Moira stood. She felt the air suck right out of the log house. It seemed to happen so fast. All of a sudden she felt like she was going to faint. But she didn’t. She couldn’t.
“Does anyone know about this?” she asked.
Savannah pushed PLAY on the recorder again and the old machine clunked into action.
“You mean does anyone else know about it?” she asked.
A second or two passed and a ten-years-younger Valerie Ryan came into view.
“That’s the mother,” Savannah said. “Valerie Ryan.”
Moira knew that already. She’d seen her at the pizza place in Poulsbo, but she didn’t say so. “I see,” she said.
On the screen, Valerie picked up the plastic pasta bowls and paused, her eyes meeting the camera fleetingly. As she moved the bowls to take them to the kitchen, she dragged Hayley’s across the tray, leaving a red smear and a clump of pasta.
Moira had seen enough. Her heart was pounding. Hard. She started to leave, fumbling for her purse, her car keys.
“I quit the university after it happened,” Savannah said.
Moira knew that the it referred to what happened to Serena, not the message on the tray.
“You won’t write about this, will you?”
“Are you serious? If this is real, this changes everything.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by everything, but, yes, it is real. But you can’t write about it.”
Moira didn’t even answer Savannah as she started for the door. She felt scared and elated at the same time. Her info was true. She hadn’t believed the source at the time, but Savannah Osteen had confirmed it. She was onto something big—bigger and far more dangerous than she really knew.
chapter 41
HAYLEY AND COLTON WERE SHARING a Portabello sandwich—her favorite—at the Port Gamble General Store after school. They’d been talking nonstop about missing Hedda and Taylor’s jealousy over the time they spent together. But mostly about Starla, what was on Katelyn’s computer, and who had sent her the messages. Before Katelyn died, they’d have talked about going to a movie in Silverdale, what they were reading, the merits of the Like It size at Cold Stone, or the latest lame musical trend.
Important stuff? No. Such topics, however, fueled the kind of conversation that allowed them to be critical, even snarky, about things that weren’t really important to anyone.
All of that changed when Katelyn Berkley was espressoed to death in her bathroom.
When Hayley’s phone buzzed, she reflexively reached for it.
It was a text message. Her eyes widened and she spun her phone around so Colton could read it.
BETH: JAKE GOT FIRED FROM BELLEVUE SCHOOLS 4 WHAT HE DID W/ A KID. WZ ASKING ABT STARLA’S FAMILY & HEARD IT FROM SOME1 WHO TOLD SOME1 ELSE WHOSE DAD USED 2 WORK W/HIM.
“Holy crap!” Colton’s eyes darted back to Hayley’s.
“No kidding,” she said.
Hayley remembered Starla once saying that Jake was a janitor before he became her mother’s personal handyman.
“What did Jake do with a student?” Colton asked.
“I have no idea,” she said.
“Something disgusting, probably. Guy’s a total creep.”
“I’m going to find out what Jake did,” Hayley said. “Google the number for the Bellevue School District.”
Bellevue was a suburb east of Seattle that was known for its gargantuan mall and an endless stream of luxury cars. It was also Jake’s home before he slithered over to Port Gamble.
“Done,” Colton said, pulling it up on his phone. “But they can’t tell you anything about a fired employee.”
Hayley dialed the number and was quickly routed through to the human resources department. A woman with a chirpy voice who identified herself as Karen took the call.
“My name is Brenda Monson,” Hayley said, turning away from the din of the restaurant and facing the mill through the window. “I’m doing an employment backgrounder on a former district employee.”
“Name?”
“Jake Damon, D-A-M-O-N.”
“Hold on,” Karen said, typing his name into a computer. “Yes, he worked here.”
So far so good.
“Can you tell me the circumstances of his departure?”
“I’m sorry, we’re not able to do so. District policy. What company did you say you were with?”
“I didn’t,” she said, looking out over whitecapped Port Gamble Bay. “Wind over Water. We’re a small company providing educational services to disadvantaged kids in North Kitsap.”
Colton smiled. Disadvantaged kids was a nice touch.
“Pretty over there,” the HR representative said, her voice trailing off a little.
“Are you still there?” Hayley asked.
“I’m not supposed to say anything, but …”
“I won’t tell anyone, Karen. It must be important, because you’re hesitating.”
Karen let out a sigh. “I could lose my job, but I’m sick of how our policies protect the worst among us.” She paused before continuing. “His e-file says something about being let go for an inappropriate relationship.”
That was all Hayley needed to hear. She thanked her and ended the call.
“He was fixated on Katelyn,” Hayley said.
Colton had a worried look on his face. “Enough to kill her?” he asked.
Hayley wasn’t sure. “Let’s find out,” she said.
WHEN SHE GOT HOME LATER, Hayley made a beeline for her sister’s room with the information she and Colton had learned about Jake. Taylor was lying on her bed with a book.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Taylor said, pulling out her iPod’s earbuds with a single yank.
“I am definitely not kidding.”
“How could you?”
Hayley knew that her sister wasn’t referring to the fact that she’d uncovered vital info: that Jake had been run out of his last job. No, it was because she’d uncovered it with Colton.
Taylor didn’t hide her emotions well. She probably couldn’t even if she really tried. “Why are you doing this? Leaving me out?”
Hayley sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m not leaving you out of anything. You’re being way too sensitive here.”
Taylor pushed her sister away. “Great. Now, you’re making me feel like a freak because I’m angry at you. No one can get mad at Hayley. Always so perfect.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Hayley said. “You’re being stupid.”
“Stupid? That’s great. Thanks for that, too.”
“You know what I mean.”
Taylor shook her head. “I’m just sick of Colton and you, that’s all. I’ll get over it. I guess.” She crossed her arms over her chest, holding in the feelings that were making her hurt, mad, embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, Tay.”
“Forget it,” she said. “Forget it for now. Let’s concentrate on Katelyn and who’s responsible for her death. I might be mad at you and Colton right now, but it’s nothing compared to how I feel about that jerk Jake Damon.”
HAYLEY AND TAYLOR KNEW THEY HAD TO DO something. They just weren’t sure what or how they should do it. They found their dad in his office in front of his computer. He took off his glasses and swiveled around in his chair to face them.
“I know that look. You two look like you’ve got something to say,” he said.
Of course he knew it. It was the look of any teenage girl (in this case, times two) with something BIG to tell. In that split second before either spoke, Kevin Ryan hoped whatever it was wasn’t that big.
With Hayley looking on, Taylor said, “Dad, we think that Jake was stalking Katelyn.”
Kevin looked confused. “Jake? Mindee’s Jake?”