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“Olivia, was Kayleigh dating anyone?”
She clicked the cap back onto the marker. Keeping her eyes on the laminated map of tables at her fingertips, she said, “No.”
Josie took her phone out and brought up a picture of the mystery boyfriend from Kayleigh’s phone. She placed the phone on top of the table map, directly in Olivia’s line of sight. “Do you know who this boy is?”
Olivia’s top teeth scraped over her bottom lip. The marker cap came off again, then back on. “No.”
Josie left the photo in front of her. “This picture was in a secret vault app on Kayleigh’s phone. In fact, there were about a half-dozen photos in that vault of him and of the two of them together. They looked pretty cozy, pretty close. We know that the photos were taken in the last year. She never talked to you about him?”
Olivia looked away from the phone, teeth scraping her bottom lip again. She twisted the marker cap around and around. “She said she was seeing some older guy, okay? But I didn’t believe her. No one did.”
“Who’s no one?” asked Josie.
“Like here at work and at school. She kept bragging and bragging about her older boyfriend but—I don’t know—we just didn’t believe her. It just seemed like something she said so she could feel better.”
“Feel better about what?”
The marker cap spun off and bounced onto the floor. Josie picked it up and handed it back to Olivia. Her fingers trembled. It took three tries for her to get it back onto the marker. When she looked back at Josie, her eyes were glassy with tears.
“Olivia?” Josie said.
Her face crumpled. A sob erupted from deep in her chest. She pushed her way past Josie and ran out the front door.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Josie raced after Olivia, slamming through the double doors and nearly knocking down a couple on their way in. She mumbled an apology and searched the area outside until she saw Olivia hurrying down the block, clutching her stomach with one hand and wiping at her eyes with the other.
Catching up to her, Josie said, “Olivia, please. Stop.”
Olivia held onto the top of the nearest parking meter with one hand while the other pressed against her belly. “I’m going to be sick.”
Josie drew closer. “Take some deep breaths.”
Her body heaved and she bent as if to vomit, but nothing came out. Josie leaned over and spoke softly in her ear. “Olivia, I need you to calm down. You’re going to be okay.”
Olivia turned her face toward Josie. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Sure,Iam, but what about Kayleigh? She’s my best friend and she’s missing, and you want me to talk shit on her.”
Josie found a tissue in one of her pockets and handed it to Olivia. “I’m not asking you to talk shit about your friend, Olivia, I promise you that. Come on, let’s stand up. Why don’t you come with me? There’s a little coffee shop around the corner. We can sit down. Have a cup of coffee. We’ll talk. That’s all I’m asking right now, one cup of coffee.”
Olivia straightened. Josie followed suit. She watched as Olivia dabbed at her cheeks and sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. “I can’t,” she said. “I have to work. I’m probably already in trouble.”
Josie took out her phone. “No. I’ll make sure you’re not. I’ll text my colleague and have him tell your manager that I needed to talk with you on official police business and that you’ll be back as soon as we’re finished.”
Josie sent the text as they walked the two blocks to Perk O’Latte. It wasn’t Komorrah’s but it would do for now. Josie let Olivia order whatever she wanted and then they found a table in the very back of the shop, away from the other patrons. They sat across from one another. Olivia had ordered a chocolate croissant and now she picked the flaky outside away with nails bitten to the quick. She had calmed down considerably but Josie gave her another moment, taking a long sip of her coffee. Compared to the truck stop coffee, it was the best thing she’d ever tasted. “Olivia, what did you mean when you said that no one believed Kayleigh had a boyfriend? That she made him up to feel better?”
“Do we have to talk about that? I feel bad enough even admitting to it or having thought it. God, I’m a terrible friend.”
“Well, this is your opportunity to be a good friend to Kayleigh by answering all my questions.”
Olivia peeled another piece of dough from her croissant. “That sounds like something dumb an adult would say to get me to spill my guts.”
“Fair enough,” Josie said. “But I really do need to know what you know, Olivia. I’m sorry if it’s difficult to talk about. What did Kayleigh want to feel better about?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. About herself, I guess. School is shitty, you know? Like, I don’t mind it but it’s tough for Kayleigh.”
“Is she being bullied?” asked Josie.
Olivia shook her head. “No, it’s not like that. It’s just that, well, she hates softball, right? She’s wanted to quit for ages, but her parents absolutely will not let her. She thought if she started playing like crap—the way she did with soccer and volleyball—that they’d let her quit, but they’re totally obsessed with sports. It’s like, if she doesn’t play at least one sport, she’s worthless or something.”
