"No, she's not. She was just in my house." Confusion and a splash of fear replace my giggles.
"What are you talking about?" Kinley peers over my shoulder at the message.
My stomach knots so tight, I'm afraid I'll be severed in two. "Dad?"
The panic in my voice makes him run. His slippers slap along the hardwood floors. He glances at the Quinn's then down to us. "What is it?"
I show him Troy's message, tell him about seeing Linzy a bit ago, again, then fill him in on my spying adventure last night. I don't think I did anything wrong, but I leave Kinley out of it just in case her parents won't agree. When I'm done, she smiles at me, and Dad rubs his chin.
He's going to lecture that I shouldn't have been so reckless, that I need to behave more mature and to think before I act, and then he's going to ground me, and I won't be able to see the fireworks.
"We should tell Chief Williams. Wait here." He jogs down the three steps and heads across the street.
That's it? Where's the lecture? Maybe he's saving it for when we're alone. I replay what I'll say to the chief and remember the charm.
"Be right back," I say to Kinley and run up to my room.
My shorts are still on my floor. I reach into the front pocket but can't find the star. I search again, from corner to corner, but nothing. I pull the material out and spot the hole in the stitching. Damn, it fell out. I look along my floor but don't see it. I throw the shorts down and rejoin Kinley. It's not that big a deal. I don't even know if it belongs to Linzy, and if it does, it won't tell what happened to her.
The Quinn's screen door slams. Dad and the chief walk toward us, deep in conversation. Well, Dad's talking, probably trying to get info, and the chief is silent.
Kinley stands. "I should go. Um, thanks for not saying I was with you. My mom would freak."
Her mom really needs to chill. She only walked to the corner. But I don't say that. "No sweat. I'll call you later?"
I hand her my phone so she can put her number in it.
"I'll put mine on vibrate. Call me any time, even after eight. I want all the details, okay?" She hands it back.
"Will do."
She walks off as Dad and the chief step onto our walkway.
"Let's go inside. I'll put on a pot of coffee." Dad leads the way.
The chief sits across from me at the table and pulls a notepad and pen from her bag. I wring my hands in my lap, but that hurts after half a dozen times, so I grab a paper plate and a slice of pizza and start to nibble. Dad offers a slice to the chief, but she declines. It smells amazing. Dad got sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, and mushrooms. My faves. But it slides down my throat, bypassing my taste buds, and lands in a heap in my stomach.
"Piper, your father says you saw Linzy in your house earlier tonight?"
I nod and swallow hard, a bite of mushroom catching in my throat. "Yes, at the top of our stairs."
"What did she say?"
"Nothing. By time I got up there, she was gone."
Lines punctuate between her brows. "As in vanished?"
"Well not like poof. That's silly. I couldn't find her. She must've run back out while I was looking in the rooms."
"Are you sure it was Linzy Quinn?"
I stare down at my slice. Grease has spilled onto the thin, white plate, making a huge translucent stain. "Not exactly. I've never seen Linzy up close, but it looked like her."
The chief gives one of those tightlipped smiles that says she hears me but doesn't quite believe.
"But I definitely saw her last night."
She leans forward in her chair. "Tell me about that."
I relay all of last night except the Kinley parts, and I don't bother mentioning the charm, since I've lost it. I don't want her to not believe me. Maybe it wasn't Linzy in my house, but she definitely argued with that person last night.
"And you couldn't see the driver or make out the car at all?"
I shake my head. "Just that it looked black, and it may have had four doors."
Dad sets a mug of coffee, the sugar, and carton of half-and-half on the table.
"And have you seen her since? Besides this evening?" the chief asks.
"No. I was with Troy most of the day. I met her sister, Shayla." Hopefully the chief won't want me to repeat that conversation.
She stirs sugar into her coffee and sips it before asking, "How did she seem?"
I shrug. "Fine, I guess. I don't have anything to compare it to. She was flirting with Troy."
His mom purses her lips for a moment then brings the cup back up to them.
Okay, so I said that on purpose to gauge her reaction. I guess she doesn't care for Willowy and Blonde either.
"She was kinda snotty to me. Is that normal?" I can't stop the smirk that lifts the left side of my mouth, so I bite off a large chunk of pizza.
