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He frowned down at Bethany’s picture. “I’m sure sorry to hear that. I’ll be glad to get these printed. You want to add her name and a contact phone number on here?”
Of course, why hadn’t she thought of that? She was so frazzled! “Um, yes. That would be great.”
Get it together, Lacey, Bethany’s counting on you.
“Won’t take me a minute to scan it into the computer, add the information and then get everything printed up. I’ll do it as a rush job for you.”
Lacey felt tears mist her eyes. “Thanks, I appreciate that.”
She gave him the information to add to the flyers and while the clerk went to work in the back room, she paced back and forth in front of the counter, thinking of the different locations she could put the flyers. Locations that offered the best traffic where the most people would see it.
A shadow passed by the door and she turned, expecting to see someone enter.
No one did.
She went back to her pacing.
Again, movement by the glass door caught her attention. Strange movement, like someone bobbing up and down.
Thinking someone needed help opening the heavy door, she walked over to it, and pulled it open. No one was there.
Huh, that’s odd.
Just to make sure, she stepped outside to look to the right.
Nothing.
As she looked to the left, something slammed into her lower back propelling her against the wall. The breath left her so fast, she couldn’t even scream. In shock, she felt her face scrape the side of the building.
Before she could gather her stunned wits, a voice whispered in her ear, “She’s mine now and you’ll never find her.”
Fear careened through her and she struggled to turn around on legs that felt like jelly. Her face burned and her back felt bruised.
The blue sky turned dark and for a moment she was afraid she would pass out.
Running footsteps echoed back to her, mocking her, letting her know she was helpless. With a frustrated and angry cry, she slid down the wall to sit on the ground and weep for her lost child.
* * *
Mason ground his teeth in frustration at Georgia’s refusal to cooperate. The fact that she even had to attend the summer session due to a flunking grade in English had already spiked her attitude. Being questioned about a wreck she claimed to have nothing to do with sent it skyrocketing.
Her wide gray eyes flicked back and forth between the three adults staring at her. Her lips clamped together in a tight snarl. Mason thought they might need a blowtorch to pry them apart.
The principal had asked to stay in the room. Since Georgia was over fourteen, they didn’t need parental permission to question the girl although they had given her mother a courtesy call.
She was on the way.
He briefly wondered how Lacey was doing, then focused his attention back to Bethany’s stubborn friend. Her body language and uncomfortable shifting when questioned about the wreck all suggested she was lying about not being there.
He leaned forward. “Look, Bethany’s missing. From all appearances, she wouldn’t run away. In fact, from what her mother says, she was scared of something, nervous all the time. She felt like her life might be in danger. That, coupled with her disappearance, sends up a big red flag. She might be counting on you to help find her.”
Georgia licked her lips. Some of the attitude faded as she finally looked him straight in the eye. “I don’t know where she is, I promise!”
Deflated, he realized he believed her. She didn’t know where Bethany was. But she sure knew something. “What are you afraid to tell me? To tell us?”
Georgia jumped to her feet. “Nothing! There’s nothing to tell!” Tears leaked down her cheeks and she palmed them away leaving black streaks of mascara behind. “If I could help you find Bethany, I would. But you’re right about one thing. She was scared of someone.”
“Who?”
