Page 51 of Three Girls Gone

“Reception and clerical. Basically everything administrative.”

“Did you see Hailey leave the studio to wait for her ride on Friday?” Amanda just wanted to get to the meat of it.

“I…” Stephanie closed her mouth and flicked her gaze back and forth between Amanda and Trent.

“You can tell us what you saw,” Amanda encouraged, sensing her trepidation.

“I never saw anything.” She tugged on the cuff of her sleeves and twisted the fabric.

Amanda pointed at her fidgeting. “It seems you did.”

“That’s the thing. I didn’t, but if this gets back to Ms.Blackwell, I’ll be in trouble.”

“Help us understand,” Amanda coached her.

“I’m supposed to be at the desk and watching any girls if they are outside waiting for their ride home.”

Amanda had a sour feeling starting in the pit of her gut. “But you didn’t last Friday?”

“Yes and no. My personal cell phone rang, and I’m supposed to have it off at work. It was in my purse under my desk, and I bent over to pick it up. I was fast, but by the time I sat back up, Hailey was gone.”

Amanda bristled at this revelation. It could have been a deliberate ploy used by Hailey’s abductor to distract the clerk’s attention. “Who called you?”

Stephanie bit her bottom lip. “This can’t get back to Ms.Blackwell. She’d fire me, but I’m looking for a new job. This was always supposed to be a temp thing for me, but with the current job market, it feels like I’m stuck here.”

“And this call was…?” Amanda would love it if she just came out with it.

“A call for an interview. It would have been great too, but it didn’t work out.”

“Where was this?”

“A vet’s office in town.” She provided the name. “I love animals, and one day I’d love to go to school and become a vet.”

“And who was the interview with?” Amanda asked.

“Kim Booker.”

“Can I see your phone?” Amanda asked. “I’d like to verify that call.”

“Ah, sure.” Stephanie pulled it from her pocket.

So much for no personal calls on company time…The fact she had the device on her showed her rebellious streak and her desperation to find another job.

Stephanie unlocked her phone, tapped on the screen, and handed it to Amanda.

It didn’t take long to see the call from the veterinary clinic. “Would you mind if I called them?”

Stephanie shook her head, and Amanda pressed the Call button. An eager-sounding employee answered on the second ring. “Could I speak with Kim Booker, please?” When the woman came on the line, Amanda verified Stephanie’s story and thanked the woman.

“You really needed to check up on me?” Stephanie asked, her voice a touch shrill.

“This is an open murder investigation. We check up on everything.” Amanda handed Stephanie’s phone back to her.

“So because of this phone call, you never saw who picked Hailey up?” Trent asked.

“That’s right,” Stephanie said, working her phone back into her pocket.

“And she was the only one waiting for a ride that night?” One of the other parents or students could have seen something worth following up.