Chapter 37

  

Penelope went to the sheriff’s office first thing the next morning and filed a report for her missing jewelry.

“Never a dull moment,” the sheriff said.

Penelope sighed and rose to leave after he assured her he’d keep an eye out for her things.

“Well, I don’t have a lot of hope of seeing them again, but thank you,” Penelope said. “I wanted to ask you…”

The sheriff looked at her with his familiar wary gaze.

“How well did you know your predecessor, Sheriff Helmsley?”

Sheriff Bryson’s face fell. “Not at all. I never met the man. I came on board after he…passed away. I was a forest ranger, reported to Quincy, didn’t have a lot of contact with the sheriff’s office.”

“I read that his son is in jail. And that he used to run with Bailey.”

“I read the papers too,” he said, not offering any further information or encouraging the conversation.

Penelope looked at him expectantly.

“Helmsley won’t be back for a long time, if ever,” Sheriff Bryson said. “Now, if there’s nothing else...”

  

When she stepped back onto the sidewalk, she almost ran into Edie on her way into the station.

“What are you doing here?” Edie asked casually. Penelope thought she still looked at her suspiciously.

“There was an incident at the inn. Someone broke into my room, stole some things,” Penelope said.

Edie’s expression softened. “Sorry to hear that.” She hitched her purse strap higher on her shoulder after it slipped down her coat sleeve.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you...you knew Kellie Foster, one of the missing Forrestville Five?”

“Yeah, I knew her,” Edie said. “Whole reason I became a cop in the first place.”

“Really? So you guys were friends?”

“Are friends,” Edie said. “I still think we’ll find her somewhere.”

“What do you think happened to her? Or to any of them?” Penelope asked.

Edie looked down at Penelope, considering. “Something happened, I think, something that made her want to disappear.”

“Like something at school or at home?” Penelope asked. “Was she being bullied?”

Edie shook her head. “No, she comes from a good family—her folks are the best. I was over there all the time and still see them. She never said what it was, but that last year, when we got back from spring break...she was different somehow. Then she skipped practice, didn’t come to school. Then she was gone.” Edie swiped at her cheek and hardened her stare at Penelope.

“Did you know all the files from back then are missing?” Penelope asked.

Edie paused, allowing a man to pass by before responding. “How do you know that?”

“I found out,” Penelope said. “Why is that?”

Edie pulled her away from the front of the police station. “Walk with me.”

They walked slowly, stopping in front of the diner. “This is where she worked after school,” Edie said. “She was saving up for her first car. She had dreams of playing ball at IU; she practiced all the time.” Edie paused. “Those files are somewhere.”

“Is there an archive somewhere?” Penelope asked.

“That’s the thing. The computer copies were wiped, and the paper files in police storage are gone. Someone tried to erase the cases, get rid of the Forrestville Five.”

“I want to help,” Penelope said.

Edie put a hand on Penelope’s shoulder and smiled weakly. “I can see that. I’ve been trying to figure this case out ever since I passed the police test. I’ll get there eventually.”

“I hope you do,” Penelope said. “I really do.”