“Angie,” Robert coaxed, “what did Kelly tell you about her boyfriend? Did he buy her lots of gifts? Did she tell you what they did?”
“Yes, she told me what they did.” Her head came up, and she gave an expression like she’d smelled something rotten. “I told her it was disgusting. She said she thought so too at first, but it was nice later. She said he kissed really good and what he did to her made her body explode with a feeling she couldn’t describe except wonderful. I thought she was making it up. I hurt.”
“You hurt?”
“Roy must have done to me what Kelly was doing, but it hurt the next day. I hurt so bad I didn’t want to walk.”
Robert froze for a moment, his pen scratched across the paper. She was raped and probably by more than one guy. The paper tore, and Angie opened her eyes. Barbara gave him a little shake of her head. Robert schooled his expression to one of mild interest and a feigned smile.
“So, Kelly didn’t talk to you about the boys or the parties after that?”
“No, she told me she couldn’t meet me because she was going to the park. She went there a lot.”
“What park?”
“Rose City Park.”
“How did you know she was meeting someone there?” Barbara asked.
“She showed me more charms and an ankle bracelet he gave her. She said he told her he was going to marry her as soon as she was sixteen. They could run to Las Vegas, and one of his dad’s friends would get them a special license to be married, and her parents couldn’t do a thing about it. Then she got pregnant.”
“Angie, how did she know she was pregnant?” Barbara let her arm slide away from Angie’s shoulder, but she remained at her side.
“She was sick with the flu for almost a week. I called her every day. Her mother wouldn’t let me go see her, in case I got the same thing. She told me she had to go to the doctor before she could come back to school.”
She stopped and cocked her head as if she were listening then leaned forward to whisper. “After about five days of the flu, she called me and was whispering. ‘Angie, I think I’m preggy.’ I didn’t know what she said at first. I asked her what she meant. She said her mother started asking her all kinds of questions about boys and shaking her head. Then she got mad at Kelly and said she was going to take her to the doctor to find out for sure if she had been with a boy.”
Robert looked at Barbara, and she raised her eyebrows. “Did they go to their doctor?” she asked.
“Kelly said they went to a doctor in Vancouver. They wouldn’t know right away. They had to wait for the rabbit to die.” She looked at Barbara. “What’s a rabbit test?”
Barbara smiled, and so did Robert. Barbara answered, “Its a test they give to rabbits. If the rabbits change, then they know the woman is pregnant,”
“Oh,” she answered with a confused expression.
“Anyway, “Angie warmed to her story, “Kelly called me and said she’d be back in school. I was to meet her in the bathroom during first period. When I got there, she’d been crying. ‘I can’t stop crying,’ she said. ‘I don’t know why.’ I didn’t either. She told me the rabbit died, and she was pregnant. He father was so mad, he hit her with a belt. She held her dress up, and I saw the bruises on her legs. She said she had to tell him who it was, or he might have killed her.” Tears began flowing again. “She wouldn’t tell me who it was.”
“You still don’t know?” Robert pressed. “She never slipped and mentioned his name or something about his family?”
“She said he had a sister she really liked. His sister was almost as good a friend as I was. Are we done? I’m getting tired.”
“One last question, and I’m sorry to have to ask you this. Angie, are you pregnant?”
She looked at him and shook her head. “No, thank goodness. You aren’t going to tell all this to my parents, are you?”
“Not unless you say I can. Angie, I think your mother should know.”
Angie shook her head. “Maybe someday.” She stood up. “I’ll get my mom.” She left the room, moving toward the kitchen.
Robert packed up the recorder. Mrs. Davis joined them. “Mr. Collins, you got what you needed.” It was more a statement than a question.
“Yes, I have more questions, but not with Angie.” He smiled and hoped she took it as a joke
She nodded and looked at Barbara, who gave her an encouraging smile.
“Can I know what this is all about? What does it have to do with Angie? Is she in some kind of trouble?”
“She was Kelly’s closest friend. I had lots of questions about Kelly. You said she wasn’t a fastidious girl, yet her room showed that not to be true. Everything in it was overly organized. I needed to find out which persona was the real Kelly.”
“They were inseparable until just before the Stevens disappeared. I asked Angie about it, but all she said was Kelly was busy with her family. She wouldn’t talk about it. I put it down to a friendly spat. I think she wishes they’d made up sooner.” Her eyes turned to the stairs Angie had ascended.
“Give her some time. I can’t tell you anything right now. I suggest you keep an open mind and be ready when she is ready. Don’t judge, accept. Thank you for the coffee and cookies and for allowing me, us, to speak with Angie alone. I know it’s hard to let go when they’re young, but it was good for her to talk.” He picked up the recorder, briefcase, and they walked to the door. “Goodbye, Mrs. Davis.”
When they got to the car, Robert opened Barbara’s door and waited until she was seated and shut it. He walked to the trunk to put the recorder inside. He felt an itch and looked up to see Angie standing at the window, probably in her room. He smiled and gave her a nod before getting inside the cruiser.
“Whew!” Barbara laid her head back against the seat. “What a story. What are we going to do with that tape?” She turned to look at him.
He could see her in his peripheral vision as he made his way to Sandy Boulevard and turned left toward the station. “That tape is not going to be evidence.”
She sat straight up and turned her body toward him. “What?!” He eyes widened, and she continued to look at him for an answer.
“Think about it. If we were to put this into evidence, everyone would have access to it, and it might disappear anyway. I don’t trust the cops around here or the guy in charge of evidence. Money still talks.”
She sagged back in the seat. “You’re right.”
Chapter 18
Ask her! Robert’s inner voice screamed at him. He’d been ignoring it for the better part of a few days. Ask her! Robert gripped the wheel, and his knuckles turned white. What if she told him—”
“You might as well get it over with.” Barbara’s voice broke into his thoughts.
“What?” he asked, surprised at her interruption. He stared at the street as the car made its way toward the station.
“Whatever’s been bothering you all day today. Do you need to talk about it? Can I help?” Her voice sounded firm and compassionate.
He took a deep breath and let it out in a loud exhalation. How did he start this conversation without sounding like a petulant child? He let out the breath. “I drove by your apartment building the other day. I saw you kiss a man.” He sucked in a lifesaving gasp of air.
There was silence. It lasted longer than a few seconds. Robert started to say something, but she held up her hand; he saw it in his peripheral vision. “Were you spying on me?”
Robert felt the heat move from his chest to his ears. They tingled. He stretched his fingers on the steering wheel, loosening their grip. “No. I did make a detour to drive by your building. Is that a crime?” He tried to make his lips form a smile. They weren’t cooperating much.