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I wasn’t thrilled by this development, but if I could establish myself as a helpful, law-abiding citizen, it might keep me off their radar.
We wandered over to the outdoor area; she sat in the lawn chair, and I took the end of a bench.
“Lorelei Clay,” she murmured. “I know that name. You bought the big pile of blue stones.”
“That I did.”
She continued to gaze at me. “Huh.”
“Huh, what?”
“I thought you’d look older and a little crazier.”
“I left my bulging eyeballs at home, but I can wear them next time if it helps.”
Chief Garcia smiled. “Tell me why you’re searching for Ashley Pratt.”
“Her brother asked for my help. He said she’s been in trouble before, and that the police don’t seem interested in finding her.”
Closing her eyes, the police chief pinched the bridge of her nose. “It isn’t that we don’t want to find her. It’s that we believe she doesn’t want to be found.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because we think she used the money she stole from the register at the pharmacy where she’d been working part-time to fund her exit.”
Ah.
“Maybe she used the money for other necessities,” I countered. “It sounds like they’re cash strapped.”
The chief nodded. “Steven’s struggled to keep the family home ever since their parents died. He works two jobs.”
“Yet you think Ashley used the money she stole to leave town without telling him?” It seemed to me she’d feel inclined to help ease her brother’s burden. Then again, maybe running away would accomplish that goal.
“Ashley has had a lot of issues since their parents died.”
“Can you blame her? The loss of your parents is a traumatic event, especially when you’re young.” I knew that firsthand.
The chief gazed up at the sky. It was too cloudy to see the moon or any stars. “Why did Steven come to you?” The twitch of her right eye gave her away; she’d heard the rumors about me. I was curious to know exactly what she’d heard.
“He thought if his sister was dead, that I might be able to contact her ghost.” The only way to control a story is to get ahead of it, and I was, apparently, woefully behind.
She didn’t miss a beat. “I guess you didn’t, or you wouldn’t be here asking questions.”
“If Ashley is dead, it didn’t happen in this area.”
The chief rubbed the spot between her eyebrows. I had a feeling she did that often enough to leave a dent. “He really is worried, isn’t he?”
“He is.” I tilted my head. “You seem very accepting of my claim.”
The chief sighed. “If you live in Fairhaven long enough, you hear a lot of farfetched stories. Some of them even turn out to be true.”
“Have you ever met anyone who can communicate with spirits?”
“Only the medium my sister took me to see in Brooklyn.”
“Were they any good?”
Chief Garcia grunted at the memory. “She told me that my first love had passed and that he wanted me to know I’d always hold a special place in his heart.”
