There was also something distinct about the woman… about her hair.
When I finally opened my eyes, I told him, “It was her.”
“Who?!” he asked eagerly. “Who was it?”
Detective Brice barged in right at that moment. “Sorry to disturb,” he said turning to Detective Miller. “Vince was asking for you.”
She completely ignored him. “Who did you see?” she asked me, suddenly as eager as Leo. She didn’t have faith in our powers initially, but suddenly she was a believer.
I turned to Leo. “The redhead.”
Detective Miller cleared her throat. “What redhead are we talking about, Anna?”
Leo leaned in, and whispered, “Mr. Henderson’s mistress,” he deadpanned, in a ‘you should know this’ tone.
Simone who’d been sitting quietly in the corner and observing, sprang to her feet and inched closer to the white table. “It was in the report I handed you yesterday.”
Detective Miller pulled a face. It was clear that she hadn’t paid much attention to that report. She’d probably laughed it off, joking about it with her detective buddies. She’d probably used it as a coaster for her coffee. “Well… uh… of course, it was.”
“You did look at the report, right?” Simone asked, clearly not impressed.
“It … of course. These last few days have been busy. We’re still in the field, looking for her. I skimmed it quickly.”
“Skimmed it quickly?” Simone exclaimed – she was livid. “Why did you even agree to work with us if you won’t even consider our findings?” Not waiting for an answer, she barreled on. “This research comes at great expense to me. Transportation, lodging and food alone… not to mention the academy I run… I have the brightest minds in the world at your disposal, and you all seem to think it’s a big joke.”
“I apologize, Mrs. Adler,” Detective Brice interjected. “But we must follow standard police procedure before even considering alternative routes.”
Simone nodded and crossed her arms. She had a strong urge to punch her in the face. I know this because I could read her mind. I hadn't realized that she’d had a temper until then, but yep, she’s definitely not someone you mess with.
“Where you following police procedure when you were having a laugh over coffee with your colleague, when we first came in?” Simone asked. “Unlike you, I care about this little girl. It’s why I’ve devoted my whole life to RAMS… to find these people. It’s not just a job to me.”
Detective Miller finally stood. “Please sit back down, Mrs. Adler. I promise that we’ll go carefully over the report and look into this redhead.”
Simone huffed and settled back in her seat. She was shaking with anger. And then she winked at me. “Good job, Miss Jenkins.”
I felt like a million dollars. Leo smiled at me. He was proud of me, and impressed, too.
Maybe I was worth the private jet and the full scholarship, after all.
23
Turns out, we stayed an extra half day, and flew back after lunch. We were missing Thursday classes, but none of us were too upset about it.
Simone sat at the front by the cockpit, and went over the report. Kendra, Brianna and I sat at the back, and they pestered me with questions.
Who was this redhead?We didn’t really know.What did she look like?Sort of like Emma Stone.What was the expression on Detective Miller’s face when Simone told her off?Appalled and embarrassed, with a dash of contempt.What did Leo see?Same as me, minus the lock of hair.Will they be looking into it?Definitely, if Simone has anything to say about it.Was I exhausted?Hell, yeah!
I made myself a cinnamon toast, and went to the media room as soon as I got to the dorm.
From:Annabelle Jenkins
To: Calista Summers
Subject: Hi
Hi Calista,
I hope you are well. I’ve just returned to Maine, and I have good news. We haven’t found little Haley yet, but I was able to identify some key information which might lead us in the right direction. I have a good feeling about this. The puzzle is finally coming together.
