“I do. I remember that her relationship with Lana could be rocky at times. I thought she must not have a good home life because she often acted out. She was very attention-seeking and my Lana, back then, was too nice for her own good.”
“Did you know Beverly’s mom?” Josie asked. “Or ever have occasion to talk to her?”
Paige set mugs and spoons in front of them, along with a bowl of sugar and a small carton of milk. As they each prepared their coffee, she took a moment to think about it and then shook her head. “No. I didn’t. I thought about it sometimes. Beverly could be cruel toward Lana, but then they always worked it out. Then Beverly moved away, and it was no longer an issue.”
A ding sounded from Paige’s laptop. Josie and Gretchen sipped their coffee and waited while Paige and Lana connected and chatted briefly. Then Paige explained that the police were there and why. They heard Lana’s voice. “Oh my God. Poor Beverly. They’re there right now? I’ll talk to them.”
Josie and Gretchen stood and crammed into the frame behind Paige. They could see themselves in a small box on the top right-hand corner of the screen. Lana appeared in a box that filled the center of the screen. Her curly blonde hair was tied back in a messy ponytail. Her skin was sunburned, peeling along her nose. She wore a faded gray Doctors Without Borders T-shirt. It looked as though she was inside a drab green tent. Josie made introductions. It took longer than expected as every so often, the screen froze and their words were lost. Josie felt frustration mount inside her, but she stayed calm and focused. Finally, they got to their questions.
Gretchen said, “Lana, we understand you were good friends with Beverly. We have reports that she wasn’t seen by anyone close to her after your junior year of high school ended. Was that the last time you talked with her?”
“The last time I talked to her was about a week after school ended. We hung out at my house. She slept over. She went home in the morning, and I never heard from her again.”
Josie asked, “Did you go to her house? Call around? Try to find out where she went?”
“Of course,” Lana said. “No one was there. No one else had seen her. We knew she was moving so I just assumed that’s what happened. They moved away.”
The screen went haywire for a moment. Where Lana had been was just a mess of lines. They waited as it snapped back. Gretchen said, “We spoke with Kelly Ogden earlier today. She told us that there were several males that Beverly was interested in at the end of your junior year in high school.”
“That’s right,” Lana said.
Josie jumped in. “Kelly said there were four. Does that sound right to you?”
“Yes.”
“Was one of them Ray Quinn?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember me?”
Lana leaned in, her eyes and forehead taking up most of the picture. “Yes, I remember you. Honestly, I don’t know that anything was going on between her and Ray. She said there was, but I’m not sure. I didn’t really believe it. I think she wanted something to happen with Ray, but he wasn’t interested.”
Gretchen asked, “Was one of the guys she liked a man who was doing construction work at her house?”
Lana sat back in her chair and scratched at the loose skin on her nose. “Yes. I do remember that. He was older. She really liked him. He did seem interested in her. I was at her house once when they were flirting. I don’t remember his name though.”
“Do you know who the other two men were?” Josie asked.
“No. Beverly was secretive about them. That’s why Kelly and I weren’t sure how much of what she was telling us was true. I can tell you this, though. She was only sleeping with one of the guys she was into. She made it sound like she was some kind of irresistible seductress, as though men couldn’t control themselves around her, but she was actually only intimate with one guy. That’s what she told me anyway. I’m not sure which guy that was, but I do know he had a tattoo.” Lana laughed. “For some reason, she thought a guy with a tattoo was so… grown-up. Sexy.”
Gretchen said, “Yeah, that’s what Kelly told us. Do you know kind of tattoo this guy had?”