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He uses was!
“I notice you used the past tense, Mr. Goolsbee. ‘She could have been a star.’ She still could be a star if we find her, unless you know something different?”
“Did you two ever spend time alone outside lessons?”
“Occasionally. She needed a mentor, someone she could confide in. I tried to provide that guidance.”
“So you filled an almost paternal role...
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Something dark crosses hi...
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“I…suppose you could say that. I wanted what wa...
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“Mr. Goolsbee, did you have romantic feelings for Mia?”
His reaction is instantaneous. He leaps up from the piano bench so quickly it clatters to the floor behind him. The tree has definitely been shaken.
“How dare you!” he says, face purpling. “I cared deeply for that girl, but only as a teacher, a...
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“Please, sit back down. I had to ask. I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m just doing my job.”
“Offense taken. Who do you think you are? You don’t know the first
thing about Mia, about this place. About what goes on here. You’re just another private investigator. The fifth one, by my count. And none of you h...
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“I’m sorry. Now please sit down. If you help me, maybe we can brin...
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“I understand you were in charge of bed check on Mia’s hall. Is that correct?”
“Yes. I was filling in for Ms. Barreto.”
“When you checked on her and Penny the night she went missing, they were both in their room?”
“Yes. I checked on them at ten p.m., and both gir...
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“You’re positive? There’s no way that she pulled the old two-pillows-u...
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“No, there’s no chance. I’ve been at this a long time, and I’ve seen every trick in the book.
Both girls were in bed and said good night. I’m certain. Whoever took her took her after I left.”
“Mr. Goolsbee, do you have any idea what happened to Mia that night? Any suspicions at all?”
“Sorry to interrupt, but, Hazel, it’s time for you to meet with Dr. Mackenzie. He’s on a tight schedule, so I don’t want you to be late.”
“No, it’s nothing. She sang like an angel, then disappeared. That’s all I know.”
He knows more than he’s letting on. I can feel it.
It’s one step away from One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
A raven sits on a tree outside the room like a sentry.
This place feels less like a children’s home and more like a prison.
“This is a Saint Agnes room,” he says. “Order, cleanliness, modesty. As I told you, Mia was a model student. Her closet and bed are on the left.”
There’s something sadistic about him, taking such pleasure in the lack of joy.
more. I open her roommate Penny’s closet for comparison. It’s bursting with clothes packed so
tight you can barely move the hangers in any direction.
I peer inside the bag but find only a few items: some lotion, a few hair clips, and scrunchies. No toothbrush. No toothpaste. No deodorant. All the essentials are missing. I snap back to Mackenzie.
“Do you know if the police took Mia’s personal items into evidence?”
“I’m sure I don’t. That would be another question for the police.”
“Was an Amber Alert issued once it was determined she was missing?”
“No. The police felt that there was insufficient evidence that Mia has been abducted to justify an Amber Alert.”
I’m reminded of what my old boss, Perry, used to say: “If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know it had some help.” I can’t fight the feeling that the police were probably right. When Mia left, wherever she was going, she knew she was going there for good, and she likely had help.
“Was Mia’s bed made the morning she went missing?”
“Yes. I would notice if one of our girls had failed to make their bed.”
I let out a breath. It’s still early, but wherever Mia went, she seems to have gone willingly.
“Look around you.” He waves his long thin arm at the buildings, the grounds, and the lake. “Where do you think you are?”
“A children’s home?”
“A church, Ms. Cho. A church. This is a church of shelter, learning, and growth.
“One last question, Dr. Mackenzie.” I emphasize the word doctor. “What do you think happened to Mia?”
Mackenzie looks at me matter-of-factly and says, “I think she ran away.” His face is rock.
He’s hiding something.
“Does Saint Agnes have a boat?”
“No. I have a boat back home that Dr. Mackenzie lets me take out sometimes, but Saint Agnes? No.”
“Are these marks from your boat?”
