Page 61 of The Whispering Girls

“Is it true there’s a serial killer on the loose?” said Tami as her eyes opened wide with curiosity.

“We’re working on the cases but that hasn’t been established yet.”

“Still, it’s scary,” she said, sipping her drink.

“You knew Theresa Jamison?”

She nodded. “We went to school together ever since kindergarten.”

“So you knew her well?”

She shrugged. “Kinda.”

“What do you mean?”

“We weren’t besties, but we knew each other.”

“When was the last time you saw her?” said Katie.

Tami thought for a moment. “It was a couple of weeks ago. I think it was the day before she was murdered…but I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“I saw her in here two weeks ago, but she was in a hurry, so we just said hi.”

“And?”

“Then I think I saw her riding in a truck a little later, which I thought was weird. It drove by just up the street. I remember thinking that she looked really upset and wondered who was driving.”

“Where was the truck heading?”

“I don’t know.”

“What direction was it heading?”

“Oh. It was going north, uptown, you know, heading out toward the fields.”

“Did Theresa have any sisters?” Katie was testing Tami to see what she would say.

“No. She was an only child.”

Katie reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She showed the driver’s license photograph of TJ. “Have you ever seen her?”

Tami really looked at the photograph. Then she shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. But…she kinda looks like Theresa.”

“What about Theresa’s boyfriend Devin?”

“He’s a loser. Sorry, I don’t want to sound mean, but he is. He used to get into trouble all the time. He lived with his dad for a while…I think he was in construction.”

“I see,” said Katie.

Tami leaned forward. “I heard Devin was living alone because his parents disappeared.”

“What do you mean, disappeared?”

“I don’t know…just talk maybe. There’s a lot of talk in this town.” Tami’s phone dinged with text alert. “I’ve got to go. I’m meeting someone.” She stood up. “You need anything more?”

“Do you know the nurse who was murdered at the hospital last night? Natalie Renaldo?”