“Yes, that’s right. He let everybody think the girls just blew town.”
No wonder Coulter hadn’t been in the mood for speculating about the two missing women.
“You didn’t buy the idea that Amy went off looking for an adventure?”
“Without letting her mother or her friends know? Not on your life.”
“Why do you think Coulter was so quick to believe that?”
“Because this asshole Page used to date claimed she’d told him she was sick of the area and wanted to start fresh someplace else. I’m sure he said that to get even with Page for dumping him.”
“What’s the ex-boyfriend’s name, do you remember?”
“Pete Hannigan. You won’t find him around here, though. I heard he moved to the West Coast.”
“What about the girls’ family members? Do you know where any of them are?”
Kayla’s eyes glistened, and for the first time I caught a glimpse of the grief wedged beneath the anger.
“Amy never knew her dad, and her mom died a couple of years ago from a heart attack. I’m sure the stress finally got to her. But at least she didn’t have to go throughthis.”
“What about Page’s family? I read she was from Florida.”
“From all I know, her family’s still there. And for what it’s worth, I never liked Page. She was a mooch if you ask me, a real user, and she was always boxing Amy off from all her old friends. But Amy dug her because she seemed so cool. Page walked around as if she were Miss South Beach or something.”
She shot a glance toward the plate-glass window of the dealership, checking out what was going on inside.
“There were photos of Page and Amy in thePost Star. Is that how Page looked at the time, do you know? With long blond hair?”
Kayla squinted, “Yeah, the paper had an accurate photo. Why, because that other woman was a blonde, too?”
“Right. One more question. Were either Amy or Page Catholic?”
“What doesthathave to do with anything?”
“I’m just looking for anything that they could have in common with Shannon Blaine.”
“Amy wasn’t a Catholic. But she was spiritual, if you know what I mean. She believed in being good to people, and to animals. And even the planet. I have no clue about Page. From what I knew her main religion was worshipping herself.”
“Okay, thanks,” I said. “I should let you get back to work.”
“You know what kills me,” Kayla said, her voice rising again. “No one ever gave a flying fuck about Amy. But now that some soccer mom is dead, too, everyone’s in a tizzy.”
“It’s not fair, I know. But at least the police may finally learn the truth about what happened to her and find the person who took her life.”
“But if they’d cared enough back then to look for her, maybe she wouldn’t be dead.”
“If it’s any consolation,Icare. I’m headed to the campsitenow, the one where Amy and Page were going to stay. And to the bar they were seen in that night.”
“Good,” she snapped. “And then maybe you’ll see for yourself.”
“See what, Kayla?” Goose bumps had popped up along my arms.
“Amy’s idea of enjoying nature was keeping a cactus plant on her coffee table. It never made any fucking sense that she’d plan to spend a night in a campsite like that one.”
Chapter 11
KAYLA HADN’T BEEN KIDDING.
