Page 69 of It's One of Us
Darby relaxes a fraction. She still has a bad feeling about all of this. “My darling, something you need to realize is people can misrepresent themselves, especially if they’re trying to fit in.”
“You don’t understand. Why can’t you trust me, for once?”
Because you’re sixteen and too damn precocious and I want to keep you swaddled next to me forever.
Darby closes her eyes and counts to three. “I do trust you, baby. The news isn’t on for a while. We have plenty of time. Let’s make dinner. What do you want? Anything goes.”
“Anything?”
“Within reason.” Darby smiles. Concessions are rare in their world. She hopes Scarlett recognizes this isn’t the new normal.
Scarlett’s eyes twinkle. “Pizza. That cauliflower crust one from Costco. With mushrooms.”
Pizza is reserved for Friday nights, so this is special. Darby is just glad she didn’t ask for some sort of complicated dish that would take an hour to put together. She is so tired.
“Done. Why don’t you do your homework and I’ll call you when it’s ready. And Scarlett? No Discord. No Halves. Not until we know what’s happening. Got me?”
Her lovely daughter casts her eyes to the floor and nods. She starts toward the stairs, but Darby calls, “Have you checked online to see if the sketch has been released yet?”
Scarlett whips out her phone and her thumbs fly. “No. Nothing yet. Though...they identified the other woman who’s gone missing. Her name is Jillian Kemp. God, this is so scary.”
Oh my God.
Scarlett is looking at her. “Mom? Are you okay?”
“Hold on, Scarlett.” Darby slaps open her laptop and goes to the news website. The headline screams:
Another Nashville Woman Missing
Darby reads the article in disbelief, then opens her private group for the first time in days to see a hundred new entries and multiple private messages. While she wrestled with her conscience, the decisions were being made for her.
Moderator:It has been decided by a nearly unanimous vote to make the police aware of Beverly Cooke’s involvement in the group. We can’t have Jillian end up like Beverly. I have alerted Metro Nashville police to the possible connection. Please cooperate with the investigation if detectives contact you. If you have any information that could lead to finding Jillian Kemp, please get in touch with Metro Nashville detectives immediately. No tip is too small.
A string of phone numbers and emails follows the entry.
Darby shuts the laptop.
Is someone preying on their private Facebook group?
Oh, come on. That’s ridiculous. It has to be a fluke.
“Mom?”
“Yes, honey.”
“Did you hear me? I’m freaking out here.”
“I heard you. This is very scary, I agree. Come here.” She gives Scarlett a long hug. “We’re going to be okay, you understand? I won’t let anything happen to you. Not now, not ever. But I do need to talk to you about something important.”
“If this is about the argument we had... I said I was sorry.”
“You did? I must have missed that.”
Scarlett blushes.
“I appreciate the apology. It’s not about our disagreement. Well, it is, but in a tangential way.”
“Twenty-five-cent word, Mom.”
