Page 34 of Hunting Pretty

Lisa’s face changed as she skimmed across each article that I’d laid out in date order.

She gasped as her gaze came to rest upon the grainy black-and-white photo of Liath in the last article.

The most recent Darkmoor girl to “run away.”

I ran my trembling hand through my hair, my eyes darting to the office door as if any minute I expected someone to crash through that door and steal me away.

“I went back over the history of Darkmoor,” I said. “There hasn’t been a single missing student since 1967. A rower who disappeared one morning, missing until his boat and his body washed up on the banks of the Liffey.”

I stabbed the articles of the three missing girls with a chewed fingernail that sorely needed a manicure. “And now in less than two years, there happen to be three? Three missing girls. Disappeared without a trace. And all of them just happened to berunaways?”

My voice betrayed my disbelief.

Lisa sank back in her armchair, both her coffees forgotten on the side table, rubbing her arms as if a chill had gone through her.

She stared at me as she ran her top teeth over her bottom lip. “That’s a huge coincidence.”

“Or no coincidence at all.” I shivered, my eyes glancing around the tower as if I might spot someone listening in.

I leaned in and lowered my voice. “I think all these girls are connected. I think all of them were taken.”

For one long moment, Lisa just stared at me, a ring of white growing around her pretty hazel eyes.

The silence, broken only by the rattle of the radiator and a far-off dripping leak somewhere, swelled until it was deafening.

Lisa shook her head. “You’ve got to take this to the police, Ava. If you’ve found a connection—”

“No.” I sank to my knees in front of her, ignoring thecrinkling of newspaper under my knees. “You can’t tell anyone.”

Lisa frowned. “What? But why?”

I grabbed her hands and leaned in. “Lis, either the garda are eejits and couldn’t put two and two together when it came to these missing girls. Or they’re covering it up.”

The blood drained out of Lisa’s face, making her freckles stand out even more. “What? You can’t possibly think…”

She trailed off, all the terrifying possibilities hanging like ghosts around us.

I swallowed down a knot in my throat. “I don’t know what to think yet. Which is why I need you to please keep this to yourself.”

Lisa let out a breath which lifted a strand of her red hair off her cheek. “W-what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to keep digging.” I stood and collected my newspaper articles, folding them and slipping them back into the secret pocket in my notebook.

By the time I’d finished, Lisa had knocked back one of the coffees and slammed the empty coffee cup aside.

“I’m going to help you,” she announced.

“No, Lisa. If I’ve uncovered something real, it’ll be too dangerous.” Speaking of dangerous… I glanced over to the darkroom where the photo of my stalker awaited.

Should I tell Lisa about my stalker?

Lisa placed two firm hands on my shoulders. “I’m helping. End of story.”

I let out a breath and nodded, relief filling me. I didn’t want to do this alone. “Okay.”

“But we do this carefully,” Lisa said. “And if it gets too dangerous, we stop. Right?”

“Of course.” I avoided making eye contact.

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