RAVEN'S HOLLOW (20 page)
Laney hid her surprise. For a guy who looked like all he wanted
to do was catch the next big wave, Doyle Massey had clearly done his homework
about Ridge County politics. “Technically, Ridge County Sheriff’s Department
already covers Bitterwood.”
“If invited to participate in investigations,” Massey corrected
gently.
“Or if the department in question is under investigation,” she
shot back firmly. “Which you are.”
He gave a nod of acceptance. “Which we are. But I don’t see the
point of fooling ourselves about this. You and I may both want to clean up the
Bitterwood Police Department. But we’re not on the same team.”
“Maybe not. But if you think my goal here is to shut your
department down, you’re wrong. And if you think I’ll go along with whatever my
bosses tell me to do, you’re wrong about that, too. I’m looking for the truth,
wherever that leads me.”
He lifted his hands and clapped slowly. “Brava. An honest
woman.”
She felt her lips curling with anger at his sarcastic display.
She pushed to her feet. “I expect full cooperation from the police department in
my investigation.”
He rose with her. “You’ll have it.”
Frustration swelled in her chest, strangling her as she tried
to think of something to say just so he wouldn’t have the last word. But the
trilling of her cell phone broke the tense silence rising between them. She
grabbed the phone from her purse and saw her mother’s phone number.
“I have to take this,” she said and moved away, lifting the
phone to her ears. “Hi, Mama.”
“Oh, Charlane, thank God you answered. I’ve been tryin’ not to
worry, but she was supposed to be home hours ago, and she’s always been so good
about being on time—” Alice Hanvey sounded close to tears.
“Mama, slow down.” Laney dropped into the booth across from
Ivy, giving the other woman an apologetic look. “Janelle’s late coming home from
somewhere?”
“She and a couple of girls went hiking two days ago, but they
were supposed to be home this morning in time for her to get to school. I knew I
should have insisted they come home last night instead.”
“Hiking where?”
“Up on Copperhead Ridge. At least, that’s what she said. I’ve
been trying to encourage her to get out and do things with her friends, like you
said I should. I know I can be overprotective, but you can’t be too careful
these days—”
“She’s old enough to go hiking with some friends. What do you
know about these girls she went with?”
“They’re good girls. You know the Adderlys—they live over on
Belmont Road near the church? Their daddy’s a county commissioner. I think you
may have gone to school with his cousin Daniel—”
“I know them. They were supposed to be back home in time for
school?” Laney interrupted before her mother went through the whole family tree.
She knew the Adderlys well, even socializing with them sometimes as part of her
job with the district attorney’s office.
“Joy and Missy are crazy about hiking club, and you know
Janelle’s been walking up and down those mountains since before she could talk
good, so I didn’t think it would be a problem. She’s so good about keeping her
word—”
“You’ve tried calling her on her cell phone?”
“Of course, but you know how reception can be in the
mountains.”
“Are you sure there weren’t any boys going with them? Or maybe
they were meeting some boys up on the mountain?”
“She’s been sort of dating Britt Lomand, but I already called
over there, and Britt’s home. He’s just getting over the flu—his mama said he’s
been home all weekend.”
“Missy Adderly has a boyfriend.”
“They broke up a month ago,” Alice corrected. “Should I call
the police and report her missing? It was awful cold last night on the
mountain.”
Laney glanced at Ivy, who was watching her through narrowed
eyes. “The police don’t normally drop everything to look for a teenager who’s a
little late getting home, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Please call me if you find out anything.”
“You call me if you hear from her. I’ll talk to you soon, Mama.
Try not to worry too much. Jannie’s probably just lost track of the time, or
maybe she was running late and went straight to school.”
“I never thought of that,” Alice admitted. “I’ll call the
school, ask if she’s showed up.”
“Good idea. Call when you know something.” She shut off her
phone and met Ivy’s curious gaze. “My sister went hiking up in the hills over
the weekend with a couple of girlfriends, and she’s late getting back home. She
was supposed to be home in time to shower and dress for school.”
“Cutting it close.”
Laney saw the conflicted thoughts playing out behind Ivy’s
expressive eyes. “Yeah, I know. At that age, they think they get to make their
own rules. But Janelle’s pretty levelheaded.”
“Guess that runs in the family.”
Laney wasn’t sure whether Ivy meant the comparison as a
compliment. Being thought of as a Goody Two-shoes wasn’t exactly the goal of any
high school student—she herself had chafed under the moniker through her high
school years. Calling someone a good girl back then had been the same as calling
her dull.
Maybe Janelle was rebelling against the perception herself by
skipping school and making everybody worry?
She punched in her sister’s cell phone number and waited for an
answer. It didn’t go immediately to voice mail as it usually did when Janelle’s
phone was out of range of a cell signal. After four rings, there was a
click.
But it wasn’t her sister’s voice she heard on the other line.
Nor was it Janelle’s overly cute voice-mail message.
Instead she heard only the sound of breathing and, faintly in
the distance, the rustle of leaves.
“Hello?” she said into the receiver.
The breathing continued for a moment. Then the line went
dead.
“Did she answer?” Ivy asked.
Laney shook her head. “But someone was on the other end of the
line—”
Ivy’s phone rang, the trill jangling Laney’s taut nerves. Ivy
shot her a look of apology and answered. “What’s up, Antoine?”
The detective’s brow creased deeply, and she darted a look at
Laney so full of dread that Laney’s breath caught in her chest.
“On my way,” Ivy said and hung up the phone. “I’ve got to
run.”
“What is it?” Laney asked, swallowing her dread as Ivy dug in
her pocket for money, carefully not meeting Laney’s eyes.
“Someone called in a body. I’m heading to the crime scene to
see what we can sort out.” Ivy put a ten on the table. “Ask Christie to box up
my order and put it in the fridge. I’ll pick it up later.”
Laney caught Ivy’s arm. “Where’s the crime scene?”
Ivy’s gaze slid up to meet hers. “Up on Copperhead Ridge.”
Copyright © 2014 by Paula Graves
ISBN-13: 9781460325940
RAVEN’S HOLLOW
Copyright © 2014 by Jacqueline Goff
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