Vanishing Girls

Chapter Fifty-One

Josie unfastened her seat belt and turned her whole body toward June, lightly touching her forearm. “June, wake up. We’re here.”

June opened her eyes and looked straight past Josie, watching Carrieann walk toward her door with the wariness of a cat.

“That’s my friend, Carrieann,” Josie said. “June, I have to ask one last time: did you see Isabelle Coleman? Can you tell me anything about where you were held before you came to be with Donald Drummond?”

Carrieann rattled Josie’s door. Josie wanted to keep trying to get more information from her, but it might take forever. Josie didn’t have forever. Especially after what she had just done. With a frustrated sigh, she opened her door and got out.

“How’d it go?” Carrieann asked, glancing behind Josie. “That her?”

“Yeah, that’s her. I shot someone.”

Carrieann kept her eyes on June. “You kill him?”

“No.”

Carrieann shrugged. “No worries, then.”

Josie was trying to decide whether she was joking or not when Carrieann stepped past her and climbed into the cab of the truck. “Name’s Carrieann,” she told June.

The girl stared back, unblinking.

“Where’s Lara?” Josie asked.

“She wouldn’t come with me. I’m going to meet up with her now.”

“Carrieann, thank you for doing this. You don’t have to—she could be dangerous,” Josie said, lowering her voice so June wouldn’t hear.

“You said that earlier,” Carrieann reminded her, matching Josie’s voice with her own whisper. “At the hospital. And I told you I’d do whatever it takes to find out what really happened to my brother. I’m not afraid of that girl.”

“Maybe you should be.”

Carrieann raised a brow. “I can be vigilant without being afraid. You stop worrying now. I’ll handle this.”

“Please be careful,” Josie implored. “Don’t let anyone see her.”

“You got it.” Carrieann gave her one last meaningful look. “I’ll be back in the morning after I get these two stashed away on my farm. Don’t get killed while I’m gone.”

“I’ll try not to.”

Josie watched Carrieann drive off with June until the taillights of her truck disappeared into the night.