Page 34 of Last Girls Alive
“Why did you take the job?” he said.
She shrugged. “Nothing better. Steady paycheck from the state. Plus, it was a place to sleep.”
“Do you remember a teen by the name of Mary Rodriguez?”
Katie watched Shelly closely to see if there were any subtle changes in her posture, any reflexes.
“Of course. She was one of the better ones.”
“Why do you say that?”
“She never gave me any trouble,” she said, carefully moving her fingers through her hair as if she was looking into a mirror.
“What kind of trouble?”
“Not doing chores, mouthing off, or sneaking out to have sex with who knows who. You know, stuff like that.”
“What happened when the girls got into trouble?”
“They got disciplined, of course. Is that what this is all about?”
“No, ma’am. We’re investigating the homicide of Mary Rodriguez. Her body was found last night alongside the creek in Stately Park.” He paused.
“Well… I don’t know anything about that. Don’t get me wrong, that’s terrible, but I knownothingabout it. How could I?” she said and then gestured to her surroundings.
“After the closure of the mansion, had you had any contact with any of the girls?”
“No.” She became agitated and picked at her chewed fingernails.
“Had you heard anything about any of the girls after the closure?”
“I told you no. Nothing. Why would I?”
Ignoring her question, McGaven said, “What about Candace Harlan?”
She stopped fiddling with her hands and looked directly at McGaven. “What about her? She went missing. Actually, she ran away. That’s all I know—never saw her again.”
“Was she one of those troublesome girls?”
Shelly didn’t answer. She went back to fidgeting with her hands and fingers.
“Was she one of those spoiled brats?”
“Why are you harassing me?”
“It’s a simple question, Mrs. McDonald. Was Candace Harlan well behaved?”
“Why do you say that?”
McGaven kept his intensity. “It’s a simple yes or no question. Was Candace Harlan one of those brats?”
“She was…”
“She was what?”
“She was the girl that led the other girls. Know what I mean? The others wanted to be her and wanted to be her best friend.”
“Okay, I can understand that, but—”
