Page 139 of Everything She Feared

If she were correct about Katie Harmon being abused, then she had to get to the root of the abuse. Was it happening at home? With a relative? A friend? A stranger? Was it happening at school?

Or what if Katie’s the abuser?

Dr. Mehta studied the sketch, looking at it in a whole new light.

Either way she had a duty to report what she knew, to advise social services, or even police.

What if I’m completely wrong?

But the risk of harm was so great it had to eclipse every other consideration.

I don’t know what happened with the boy two years ago. And all I know about what happened on the cliff is what Katie and Sara told me.

Dr. Mehta studied the sketch again.

Adjusting her glasses, she began typing on her keyboard, digging up some of the early social media chatter about Anna’s death. As a rule, she never gave any weight to these observations, which were fraught with offensive comments, fakery, cyberbullying and scams.

Nothing new had emerged about Anna Shaw.

Still, curious, Dr. Mehta went to the original, earliest news stories about Anna Shaw’s death. She read through them and looked at the comments. Skipping over ridiculous theories, coming to one she remembered.

Maybe there’s more to this story than we think?one person had posted.

“Turn that up.”

Dr. Mehta looked from her work to the counter. A customer staring at the TV had made the request. A staff member, a young man with a ponytail, picked up the remote control.

ABREAKING NEWSgraphic topped the screen as a news anchor said:

“...learned that the tragedy of Seattle teen Anna Shaw, who fell from a cliff in Sparrow Song Park southeast of the city, is now being investigated as asuspicious death, according to sources close to the investigation.”

A quarter of the screen displayed a photo of Anna Shaw, smiling beautifully while file footage from the ground and air, taken the day of her death, showed police, emergency crews and grief-stricken children and families at the park.

“To recap, the case of the tragedy of Seattle teen Anna Shaw, who fell from a cliff in Sparrow Song Park...”

Dr. Mehta’s jaw dropped slightly.

This changes everything.

64

Seattle, Washington

By that afternoonthe report on the investigation’s status had moved like a tsunami, reaching some families at Rainier Pine Elementary just as they arrived to pick up their kids.

Amid the commotion of buses, cars, and running and shouting children, Katie Harmon stood in the pick-up zone. Spotting Val Rossi in the distance, Katie moved toward her. Val did the same, both unaware of the news and what was unfolding.

Among the dozens of people in the pick-up zone were parents who knew Anna Shaw’s family, or were associated with the Sunny Days Youth Center. Gathered in clusters, they studied their phones, conversing. Mouths agape with shock, some shot glances at Katie.

Immediately picking up snippets of what the adults were saying on what was developing, Dylan Frick and his friends left their circle, overtook Katie and surrounded her before she got to Val.

“It’s on the news.” Dylan smirked. “You killed her.”

Shaking her head, Katie tried to step back.

“My mom says your babysitter didn’t fall by accident,” Dylan said.

“That’s not true,” Katie said.

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