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“I’m sure that’s difficult,” I empathized.
Casey nodded. “A lot of kids don’t want to be her partner on projects because we never really know if she can do her part.”
“That must upset Ava.”
A frown creased her brow. “She’s embarrassed about it. He embarrasses her.”
“Does that make her angry?” I asked.
A fire filled her eyes. “She hates him.”
“Casey!” her mother protested.
Casey looked up at her. “Well, she does!”
Millie started to say something, then pressed her lips together and folded her hands on her lap, obviously restraining herself.
I made a few notes in my notebook to give them a moment, then looked up. “Does Ava ever sneak phone calls to you when her father has banned her from using her phone?”
Casey made a face. “I don’t want to get Ava in trouble.”
I leaned closer and tried to look reassuring. “You won’t. I won’t tell her parents.”
She still didn’t look certain she was making the right decision, but she said, “Sometimes she uses her mom’s phone. She’s pretty sure her mom knows she’s using it. Sometimes Miss Vanessa leaves it out where Ava can get it and take it to her room.”
“Has Ava ever talked about running away?”
Casey’s eyes widened slightly, but then she shook her head. “No.”
“She’s not in trouble if she did, but anything you tell me can help me find her, okay?”
She studied my face then nodded.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely, then waited a beat before I said, “Everyone needs to take a break from stressful situations, and it sounds like maybe Ava was in a state of constant stress.”
The girl nodded and a tear streaked down her cheek. “She talks about leaving home but not running away. She’s excited for camp this summer, mostly because she can get away from her dad. She also talks about going away to college and never coming home, but she’s never, ever talked about running away. I swear.”
Maybe so, but I was pretty sure Casey was still hiding something. What?
“That’s okay,” I said. “But for the sake of argument, let’s say she did decide to run away. Where do you think she would go?”
Casey looked like a deer caught in headlights, then she glanced up at her mother before answering, “I think she’d come here, but she’s not here. I promise.”
“I believe you,” I said, offering a warm smile. “So if she didn’t come here, is there someplace else she might go?”
She looked nervous. “Maybe Ainsley. But she doesn’t like her house much.” She wrinkled her nose. “It smells.”
“Casey!” Millie protested.
“But it does!” Casey insisted, then turned to look at me. “She has a lot of cats, and it stinks. Plus, it’s tiny. They only have one bathroom.”
Millie’s face flushed with embarrassment.
“Cats can be pretty stinky,” I said, trying to ease the tension. “Especially if their litter boxes aren’t changed enough.”
“Or they pee all over the place,” Casey said belligerently.
“That too,” I conceded. “Anyone or any place other than Ainsley’s house that Ava might have gone?”
