Chapters (95)
- Front Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Video #1
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Video #2
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Video #3
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- The Final Video
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Back Cover
His words sting a little. Does he think of me as just a student? I’ve always thought we were more than that, that he saw me and Chloe as not just typical kids, not simply two of the thousands who will pass through his classes during his career in Bentley.
“I really want to get an answer to her disappearance soon. I want someone to admit to something. Or come forward with a key piece of information.”
“And it might be me,” he says.
“What do you mean?”
“I might be the one to reveal something to you.” He taps on the window again. “Right over there, outside the gymnasium. I saw you and Chloe leaving the dance that night. And I have to say neither of you looked very pleased.”
Thirty-Four
“What do you mean?” I ask.
The air in the car starts to feel close and confining despite the cool temperatures outside. I crack the window a little.
“You really don’t recall?” Ron asks, cocking his head.
“Apparently not.”
“Well, I’m afraid for how it makes you look. To the police.”
“I’m afraid, too. What if something happened that I don’t remember? What if I did something? What if my brain is hurt, and I’m never normal?”
“Yes,” he says, rubbing his chin again.
The outside air from the cracked window brings no relief. It’s like I’ve slipped underwater. “What did you see?”
Ron seems to be choosing his words carefully. He opens his mouth and then closes it before finally speaking. “You approached me during the dance. You’ll recall I had the supreme honor of being one of the chaperones. You know I hate doing that job—having to monitor the restrooms and make sure no has snuck in a bottle or a flask or a joint. Who cares? You’re kids. But, sadly, it’s part of my duties. Anyway, I was on patrol that night, when you approached me in the hallway and told me you needed to talk to me.”
“Was I upset? Scared?”
“Angry I would say. Very angry. Not like I’ve ever seen you before. I explained that I had to make one additional circuit of the dance, and then we could meet in the parking lot to talk if you wanted. You agreed. In fact, you said that would be perfect. So I executed my rounds and then made my way outside, expecting to find you. Instead…”
“What?”
“Well, the fact is you weren’t there. I waited for you, only too happy to have a reprieve from chaperoning. It was a lovely evening, lots of stars. I enjoyed the break immensely.”
“But what did you see?”