but gave them straightforward answers to their questions. Unfortunately, he was clueless. He’d known Cameron’s dad longer than anybody, but didn’t have the first idea of where he might have gone. Lily was trying to act brave, but Cameron could tell she was freaking. Behind her thick-lensed glasses, her eyes seemed too bright, as though she had a fever. She’d bitten off the fingernails of one hand and would probably start on the other when no one was looking.
As for Cameron, he was pretty ticked off by the whole situation. It was probably nothing, just a stupid mix-up. It wouldn’t be the first time his parents caused some big idiotic mess, getting everyone all freaked for nothing. They’d been doing it for years. Just because they were divorced didn’t mean they’d stop.
“So they left the school at three-forty-five,” said Officer Vessey, the guy with the Blackberry.
Lily nodded, her brown ponytail bouncing like a cheerleader’s. “Yes. I went to the faculty lounge to talk with my school principal, and I looked at the clock that hangs over the coffeemaker. It was three-forty-five.”
“Do either Mr. Holloway or his ex-wife suffer from any incapacitating medical condition?”
Everyone looked blank. Officer Franklin said, “Sometimes that accounts for a disappearance.”
“They’re both fine,” Cameron said, and it came out sounding belligerent. Too bad, he thought.
Sean said, “You already have that information.”
“Miss Robinson, did you see them leave together?” asked Officer Franklin, unfazed.
Lily took a sip of her herbal tea. Mom always kept a box of assorted weird tea on hand for her. Lily was a health nut, and chamomile tea was probably the strongest thing she ever put into her body. No wonder she bit off all her fingernails.
“They left my classroom together,” Lily said. “They walked out of the building at the same time. I didn’t actually see them get into Derek’s car together.”
“Would it have surprised you, seeing them drive off together?”
Lily didn’t like the question. Cameron could tell by the way she shifted in her seat.
“I suppose. But maybe not. They both take very laudable interest in their children. Now that we know Crystal’s car had a dead battery, we know why they drove off in the SUV. It makes perfect sense.”
“And what was their state of mind? Can you describe that to us?”
Lily flicked a quick glance at Cameron. He put on a bored expression, like he didn’t give a crap.
“Well, as I said before, it wasn’t a happy meeting. Their daughter Charlene has been struggling in school.”
Like that was a surprise, thought Cameron.
“Were they contentious at the meeting?”
Lily lifted her hand to chew on her nail, then seemed to think better of it and tucked it under her leg. “I wouldn’t say ‘contentious.’ Strained, maybe. Listen, if you’re trying to figure out if they were apt to harm each other—physically—the answer is no. Absolutely not.”
“You’re sure of that.”
It was creepy as hell, Cameron thought, the way these cops assumed the worst of his parents. It must be such a drag, being a cop. You had to deal with people at the worst moments of their lives, and you never got to see their good side.
“As sure as I can be,” Lily said. “I told you, I’ve known Crystal since she was thirteen and I was eight. We’re as close as sisters, maybe closer. I’m her children’s godmother and she is a gentle, loving, reasonable person.”
Cameron sensed his uncle’s skepticism. He didn’t exactly roll his eyes but shifted in his chair and let out a restless sigh. He tried as hard as he could to feel absolutely nothing, just a cool sense of wait-and-see. It was getting tougher by the minute, though. He was starting to wish he hadn’t eaten so much pizza earlier. The way his stomach felt, it was threatening to make an encore appearance.
The cops stayed focused on Lily, like maybe she was holding something back. “Miss Robinson, how long have you known Derek Holloway?”
“Since they got engaged about seventeen years ago. I can’t say I was ever close to him, and since the divorce, I’ve only seen him in my role as Charlie’s teacher.”
“What was your opinion of him?”
Go ahead and say it, Cameron thought. You hated his guts.
“He adores his children,” Lily said. “I don’t believe he would ever harm Crystal.”
“And you have no idea where they might be right now.”
“None,” said Lily. “It’s completely unlike Crystal to fail to come home to her kids.” There was a hitch in Lily’s voice, and the sound of it stabbed