Page 84 of Did You See Evie

And I think of her daughter. She made one of the hardest choices a woman can make in order to give her own child a different life. A better life. A lot about Nadia remains a mystery, but I’m confident she puts the well-being of children before anything else, even her own selfish gains.

“We’ve been in constant communication since Evie disappeared, and all she’s done is try to help,” I say. “I know she’s not the most reliable person, but I trust her when it comes to this.”

“Does she understand what she’s done to you? She conned you into opening that door, and now Evie’s paying the price.”

“She understands,” I say, even though she doesn’t know how bad things have gotten. She doesn’t know Mr. Lake, and the police, have now seen the complete tape. “I believe that’s why she’s trying so hard to help me.”

Reynolds sits still, thinking about everything I’ve told him, or maybe he’s thinking about what we should do next. There’s been a whirlwind of revelations in the past couple of days, but none of them have gotten us any closer to finding Evie.

“So, where do we go from here?”

“I don’t know,” I say. “I’m sure the police are going to want to talk to me. I don’t know what to say. I can’t tell them the truth without incriminating myself. Or Nadia.”

“What you did wasn’t connected to Evie,” he says. “That’s the truth.”

“Yes, but we still don’t know if that’s how whoever did take her gained access to the school,” I say. “What I did could still have led to her abduction.”

Reynolds shakes his head. “The video never showed anyone entering the school. It only showed the girls leaving.”

I raise my head quickly. “What?”

“The video shows the girls exiting the building, but they all return. Except for Evie.”

I’d been so overwhelmed; I’d not continued watching the video. I never considered what might have been shown after, and Mr. Lake didn’t say. He was too busy berating me.

“I haven’t seen the entire tape,” I say. “You’re saying it shows multiple girls exiting the school through that door?”

“Yes. Three girls leave through the computer lab door. Maybe a minute later, Evie follows them. A few minutes pass, and the girls come back inside, but there’s no Evie.”

I don’t have to watch the video to know who the girls are. Queen Bea and her minions, Tara and Amber. They’re all but inseparable. And they were the three who were most keen on bullying Evie. Could they have said something to get Evie outside, then locked her out of the building?

“Those girls swore up and down they didn’t leave the gymnasium,” I say, my cheeks turning hot with anger.

“Well, they lied. The video clearly shows it.”

“Has Mr. Lake questioned them? Or the police?”

“I don’t know,” he says. “After this morning’s meeting with the police, their parents called them out of school. By the time any of us saw the entire tape, they’d already left.”

“We have to talk to them,” I say, standing. “They know more than they’re saying. They’ve known all along.”

Reynolds gets to his feet, too. “I’m sure the police?—”

“I don’t want to wait on the police. The girls lied to me,” I say. Just as quickly as my anger appeared, my bravery dissipates. I don’t have a trustworthy reputation anymore. “Their parents aren’t going to let me near them.”

“I think it’s time you go to the parents first. No more child’s play.”

“If Mr. Lake and the police saw the video, I’m sure word’s gotten back to the parents. They’re not going to want me near their precious girls.”

“Their precious girls who are lying about their teammate’s disappearance. They’d be fools to use your past against you after what their own children have been up to.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong,” I say. “You know how these parents are.”

“Then be honest with them. Tell them about your past. That you didn’t have an ounce of the opportunity their daughters have, but you overcame all those hardships. You turned your life around.”

I’m not used to being honest with others. I’m not used to being honest with myself. Maybe that’s the key to unlocking the truth about what happened that night.

“You’re really not the person who’s been after my job all these years?”

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