Chapter 13 #2
The police kept circling back to the fact that she had been at the camp, knew the boys, and had recently received a large check.
She had already told them they could look at anything—her phone, her emails—whatever they wanted.
She wasn’t going to hide anything. Right now, one of the officers had taken her phone and was analyzing it.
Someone knocked on the door. Mark stuck his head in. “Lieutenant? Can I see you for a moment?”
Lieutenant Coleson stood and glared down at Mia. “I’ll be back. We’re not done here.”
When he stepped out and closed the door behind him, she resisted the urge to slump and lay her head on the table. She didn’t watch a lot of television, but what she had seen always showed cops observing interviews. She felt like she was in a petri dish under a microscope.
Briefly, she wondered if Jackson had made any progress in finding Dylan and Reggie. Did he suspect her too? Earlier, he’d said she wasn’t to blame. But after processing what they’d learned, had he changed his mind?
The door opened, and she sat up straighter in her chair.
Lieutenant Coleson marched back in, typing on a laptop balanced on one arm.
Mark followed him, his shoes and badge gleaming in the fluorescent light.
He closed the door and stood beside it with his back to the wall, hands clasped in front in an at-ease pose.
The lieutenant sat across from her and set the laptop on the table. “Well, Miss Turner, we’ve got some good news for you.”
He didn’t look happy. In fact, he looked like he’d smelled something awful.
“Your alibi for the time when Zoe went missing has checked out. Also, we’ve reviewed your phone records. While you did, in fact, try to communicate with that foundation, all the contacts check out with what you’ve told me. We see no other emails or texts that raise suspicion.”
Mark broke in. “I spoke with Officer Beckley. He confirmed what you said about being shot at and finding the body. I also called the teacher at school, and he confirmed he gave you the flyer. He said he had gotten it and thought it was valid, so he passed it on to you. We were troubled that you got paid for it, but we’ve confirmed where the money came from and what it was for. It all looks legitimate.”
Tension drained from her shoulders. She wasn’t in the clear yet, but things seemed to be turning in her favor.
“One thing that bothers me”—Mark sat on the edge of the table—“is how this flyer made its way into the school at all. Apparently, the school wasn’t aware of the camp.”
She shrugged. “It’s not a school-sponsored thing. I was surprised that they hadn’t heard of it, but there are lots of camps that parents send kids to in the summer.”
“Why would you assume the school had heard of the camp?” The lieutenant leaned toward her.
Mia pressed her back against her chair. “Because that’s where I heard of it.” She thought that part was obvious.
“That could be,” he agreed. “Miss Turner, we’re letting you go for now. Please stay in town though—we may have more questions. This is still an active investigation.”
She nodded. At that moment, she would have agreed to almost anything. She just needed to get home and check on Gus. It had been over twenty-four hours since she’d been home. That was unheard of for her.
She had just left the station when her phone rang.
Blaine’s name lit up the screen. She hadn’t spoken to him in years.
Even when they saw each other at the school, they only exchanged a nod in passing.
He was the superintendent, after all. If she didn’t acknowledge him, it could create rumors.
Mia had been the victim of enough gossip.
It was tempting to ignore the call. What could he possibly have to say to her? But instinct told her she needed to answer.
“Hello.” She was proud that her voice remained calm and steady and not like she was ready to have a meltdown.
“Maria.” His voice was as cold as she remembered. The sound made her shiver.
“Yes.” Her own voice came out flat and emotionless.
“I just got a call from the school board. It seems they think you might be involved with some of the students getting abducted or disappearing.”
“What?” she shouted into the phone. “I would never do something like that!”
How had the school board found out so quickly? Dylan and Reggie had been missing for several days, yes, and they were in her class—but the school hadn’t seemed to know anything about the foundation. How would they have connected her? She wanted to shout these questions at Blaine.
But she didn’t trust him. It was a horrible thing, to not be able to rely on your own parent not to work against you.
“I will not have my reputation tarnished by talk of my daughter being involved with such things. The school district says you are suspended until they figure this out, but I am going to make sure they understand how much this displeases me.”
“Um, okay.” Mia slumped in her car seat. His cold reasoning reassured her. For now, he was on her side.
Blaine Turner, though, was a snake in a tailored business suit. You never saw his fangs when he wanted to be charming, but inside, venom coursed in his veins.