Chapter 27
Friday late afternoon
Even though it was getting late, the Stanbridge University campus in San Marcos still had a steady quiet rhythm. Nursing students crossed between buildings in conversations that started and ended in passing.
JP stood just outside the classroom, where he had tracked Alana Ruiz and waited. She had agreed to meet with him after her classes.
When the door opened, he watched faces as they exited. Most people didn’t look up. One did. She slowed when she saw him.
“Alana Ruiz?” he asked.
“Yes.”
JP handed her his card. “JP Torn. I spoke with you earlier about Hannah Caldwell. Thank you for meeting me.”
“I’m glad to help, but I don’t know how I can.”
“I just need you to tell me everything you remember, whether you think it’s important or not. Sometimes, the littlest thing leads us somewhere.”
Outside, they found a bench under a tree that gave just enough shade to make it private.
Alana sat with her hands folded in her lap. JP took the other end of the bench.
“Where should I start?”
“Were you waiting for Hannah after school that day?”
“We were waiting just past the crossing guard just like every other day. But she didn’t show up right away.”
“Was that normal?”
“She was late a lot. She liked to dawdle.”
JP waited.
“We left.” She didn’t sound defensive.
Alana stared at the ground for a moment.
“Because we were tired of waiting,” she said.
“Hannah was always behind packing up, talking to people, or something. We all wanted to get home, but Tyler was especially anxious because he had a new video game he wanted to play. I’m not blaming him. We didn’t need to listen to him, but we did.”
A pause. “And Tyler said she’d catch up like she always did.”
“So, you had left her before?”
“Only when we knew she was behind us. And Tyler saw her come out of the building, so I thought she was there.” Alana’s fingers tightened against each other. “I didn’t argue with him. That’s the part I keep coming back to. Maybe if I had, she’d still be with us today.”
JP stayed still for a moment. Then he asked, “What do you remember about her? What was she like?”
Alana looked up, caught off guard by the shift. “She was a cute little kid. She had these extremes.”
“Like what?”
“She would chatter non-stop sometimes. Other times, she would completely clam up. She would get really quiet, but not shy exactly. It was like she was just being careful. And she didn’t rush into things. She was very curious about everything, but she paid attention first.”
A sad smile flickered. “She noticed stuff the rest of us didn’t.”
“What kind of things?” he asked.
Alana shrugged. “People,” she said. “She noticed who was around and who wasn’t.”
“What was home like for her?”
Alana’s expression shifted. “She didn’t talk about it much, but when people asked or when her stepdad’s name came up, she’d go quiet.”
“Quiet how?”
Alana searched for the words. “Like she pulled back. Like she wasn’t really there anymore.”
“That happened more than once?”
“Yeah,” Alana said. “Whenever someone said his name. Or asked about her house.”
“It seems like you don’t want to say his name either, but I need to make certain I know who you’re talking about.”
She cleared her throat. “To honor Hannah, Megan, Tyler, and I made a pact to never say his name. I still have trouble saying it.”
JP waited.
She took a deep breath. “Victor Hayes.”
A breeze moved through the branches above. Alana shifted, then looked out across the campus. “There was one time,” she said, almost to herself. “Hannah told me something, but I didn’t think much of it then.”
Alana glanced at JP briefly, then back away. “She said there was someone who made her feel safe.”
“What did you think she meant?” he asked.
Alana shook her head. “I asked her who, and she wouldn’t tell me.”
“Do you think it might’ve been her attorney?”
“It could’ve been.”
“Could it have been her brother?”
“Maybe.”
“Did she say anything else about it?”
“No,” Alana said. “Just that.” She drew in a slow breath. “I should’ve waited for Hannah. She didn’t like being by herself on that walk.”
“Why do you say that?”
“There was a house,” she said. “On the corner before ours. She didn’t like passing it alone. None of us did, but it scared her more. She always stayed closer to us when we passed it.”
“I thought she’d catch up,” Alana said. “That’s what I told myself. That’s what we all did.”
“You can’t blame yourself. You were just a child.” JP stood. “I appreciate you talking to me.”
JP walked back toward his truck, thinking about what he’d heard.
Hannah didn’t want to go home. She shut down when Hayes’ name came up.
She was obviously afraid of him. Maybe with good reason.
But somewhere in all of that, there was someone she trusted enough to feel safe.
Had that been Sabre? Her brother? Or was it someone who had another plan for her?