Page 42 of Everything She Feared

The detectives nodded.

“We’ll be downstairs when you’re done,” Chuck said.

It was a pretty room, Pierce thought, done in very light lavender. The floating shelves were the same color as the walls and held books, trinkets and a Polaroid camera. Anna’s space had a grown-up feel while still being a bit girlie, judging by those curlicues in the chair at her desk.

Pierce had taken out her phone to record a video for her files.

She looked at Anna’s dresser, with a small jewelry box holding a few rings, bracelets, earrings and a couple pretty necklaces, one with a pearl, another with a star. Looking at Anna’s laptop on her desk, Pierce considered getting a warrant for it, too. But getting another one might be a challenge because Pierce had no strong indication, no reasonable cause to suspect a crime had been committed. Then, looking at the bed, neatly made, she went to the upholstered storage bench at the foot of it. She opened it to find a sleeping bag, comforter and foam mattress.

Likely used by Katie for their sleepover, she thought.

Benton, hands on his hips, stood before one wall, studying a display of photos. Pegs had been attached to the ends of the wall, with lines of string tied to them like rows of clotheslines. Dozens of Polaroid photos of Anna and her friends were clipped to the lines, making for a selfie wall.

Benton turned to Pierce, then pointed his chin to the wall.

“See?” he said. “She loved taking selfies.”

Pierce studied the wall, noticing gaps with empty clips on the lines, suggesting photos were missing. Thinking, she went to the desk and the wastebasket. In the trash she saw pieces of torn Polaroids of Anna and a boy, glimpsing an ink caption on one fragment:Tanner & Me.

Pierce recorded all she could before they left the room.

Chuck and Lynora were at their kitchen table when the detectives returned.

“Would you like some coffee?” Lynora’s voice was raw.

“No, thank you,” Benton said. “We should be on our way.”

“Thank you,” Pierce said. “Before we go, can I get your thoughts on something?”

“Okay. Are you sure you don’t want some coffee? It’s fresh,” Chuck said, seeming to want the detectives to stay.

“No, thank you,” Pierce said.

“What do you want to ask?” Lynora said.

“We went over some of this, but we understand that Anna broke up with her boyfriend, Tanner Bishop, in the time before?”

“Yes,” Chuck said.

“Do you think Anna was despondent over the breakup?”

“Despondent?” Chuck threw a glance to Lynora, who was shaking her head.

“She was upset,” Lynora said, “but it’s not like you’re thinking. She was not suicidal.”

“Do you know why they broke up?”

“Tanner was cheating on her with another girl,” Lynora said. “She was upset and ended it with him.”

“Did Tanner see Anna in the time leading up to the outing at Sparrow Song? Did he go to the park?” Pierce asked.

“No,” Chuck said. “At least not that we know.”

“A week or so before,” Lynora said, “Tanner gave Anna a necklace with a small gold heart to try to get her back.”

Pierce took a quick mental inventory, unable to recall a necklace with a small gold heart in Anna’s room, or with Anna’s belongings inventoried from the scene.

“Anna refused to accept it,” Lynora said. “But he wouldn’t take it back.”

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