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Lacey’s mother had washed and dried the bedspread and all was as it should be. Waiting for Bethany to return to her rightful place.
Oh, Bethany, where are you, darling?
Lacey sat on Bethany’s bed and picked up her pillow. Breathing in, she realized that the washing had taken away most of Bethany’s scent.
Hurrying to the closet, she opened the door and pulled up short. A strange faint smell greeted her. A smell that seemed familiar yet she couldn’t place it. It wasn’t Bethany, that much she knew.
Unless Bethany had changed perfumes.
A chill swept over her. How had a strange—yet familiar—scent gotten in here? Had someone been in this closet? And when?
Quickly, she took inventory. Unlike most teenagers, Bethany didn’t have a closet full of clothes. Lacey hadn’t been able to afford them, not if Bethany wanted to keep up with the karate. For a long time, it had been hand-to-mouth, paycheck-to-paycheck living. All of Bethany’s clothes were accounted for except for the ones she was wearing when she’d disappeared.
Except for her purple A-shaped shirt with the ruffled collar and a pair of jeans.
Why hadn’t she noticed this before? She’d gone through Bethany’s clothes when her mother had voiced concerns that Bethany had left willingly.
All of her clothes had been there at that time.
Including the shirt and jeans.
So when had these disappeared?
Last night when the person after her had been in her house? And why?
Because the person felt that Bethany needed a change of clothes? Maybe?
Again, why?
Lacey shuddered. Felt the hair on her neck stand straight up. This was so wrong.
She fingered the rest of the clothes. All accounted for. Moving from the closet to Bethany’s dresser, she opened the top drawer.
All looked undisturbed. Socks, underwear…Lacey’s diary.
Her breath whooshed out and she opened the book.
April 1st
Today MS kissed me for the first time. I laughed, I couldn’t help it. He was so cute and so nervous…and so gallant. I didn’t laugh too much, though. I can’t believe he waited a whole month of dating before kissing me. He’s so incredibly wonderful. I can’t wait to see where all this goes.
April 16th
MS told me that his mother left his father a couple of years ago. That she had a lot of affairs and lied to his dad about all of them. And his dad believed her. MS was so disgusted with her. I’m surprised he’s even interested in dating after watching his parents’ marriage fall apart. I want to do everything in my power to prove to him that I’ll always be there for him. I know he’d be there for me—through anything. I love him so much.
Lacey slapped the book closed. She couldn’t relive that right now. Replacing the diary back where she’d gotten it from, she decided to let Bethany decide when to approach her about it.
Closing the drawer, she thought about Mason confronting Daniel. She wondered what Daniel would say. Would he finally admit his big lie after all these years? Or would he continue to deny it?
Lacey swallowed hard and decided she didn’t care as long as Mason believed her. That was all she’d wanted for as long as she could remember.
She opened the next drawer. Scarves, belts, jogging shorts and T-shirts. Again, nothing out of place.
Wait a minute. Lacey picked up one of the scarves and flashed to the memory of Daniel finding the one at the scene.
The place Bethany had disappeared from.
The place where someone had dropped a scarf?