Abby finished the thought. “But behind that wall, you said she was insecure. Why did you think that?”
“Well, if I recall, it was really based on comments made by some of her teachers. And also the way she used her appearance to attract friends. Boys, in particular.”
“Huh,” Abby said, fanning through her notes. “What was it about her appearance? I’m sure I have it in my notes, but I’m working on very little sleep—”
“Sure—you know, she wore heavy makeup sometimes. Eye liner and lipstick. She always wore her hair down, and it was meticulously straightened. She liked to show off her legs, so short skirts and tight pants. We had a dress code, but the girls always found the loopholes.”
When she stopped speaking, Abby and Leo let silence fill the room to see if she would fill it. She did.
“Then there was the time she had that very short hair, and all the girls thought she was being very courageous. The boys were curious as well. It was as if she had decided to make a statement about the pressure on girls to please boys. And of course, it only made the boys want her more. She let everyone believe she was bold like that. She liked that people believed that about her.”
Leo slipped his phone back in his pocket like he was getting ready to leave. “So Emma did not come to see you?”
“No. Never.”
“And you did not know of any boyfriends at the time of her disappearance?”
“No.”
“And you had no idea she was pregnant?”
“No, none at all.”
“Is there anyone you can think of who might have helped her with her plan to run away? Any teachers or friends or parents offriends who may have had views on abortion or adoption or who were involved with troubled teenagers?”
She shook her head. “No. I would have told you back then. We all racked our brains trying to understand what might have happened to those girls. I remember answering all of these same questions—about men and friends and teachers and parents. I’m sorry. I left at the end of that school year.”
Abby was not ready to pack up quite yet. “Can I ask why?”
“I just needed a change. Public schools have different demographics. I can do more good here.”
“And public schools pay more, don’t they?”
Lisa smiled. “Yes. That, too.”
“I thought it might have been because of your fiancé,” Abby said.
“We met after I started work here. He teaches history.”
“Well,” Leo said, standing now. “Thank you for your time.”
Abby followed, reluctantly. She needed an answer to the one question Lisa Jennings could not answer.Why did Cass lead us back to you?
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. I will keep thinking about it and let you know if I remember something.”
“Thank you.” Abby gave her a card. Leo did the same. They turned for the door.
“Her family must be elated. Please send them my regards,” Lisa said as a parting gesture.
Abby turned to face the woman, suddenly curious but not sure why. “Her family is complicated, as you know.”
“Yes, sadly. I was aware of the situation with the parents. I’ll never forget the real reason Emma cut her hair so short. We all thought that might be the end of the turmoil, however terrible that was.”
Leo stopped now as well. They both looked at her, then back at each other.
“I don’t know if things are ever really over in a situation like that,” Abby said cautiously. A new door had just been opened and she had no idea where it would lead.
“Or with a person like that. I thought it was child abuse. When I heard how Mrs. Martin cut her daughter’s hair in the middle of the night, well, I tried again to speak with the girls. Maybe that’s what Cass was remembering. I tried to help. But they would not talk about it—or anything, for that matter. You know, sometimes I wonder if I should have reported that to social services. I wonder if I could have stopped that runaway train. But you have to understand, I was following protocol. It was not a reportable event according to the school, and I worked for them.”
