Page 69 of Did You See Evie

“My goodness,” Kyle says, leaning back. “Do I even want to know?”

“It’s nothing concrete, but the last communication took place the night of the lock-in. I only hope it’s not connected.”

“Just last week I read about a case in Florida. A girl was talking to someone she met online and tried to leave the state with him.”

“It makes me sick to even think about it,” I say, even though I keep telling myself that isn’t the case with Evie. Even if I didn’t know all her secrets, I still believe she’s too cautious to get into a car with a stranger. “I’ve already talked to the police. They should be able to sort everything out.”

“What did they say about?—”

Just then, the intercom in the room buzzes, interrupting Kyle. I hear the main office secretary’s voice over the loudspeaker.

“Coach Cass?”

“Yeah,” I shout above.

“Mr. Lake wants to see you.”

I lock eyes with Kyle. “I guess that means he’s heard from the parents already.”

“You’re only trying to help find Evie,” he says, releasing a sympathetic sigh. “That’s what we should all be doing.”

I stand slowly, following Kyle out of the room and heading in the direction of Mr. Lake’s office, feeling like I’m walking to my own execution.

THIRTY-FIVE

Through the window leading into his office, I can see Mr. Lake standing behind his desk, head lowered.

My hand hesitates on the doorknob. I don’t want to endure another tongue-lashing from my boss. We’ve had more disagreements in the past week than in all the years before that, Evie’s disappearance bringing out the worst in both of us.

Taking a deep breath, I push open the door.

“Sit,” he says, still not raising his head.

“I’m okay with standing,” I say, trying to hold onto what little power I have left.

When he looks at me, I can see the exhaustion on his face. Evie’s disappearance has taken its toll on all of us, but Mr. Lake is tasked with handling all of it—the police, the school board, the parents. That last one, I’m guessing, is the reason he’s called me into his office.

“Did you threaten your team with going to the police?” he asks.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“The meeting you had before lunch. I’ve had three different mothers call and say that you harassed their daughters and threatened to speak with the police.”

“And I bet I can guess who those three were,” I say, snidely.

“Answer my question.”

“I didn’t threaten anyone,” I say. “I asked them all questions, and based on what they told me, I told them I was going to the cops. Which I did.”

“The girls made it sound like you were wanting to get them in trouble.”

“That’s not the point,” I say. “Besides, they can only be in trouble if they have something to hide.”

“They’re young girls,” Mr. Lake says.

“Which is why I called them into a meeting with me,” I say. “I figured they’d be more truthful with me than their parents. Or the police. I immediately reached out to Detective Fields with what they told me. I followed protocol,” I say, conveniently leaving out that I also contacted Nadia.

“Protocol would have involved me,” he says. “I didn’t know anything about this impromptu meeting in the middle of the school day.”