The chief flips her book shut. "Sounds about right."
Oblivious to our innuendo, Dad sits between us and asks, "How long has she been missing?"
The chief glances at me before answering. "Since last night."
As in, I'm the last person to see her? Well, me and the driver.
"And they've only called you now?"
"They assumed she'd be back this morning, that she was with friends."
Dad's color deepens. "At fourteen?"
The chief drinks more of her coffee, then stands. "Celebrities live different lives than us, Mr. Grimaldi. It's not my job to judge, only help."
I know Dad is thinking, in other words, they're irresponsible parents, but he doesn't say it. Maybe we're all thinking it.
As the chief reaches the doorframe, Dad asks, "Do you suspect foul play?"
She narrows her eyes, as if not sure how to answer.
"For my daughter. Do I need to keep her locked up?"
Her expression softens, and she gives me a small smile. "No. Hollow Ridge is a quiet, safe community. I'm sure Ms. Quinn is being dramatic, like girls her age can be, and will return soon."
I wonder if the police said the same to the parents of Buffalo Bill's victims.
* * *
Sleep is futile.
Kinley and I stayed up, on the phone, until midnight, going over every detail of the past two days. The only reason I hung up was because she dozed off twice. The first time I yelled in her ear until she woke up. The second time I gave up. I figured she'd wake in the morning with her cell stuck to her face.
I glance at my clock. It's two a.m., and I can't turn off my mind.
Where is Linzy? Is she just hiding out at a friend's, sulking, pouting, being a typical teenager? Whatever that means. Gosh, I hate when adults have to categorize every teen as moody or dramatic, like we're not individuals, unique. Should we call all of them old and fun-suckers? Well, I guess we do.
Now that Linzy's missing, Shayla won't have time to hang all over Troy.
I smack myself in the forehead. Bad thought, Piper. This isn't about you. But I can't help wonder if this will be my very own first case. No, I don't want anything to be wrong with Linzy, and it's unlikely Dad will allow me anywhere near a mystery, but I can dream, right?
My bladder is full, so I grab my glasses and get up to empty it. When I'm done, I head downstairs for something to drink, to fill it up again. The wood floor is cool against my feet. Most of our other places had wall-to-wall carpeting. I'll have to get used to wearing socks or slippers when the season changes.
Light emits from beneath Dad's office. Nothing unusual there.
The dim light above the stove is on, casting an eerie glow across the linoleum floor to the back door. The safety chain sways slightly. Dad must've just fastened it. I open the fridge, grab a bottle of water, and eye the cold pizza. I take a slice, on a paper towel, and head to the front of the house. I pause by Dad's door, listening for any signs of him being awake. If he's working and I walk in, he'll be annoyed. Not like growling, evil monster annoyed, but enough to make me feel bad. But if he's asleep and I knock or wake him upon entering, then I'll feel worse. So I turn and climb the stairs.
When I reach the top, I shiver. It's suddenly chillier up here. Doesn't heat rise? This house is weird. I go into my room and push the door with my foot. It closes but doesn't click shut. I set the pizza and bottle on my nightstand and go back to fully close the door.
Loud voices sound, and I freeze, trying to figure out where they're coming from. Dad doesn't own a radio. He either prefers to write in silence or to some old CDs he owns, but I don't hear music. It's definitely talking. Are there people outside? Did Linzy come home, and are she and her mom arguing again?
I open my door and step into the hall. It sounds like the television in the spare room. I fling open the door and see a woman dancing on the beach in a white dress. The announcer is talking about how light their pads are. "You'll never know they're there."
Because every woman wants to frolic on the sand when cramping. I switch off the TV and go back to my room. Since when does Dad watch TV? The only reason he got it was because we usually go through a movie stage after he finishes a book and before we move to our next destination. Only that didn't happen this last time. We were packed and out of Georgia as soon as his editor approved the book.
The pizza no longer looks inviting. I drink some water then crawl under my sheets. After a few minutes, my body starts to feel heavy, and I close my eyes. Finally. Sleep.
In that weird place between awake and slumber my thoughts flitter to Mom. Where is she? Is she happy? Does she have another family?
As I drift off, giggles sound.