“I don’t know what to say. I told the sheriff’s deputies, but they acted like they didn’t want to hear. By then they were busy quizzing Foley about where he was on Saturday night. I didn’t want to make a big deal of it. I figured since she hadn’t mentioned it, she didn’t want anyone to know.”
“But you had to think someone would have been in touch with the authorities once word got out that she was considered a missing person. Surely someone could have contacted the police without compromising her safety.”
“Exactly, but the papers ran the story twice and no one came forward, so then I figured I must have made a mistake. She might have left town instead.”
“And that’s what you told them?”
“Well, no. I got worried that if they thought she’d run off, they’d put up road blocks or something.”
“What for? She was an adult. If she left of her own accord, they’d have no right to interfere. Cops aren’t in the business of chasing runaway spouses, assuming that’s what she did.” I was trying not to sound accusatory. She’d been fourteen years old and the account she was giving me was her adolescent reasoning, untempered by later maturity or insight.
“Oh. I guess what you’re saying makes sense, but I didn’t understand it at the time. Foley was a basket case by then, and I didn’t want him hearing about it either, for fear he’d go after her.”
“But this was what, five or six days later? She could have been in Canada by then.”
“Exactly. I thought the bigger head start she had, the safer she’d be.”
Inwardly I was rolling my eyes. “It didn’t bother you that your silence left Foley on the hot seat?”
“He put himself there. I didn’t do anything to him.”
“He’s always maintained she ran off. You could have backed him up.”
“Why would I help him? He beat her up for years and no one ever said a word. She finally got away from him and good for her. He could stew in his own juices as far as I was concerned. I wasn’t going to lift a hand.”
“I’m curious why you’d tell me when you never mentioned it before. Reporters must have asked.”
“I wasn’t under any obligation to them. For one thing, I don’t like journalists. What do they call themselves… ‘investigative reporters.’ Oh, please. Like they think they’ll get a Pulitzer out of the deal. They’re rude, and half the time they treated me like I was on the witness stand. All they cared about was selling papers and promoting themselves.”
“What about the sheriff’s department? You didn’t think to go back and set the record straight?”
“No way. By then they’d made such a federal case of it I was scared to say a word. I’m willing to admit it now because I’m fond of Daisy and I’m glad she’s doing this.”
I thought about it briefly, wondering how this fit in with what I knew. “Something else came up today. Winston Smith told me he saw her car out on New Cut Road that night. This was sometime before the fireworks ended because he could hear ‘em in the distance. He didn’t see Violet or the dog, but he knew the Bel Air. I can’t understand why she wasn’t gone by then if she’d left the house at six fifteen.”
Liza shook her head. “I can’t help you there. How does that fit in?”
“I have no idea.”
“So why didn’t he bring it up before? You talk about me keeping quiet. He could have said something years ago.”
“He did. He mentioned it to Kathy and she shrugged it off. It was one of those occasions where the longer he kept quiet, the harder it was for him to speak up. If she’d given him any encouragement, he might have passed the information on.”
Liza’s expression held a tinge of distaste. “I’m not sure how much credence you can give him. He and Kathy are having a hard time. He’d probably say anything to make her look bad.”
“Maybe so, but the point is it shores up Foley’s claim.”
“I never said Foley killed her. Just the opposite.”
“But a lot of people thought he did. His life has been ruined. The point is, with the car all the way out there and him at the park, how’s he going to kill her and get away with it?”
“Dumb luck, I guess.”
“I’m serious.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be flippant.”
“Am I overlooking something here?”
Her gaze shifted to the floor and I could see her running the possibilities through her mind. “Not that I believe this, but just for the sake of argument, what if she was already dead by then?”
“That’s not out of the question,” I said. “But if Foley was the one who killed her, how’d he pull it off? He was at the park until the fireworks ended, then he went to the Moon. How’s he going to get out there, get rid of her body, and then dispose of the Bel Air. He doesn’t have transportation because he’s traded in his truck and she’s driving the only car they own.”
“He could have borrowed a car or even stolen one. He drives out and buries her. What’s so hard about that?”
“But then he’s stuck with two cars, the Bel Air and the one he borrowed or stole. You said he came in after midnight, but the timing’s still too tight. What’d he do with her car? If he drove it off a cliff or pushed it down a ravine, he still has to walk back to the stolen-slash-borrowed car, pick that up, and drive home. It’s too elaborate and it’s way too labor intensive. It would have taken him all night.”
I saw a tint of pink rise in her cheeks. She said, “You really don’t even know if she was there. You’re just arguing for the sake of it. She could have abandoned her car and gone off with someone else.”
“Ah. You’re right about that. I like that. But then what? A car thief conveniently arrives and makes off with her Bel Air?”
Liza was getting impatient. “Oh, who knows? I don’t even care by now. I care what happened to her, but not the car.”
“All right. Skip that. Let’s go back to your point and say she ran off with some guy. Any idea who?”
“I never saw her with anyone. Besides, I’m not sure I’d tell you even if I had.”
“You still feel protective?”
“Yes, I guess I do. If there was a guy and they figured out who, it might tip them off to where she went.”
“I thought you said you wanted to help Daisy. If you have any ideas, it’d be nice to hear.”
“I didn’t say that. I said I was glad she was doing this for her sake. It’s not like I’m withholding information. I mean, what if Violet doesn’t want to be found? Shouldn’t she be left in peace?”
“Unfortunately, Daisy’s interests and her mother’s may not coincide.”
“Look, all I know is I don’t like being put in the middle like this. I’ve told you as much as I know. The rest of it is your problem. I hope Daisy gets what she wants, but not at Violet’s expense.”
“Fair enough,” I said. “I guess in the long run, it’s theirs to deal with. I’ll find her if I can. What the two of them do with it is up to them. Daisy’s struggling with the notion of rejection. She doesn’t want to think her mother walked off and left her without a backward glance.”
“Violet wasn’t necessarily rejecting her. Maybe she was saying yes to something else.”
“Bottom line in that case? She put her interests above Daisy’s.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time a woman did that. Sometimes the choices are hard. If she had a guy and he was really good for her, it might have been worth the price. I don’t mean to keep defending her, but the poor woman isn’t here to defend herself.”
“That’s fine. I understand. She meant a lot to you.”
“Correction. Not ‘a lot.’ She meant everything to me.”
“Which puts you and Daisy in the same boat.”
“Not quite. I didn’t think I’d recover, but here I am and life goes on. Daisy should learn to do the same.”
“Maybe she’ll get to that one day, but for now she feels stuck.” There was a momentary pause while I roamed over the stories I’d h eard, looking for something else. I’m sure she was wishing I’d leave her alone. “What happened to your boyfriend?”