The admission hung in the air between them. He left off the word ‘anyone’, but she got the gist. Lucas shifted his weight, clearly uncomfortable with his own choice of words now that they'd been spoken aloud for the second time.
“Did Missy tell that to you in confidence, or are you just stating an opinion?” Hadley prompted, sensing there was more beneath the surface.
“Missy asked me once if I wanted to leave with her.” Lucas then held up his hands as if surrendering when Hadley arched her brow in question. “I never touched her, Detective Dawkins. I swear.”
Hadley now had to reconsider her theory. Missy had actively sought escape partners, not just dreamed vaguely of leaving as many teenagers did.
“So, it’s your opinion that she might have found someone else willing to leave with her? Pay for the trip before her graduation?”
“Maybe.” Lucas shrugged, a gesture that attempted casualness but failed to mask his discomfort. “I don't know. I'm just saying she was looking for a way out.”
“And you don’t share Lucas’ opinion?” Hadley asked, broadening her question to include the other two men. “You didn’t think she was so desperate to leave that she'd go with anyone who offered her a way out?”
“No,” Ty replied, shooting Lucas an apologetic glance. “I didn’t know Missy well, but everyone knew that she loved her grandmother too much to just abandon her. Whatever plans she had for leaving, they weren't immediate. She talked aboutit, sure, but she was waiting until after graduation. I think something happened to her.”
“Ty’s right,” Kalen said as he rubbed his knuckles. “Missy wouldn't have left without telling Mrs. Claymont. I spent some time with Mrs. Claymont today at my dad’s funeral, and…well, Missy would never have hurt her grandmother like that.”
Hadley was finally beginning to understand what Ty had meant about emotions running high. She could picture Amelia speaking with Kalen about the death of his father, comparing her own situation to losing her granddaughter. The parallels of grief were easy after such a profound loss.
The crunch of tires on gravel pulled their attention to the parking lot, where someone in a pickup truck was searching for a place to park. It continued toward the back, finding a spot just out of view.
“I appreciate the information,” Hadley said before the sound of the truck’s door slammed shut. “If you think of anything that could help find Missy, I would appreciate?—”
“Everything alright back here?”
“Hey, Brock,” Ty called out as a stocky figure emerged from around the back of the building. “Everything’s fine. We were just about to go inside for a drink.”
Ty waited for Brock to close the distance before making the proper introductions.
“Brock Luepke, this is Detective Hadley Dawkins.”
“You’re Greta’s daughter. We heard you were back in town.” Brock had stepped into the artificial light and was already offering his hand. Hadley hadn’t expected him to greet her by using her mother’s name, but she covered her reaction with a tight smile. “I worked with Greta at the diner. She used to love my biscuits and gravy. Anyway, I’m sorry for your loss.”
As Brock took a step back, he noticed Lucas’ bloody lip. He glanced warily at Ty and Kalen, almost as if he believed Hadleyhad something to do with his friend’s injury. She noticed the exact moment that Brock’s gaze dropped to Kalen’s right hand.
“You worked with Missy at the diner?”
Brock hadn’t expected Hadley’s question. He shifted his weight from side to side, his previous good mood diminishing instantly.
“Used to,” Brock said, the two-word answer clipped.
Hadley studied the young man, deciding to back off until she could speak with Reed. None of these young men’s names had been in the missing persons file. She wanted a clearer picture before drawing any conclusions.
“Well, I should be going,” Hadley said with a cordial nod. “I’ll leave you four to enjoy the rest of your evening.”
The distant rumble of thunder provided a fitting backdrop to her thoughts as she made her way back to her Equinox. While those inside the bar would enjoy their Saturday evening, she would be spending most of the night submitting additional background checks and combing through Sarah Cox’s journals. Not only that, but Hadley was now compelled to comb through all the statements in Missy’s file.
If Missy had kept something as innocent as guitar lessons from her grandmother and friends, just what else had Missy been hiding back then?
13
Hadley Dawkins
October 2025
Sunday – 11:16am
Hadley shut off the engine and pulled her keys from the ignition as she studied the Claymont residence. The faded blue paint and darkened wood siding of the home didn’t seem so dismal with the colorful autumn leaves covering the lawn from the large oak tree that was probably older than the entire neighborhood.
