“Mr. McCarthy, I understand your concern?—”
“Do you?” John interrupted, his voice carrying the practiced smoothness of a businessman accustomed to getting his way. “My son has cooperated fully with law enforcement from the very beginning. He's answered your questions about Missy, about the night of the festival, about everything you've asked. What more do you want from him?”
Before Hadley could respond, the doorbell rang, its chime echoing through the house with a musical precision that matched the carefully orchestrated interior. Olivia lifted her chin and offered Hadley the same rehearsed smile she’d had pasted on her face since they exchanged introductions.
“Excuse me,” Olivia murmured, rising from her chair with the fluid grace. As the click of Olivia's heels faded downthe hallway, Hadley seized the momentary disruption to lean slightly closer to Richie, ignoring John’s indignant glare.
“Do you believe Missy left town voluntarily?”
“No.” The single syllable carried absolute conviction. His eyes, momentarily unguarded, revealed a depth of distress that his parents pretended didn’t exist. “Missy wouldn't have left town without saying goodbye to me.”
Satisfied with his answers, Hadley pushed back her chair, intending to end the interview. Before she could stand, voices drifted from the hallway. Olivia reappeared in the dining room doorway, ushering in a young woman with soft features and wavy light brown hair. Even from across the room, Hadley caught the way her fingers were worrying the strap of her purse.
“Detective Dawkins, this is Veronica Lane,” Olivia announced as she made the introductions. “I guess she was next on your list to meet this afternoon.”
Veronica came to a stop near Richie. For the first time since he’d taken a seat, he lowered his arms and exchanged smiles with his friend. Her clothing was expensive but understated, which in a way confirmed what Richie had shared about her family's improved circumstances.
“I saw you pull up earlier,” Veronica explained as she directed her statement toward Hadley. “I thought it might be easier if I just came over rather than having you walk next door afterward.”
John McCarthy pushed back from the table, seizing the chance to extract his son from further questioning.
“Well, then,” John said as he stood. “We'll give the two of you some privacy. Take all the time you need.”
Hadley silently observed the couple as Richie followed suit, hesitating at the doorway until his father all but pushed him out of the room. Veronica slowly claimed the chair he had just vacated without glancing back at him.
“Mrs. Claymont called you, didn't she?” Hadley asked, keeping her voice gentle but direct. “Did you come over here so that your parents wouldn’t overhear our conversation?”
Veronica became even more restless, and she set her purse in the chair that Olivia had vacated before leaning her forearms on the table in almost a desperate plea.
“My parents don’t know that I lied for Missy,” Veronica said sheepishly, her eyes filling with tears. “I just…I know they’ll find out eventually, but I head back to campus tonight. I didn’t want to end the weekend with a fight.”
“Veronica, why didn’t you tell Chief Langley or Sheriff Turner?” Hadley asked gently, doing her best to keep any judgment from her tone. “They can’t do their jobs without having all the information.”
“Look, Missy was worried her grandmother wouldn't approve. Mrs. Claymont is older, and she has some pretty strict rules,” Veronica explained, nervously picking at her nails. “When Missy asked me to cover for her, I naturally agreed to help. And it just didn’t seem right to tell her grandmother after everything that happened. Plus, Lucas was performing in Emberwood that night, so he couldn’t have had anything to do with Missy’s disappearance.”
“Who else knew about Missy’s guitar lessons with Lucas?”
“No one that I know of,” Veronica said as she moved on to another nail. “Missy kept it pretty quiet. She was paranoid her grandmother would find out and ground her.”
Hadley followed up with the same standard questions that she’d posed to Richie, getting pretty much the same responses. Since there were no new revelations, she concentrated on Veronica’s theories.
“Do you think Missy left town on her own?”
“No.” Veronica hadn’t hesitated in giving her opinion. In fact, she shook her head vigorously. “Never. Missy wouldn't have done that without telling me and keeping in touch.”
“Okay, then.” Hadley stood and walked around her chair, tucking it against the table. Veronica remained seated, though. “I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me, especially on such short notice.”
“Will you...” Veronica paused, glancing down at the damage done to her fingernails. “Will you keep me updated if you find anything? Anything at all about Missy?”
“I will,” Hadley promised, meaning it. She'd seen too many cases where families and friends were left adrift without information, their grief compounded by uncertainty. “You have my word on that.”
Veronica remained seated, and Hadley sensed the slight shift in the young girl’s energy. Hadley didn't speak or press, but simply waited with the patience needed to find out why.
“There's probably nothing to what I’m about to tell you,” Veronica finally said, her voice so quiet that Hadley had to lean forward to catch the words. “But Missy did mention that a friend of Lucas made a pass at her once. After one of her lessons.”
“And does this friend have a name?”
Hadley had spoken by phone to Missy's other friends in the group that night. They were either at college or had moved away from Whistlerun, but nothing stood out in her conversations with them.
