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“I don’t,” Casey said. “But I think Ava did when I was sick with the flu.”
“That was just a few weeks ago,” Millie said tightly. “Casey was home all week.”
I nodded in acknowledgment.
“Casey,” I said, trying to catch her gaze, which proved difficult since her head was still bowed. “Do you know if Ava talked to Mr. Eddie outside of school?”
“I don’t know,” she said in a whisper. “But I think maybe she talked to him last week, because I saw them whispering about something in the hall, and they stopped when I got closer. I heard them say something about ‘tonight.’”
“Like they were going to meet somewhere?” I asked, keeping my voice even.
“Maybe,” she said, then hastily added, “But I don’t know for sure. I just know that they were talking about something that night.”
“Do you know what night that was?”
“Last Thursday.”
“Can you think of anything else about Mr. Eddie that you think will be helpful?”
“Not really,” Casey said, worry etched on her face. “Is Mr. Eddie in trouble? He said he could get in trouble if anyone found out.”
“You don’t need to worry about Mr. Eddie,” I said. “He’s a grown-up and can take care of himself.” I gave her a warm smile. “Do you know anything else that might help me find Ava?”
She sniffed, swiping at her cheeks again. “No. Do you think she’s okay?”
“I’m trying to figure that out, and you’ve helped me get closer to finding her. Thank you.”
Casey lifted her face to her mother. “Can I go now?”
I nodded, so Millie dismissed her daughter.
Casey didn’t waste any time bolting from the sofa for the staircase, leaving her horrified mother behind.
“I had no idea,” Millie said. “I had no…” Her voice broke off into tears.
I leaned closer and lowered my voice. “Millie, it’s important to remember that Mr. Eddie may have only offered Ava what felt like a safe place to talk. He may not have done anything inappropriate in the way you’re thinking.”
“He shut the door, Harper! With two twelve-year-old girls in a closet!” she whisper-shouted in outrage.
“Yes,” I agreed calmly. “That was extremely inappropriate. But again, it may not have been sexually inappropriate. We need more answers before that can be determined.”
“I’m calling the school!” she exclaimed, getting to her feet. “I’m putting a stop to this right now!”
“I agree,” I said carefully, looking up at her. “You need to notify the school, but I’m asking you to wait until tomorrow morning. Let me have a chance to talk to him first. If you call the school, the police will be involved—as they should—but I won’t get that chance. Will you wait until tomorrow?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “What if…” Then she took a big breath, her hands shaking as she said, “I have to tell Austin before I talk to the school, and I don’t want to call him about this at work. He had a big meeting today.” Her shoulders squared and a determined look hardened her eyes. “You’ll have until this evening before we do something.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I’ll let you know what I find out after talking to him. It probably won’t be admissible in court, but at least you’ll know what you’re dealing with.”
Chapter 21
Knowing I’d stirred up a hornet’s nest, I quickly left. Still, if the janitor had been molesting children, at least it was coming to light.
I still needed to talk to Eddie Johnson to get more details, but he had just become a person of interest.
When I stopped by the school, I found the doors locked and only one car in the parking lot, an older white Jeep Cherokee. I didn’t know who it belonged to, and I didn’t think it was a good idea to go around the school, knocking on windows to get someone’s attention, so I sucked it up and headed to my apartment. I needed to find a way to talk to Eddie Johnson, so I could do an internet search on him then possibly pay him a visit after the meetup at Scooter’s.
I parked in the driveway and kept an eye on the back of the house as I walked around to the trunk and grabbed my bag from the liquor store. I didn’t see my mother peering out the back windows, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t watching.
