Page 93 of Little Girl Vanished
My mother’s cry of anguish when the police chief came to inform my parents that Andi’s body had been found.
Staring at my sister’s casket.
Dylan Carpenter as he ran in the alley, pulling the gun out of the waistband of his jeans and turning to shoot at me. The shock on his face when he realized I’d shot him.
Watching his body crumple to the ground. The sound of his gun clacking on the cement.
The blood seeping into his shirt as he bled out.
Keith showing up within the half-hour, leading me away as he tried to convince me that I’d been seeing things and there hadn’t been a gun.
Everyone in the department turning on me.
Being charged with second degree murder and becoming a public pariah.
Losing my friends, my home, my entire life and ending up back here, the one place I’d never wanted to return.
My imagination had also run wild with what happened to Ava and Eddie Johnson.
I continued to drink until the thoughts became more distorted and made little sense. I must have finally passed out around two or three, only to now find myself nauseous and with a throbbing head.
What good was I to Ava this way?
I released a bitter laugh, then nearly threw up. What good had I been to her yesterday?
Leaning my head against the back of the sofa, I closed my eyes and took a breath through my mouth. I just needed coffee and something greasy to settle my stomach. Or at least coffee and a shower.
But first, the room needed to stop spinning.
I fell asleep again, then woke up to another alarm. The room was brighter, and I felt less dizzy. I got up and walked into the bathroom, where I threw up everything I’d had the night before, which wasn’t much.
Kneeling on the tile floor, my head resting against the rim of the toilet, I knew I couldn’t keep doing this. I needed to get my shit together, but alcohol was the only way I could make it through the day without guilt eating me alive. I knew I saw a gun. I knew if I hadn’t taken a shot, I might be the one dead. But I still struggled knowing I’d ended the life of a teen before his life had really started.
When the nausea passed a few minutes later, I got up and brushed my teeth, walking out into the living room to find my phone.
It was a few minutes after nine, and I had several missed calls. One from Louise. One from Nate, and one from James Malcolm.
The first two had left voicemail messages, but Malcolm hadn’t.
I listened to Louise’s first.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but the LaRues went to the elementary school this morning and reported Eddie Johnson. Your visit to him this morning must have scared him because he didn’t show up for work. Now there’s an APB out for him. I don’t think they knew you were planning to see him this morning, but Drew might tell them, so be prepared.” She took a breath. “Call me.”
Shit.
Groaning, I hung up and listened to Nate’s message.
“I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Eddie Johnson is missing. Natalie, the school secretary, has called me twice, asking why I needed his address. I’ve let her calls go to voicemail, but I have to tell her something, Harper. Call me.”
Great. I should have thought of that last night. I was used to working under the shield of the law. Now I was in freefall. One more reason this investigation had turned to shit.
I called Louise back first and she answered right away.
“Jesus, girl,” she said as soon as she answered. “What did you say to Eddie Johnson, and did you know he was gonna run?”
“I never spoke to him,” I said. “How long has the APB been out?”
“An hour? Long enough for them to realize he hadn’t shown up for work and to send a squad car out to his house. His Jeep was missing, so they’re saying he took off.”