Page 10 of Our Daughter's Bones

“Does she have a boyfriend?”

“No. She isn’t like that.”

“Parents are usually unaware of what their kids are up to.”

Hannah smirked. “I never said she was agoodgirl, Detective. I said she was a smart girl. Having a boyfriend is a waste of time to her.”

“Well, we would like to look around her room if we have your permission. Was she acting any different these past few days?”

“Past few days? More like the past year. Ever since the princess of Lakemore went missing, Abby has been disturbed.” Hannah pinched the bridge of her nose.

Mackenzie didn’t miss the spite in her voice. “Erica Perez? What does she have to do with Abby?”

“They were best friends. Inseparable.”

Four

“Erica and Abby were best friends?” Mackenzie repeated.

Hannah scowled. “Yes. I told Abby not to hang around that rich girl. She wouldn’t listen.”

Mackenzie tapped her pen against her notepad incessantly. Erica Perez and Abby Correia went missing exactly one year apart. They were best friends. Could this be just a coincidence?

“Could you not do that?” Hannah snapped. “I’m nursing a hangover.”

“I thought you were working last night.”

She leaned forward and sneered. “I work at a strip club. Sorry for having a drink or five so that I can get through a night of pathetic men trying to grab my ass.”

The stench of cigarettes on Hannah’s breath overwhelmed Mackenzie. She stood, spotting a picture of Abby hanging on the wall behind Hannah. In the picture, Abby held pink cotton candy in her hand. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail. Behind her was a giant Ferris wheel.

“Is that a recent picture?”

“Yeah. Erica took it last summer.”

“You have anything newer on your cell?”

Hannah shook her head. “Use that if you need one.”

“Do you have a digital copy of this?”

“Mm-hmm.” Hannah pulled up the picture on her phone.

“Justin, contact the MUPU and get the data packet. Target gas stations and bus stops first. You know the drill.”

Justin took Hannah’s phone and sent himself the picture before leaving.

“Why don’t you like Erica? Was their friendship toxic?”

“Those people are toxic,” Hannah scoffed. The smoke from her lips swirled like a shapeless doodle before disappearing.

“You don’t like the Perez family.”

“I see! So now this is about Erica. My daughter doesn’t matter that much because she’s from the dirty side of town?”

Mackenzie met her stare evenly. She didn’t waver; she didn’t soften. She had dealt with violent men twice her size. She had been punched in the gut and had had her nose broken—twice.

An embittered woman didn’t rattle her.