Page 39 of Holmes, Margaret and Poe

“Good,” Jannie said.

“How’s the life of a college freshman?”

Her stepdaughter shrugged. “Not as much fun as it shouldbe. But I am learning a lot, and I’ve made friends with kids on the team.”

“And you get to sleep and do your laundry at home,” Bree said.

“That too,” Jannie said, glancing at her watch.

“Who’s the third coffee for?” Bree asked.

Jannie hesitated. “I think she kind of wanted to talk to you anonymously at first. Get your advice on what she should do.”

“Fair enough,” Bree said and sat next to her stepdaughter. “Picked a major yet?”

“I like understanding how the body works at peak performance,” she said. “Physiology, you know? I could see myself coaching or becoming a physical therapist.”

“I could see that too. Any guys in your world?”

Jannie shrugged and smiled. “Maybe.”

Bree smiled back. “Maybe?”

“Maybe,” Jannie said and laughed. “I’ll let you know.”

“I should hope so,” Bree said.

They chatted about the AA 839 investigation and how it was likely to consume Alex’s life for some time to come. Bree told her she was trying to determine if one of the passengers on the flight was a woman who’d gone missing the week before.

Another ten minutes passed.

“Maybe I should text her,” Jannie said. “She’s usually right on time.”

“Do that.”

Jannie thumbed a text and hit Send. They waited.

“Did she say she was driving straight in from school?” Bree asked.

“No, she came down from Paxson yesterday and rented an Airbnb near George Mason. She said she was going for a lightrun in some park near where she’s staying, then she would take a shower and come straight over. She should be here by now.”

“Call,” Bree said.

Nodding, Jannie hit Call and put her phone to her ear. Bree could make out a woman’s muffled voice and then a beep.

“Hey, it’s Jannie. My stepmom is with me and we’re waiting. Call me.”

Jannie tried twice more in the following fifteen minutes and texted three times. None of the calls or texts were returned. Then she began reaching out to mutual friends. In the next twenty minutes, she spoke to seven different people, and they all said they had not seen or heard from Jannie’s friend, although they’d tried to reach her by text and phone.

“This isn’t like her,” Jannie said. “I mean, really not like her. She’s —”

“Give me her name,” Bree said impatiently. “And I think it’s time you tell me what’s happening to her and why she wants to talk to me.”

CHAPTER 37

CAPTAIN DAVIS HAD UNLOCKEDthe front door of his house and sped off in his Mercedes.

“What’s his play?” Mahoney said. “Letting us go through the house because he’s got his toys and stuff stashed elsewhere?”

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