to stop. Hattie hasn’t talked to me since she warned me to stay away from Janice, so this should be interesting. There’s a hint of desperation in her eyes and I know exactly what this conversation is going to be about as I slow down in front of her.
“Dani, have you seen Janice?” she asks. Her eyes never leave mine.
I feel the truth creeping up my throat and about to exit my mouth, but I swallow hard, not allowing it to. I can’t confess that I took Janice to a party and that she might be over at a boy’s house as we speak.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Oliver, but I haven’t,” I reply, but feel like the worst person ever right after. But should I, though? Janice clearly wanted to get out of the house and have a good time because her mom has been such a nightmare to live with. Plus, it wasn’t like Hattie was that nice to me the last time we actually spoke.
The expression on her face worsens and it breaks my heart, even though there’s still a twinge of happiness for Janice being able to get away from her.
“Well, if you do see her, could you please tell her to come home right away? She’s been gone since last night, and this is just so unlike her,” she says while wringing her hands.
“I will, Mrs. Oliver.”
“Thank you,” she replies, patting my arm that’s resting on the frame of the car door.
I watch as she makes her way back to the front porch and takes a seat in the old-fashioned white rocking chair that sits there.
“Don’t worry. Janice will be home soon,” I say under my breath, though I’m not sure I’m convincing her…or myself.
Chapter Nine
I finally feel clean after my much-needed second shower. Though Parker did wash my costume, it still reeked of vomit, which had me gagging every time I got a whiff of it. Speaking of Parker, he’s the last thing on my mind as I sit here on the window seat, staring out at Janice’s window. I’ve still yet to see the light come on in her room, and it’s starting to get late.
It’s been several hours since I last talked to my dad, and the fact that he hasn’t come home yet has me worried. I really hope Janice is okay.
I look down at the walkie-talkie in my hand and then back across the side yard. Pressing the button, I say, “Janice? Are you there?” I get no response.
A knock sounds at my bedroom door.
“Come in,” I say, knowing full well it’s my father on the other side. I’m not looking forward to this conversation at all.
The door opens and he stands there with a bewildered look on his face. He doesn’t come into the room, but just looks at me, as though he doesn’t know how to say what he’s about to.
“Dani, we need to talk,” he stammers, looking down at the ground and then back at me.
“About what?” I reply. I’m still a little pissed by the way he treated me earlier, though I hope he has some good news about Janice.
He takes a seat on the edge of my bed, facing me. “What were you doing at that party?”
“I was invited by Gunnar, so I went,” I state. “So, did you get Janice back to the safety of her crazy mother?”
He exhales heavily. “No. In fact, when Janice wasn’t with the Benson boy, we took him in for questioning based on your statement.”
“Wait, what? You took Gunnar to the station? And Janice wasn’t with him?” He shakes his head. “Did he say anything?”
“I can’t tell you, and you know that.”
“Come on. If it involves my friends, I want to know.”
“This may actually become a full-fledged missing person’s case, and there’s a procedure I have to follow, regardless of whether they’re your friends,” he replies.
“She can’t be missing,” I say.
“Technically, she isn’t yet, but if we don’t find any trace of her soon…well, you know the rest.” He places his hand on my shoulder as he stands up.
When I look up at him, we share worried expressions. “If she’s gone, it’s all my fault,” I say, dodging his stare.
“Don’t blame yourself, Dani. It’s not like you forced her to go with you, right?”
“No, I didn’t force her, but I did do pretty much everything else.”
He sighs. “Do you have any idea where she could be? Or who she might be with?”
“I have no idea,” I reply, a hopeless feeling coming