR5

Sergeant L. O’Neil:Thanks for coming back in, Ryan. I have a few more questions to ask you.

Ryan McKay:Sure, no problem. Anything to help, Sergeant.

Sergeant L. O’Neil:Can you tell me what you and Jessica talked about the last time you saw her?

Ryan McKay:I don’t really remember.

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