Page 85 of Did You See Evie

“You’re a great coach, Cass. I could never do what you do.” He pauses, shaking his head. “Mr. Lake told me the same story about someone wanting you off the team, but I always got the impression it was one of the parents.”

“Why is that?”

“They call the shots on everything here. I figured maybe it was Lynette Nichols wanting a different coach in there to give her daughter more playing time.”

For years, I’ve been fixated on Coach Reynolds wanting my job. Even when I thought the parents didn’t like me, I didn’t think they were the ones pressuring Mr. Lake to get rid of me. “If the parents are the ones who want me out, it’s pointless to try and talk to them about this.”

“Or maybe you have nothing left to lose,” he says. “So what if they’ve already made up their minds about you? This is your chance to be straight with them.”

Our conversation is interrupted by another knock at the door. I stand, expecting Mr. Lake or another teacher to push open the door, but it remains closed.

“Yes?” I shout to the shadowy figure behind the glass pane.

“Coach Cass?” The voice belongs to a student, but I still can’t pinpoint which one. A second later, the door pushes open, and Beth stands in the opening. “I was hoping we could talk.”

“Come on in,” I tell her.

She walks into the room, pausing when she sees Coach Reynolds. “I was wanting it to be just the two of us.”

“Coach Reynolds is aware of everything that’s happening,” I say. “Anything you say to me, he can hear.”

Reynolds stands quickly, holding out his hands. “It’s fine. Really. Beth probably feels more comfortable talking to you alone.”

He gives me one final look before heading out of my office, closing the door behind him.

FORTY-THREE

Beth walks into my office.

“I need to talk to you,” she says in that same weak voice she used after Evie first went missing. “I don’t want to go to the police. I’m scared.”

“I know it can be intimidating, but Detective Fields is here to help. It’s her job.”

“Could we get in trouble for lying?”

That last word piques my interest. Instinctually, I sit down in my chair. Across from me, Beth does the same.

“Did you lie about something?”

“No. Yes. I mean, I didn’t mean to.” She pauses. “But I think the other girls lied.”

I try to calm my frustrations by taking a deep breath.

“Lied about what?”

“The messages between Evie and that boy… or man.”

“I saw the messages myself,” I say. “There’s no denying Evie talked to someone posing as a high school student.”

You don’t know her.

“That’s the thing,” Beth says. “Evie wasn’t sending those messages.”

“Beth, I’m telling you. I saw them. She showed Beatrice and the other girls.”

“Those were only screenshots,” she says. “Beatrice took them on her phone. Only the username was Evie.”

“What are you saying?”

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