Her Last Day (Jessie Cole #1)(59)

“Mind if I come in?”

John scratched the salt-and-pepper scruff covering his chin before gesturing inside. “Come on. Make yourself at home.”

Ben followed him through the small living area, where piles of newspapers and tech publications were stacked high against one of the walls. On the TV screen was a grid-shaped maze, a giant game that had been paused. A remote rested on the recliner in front of the big-screen TV. When they reached the kitchen. John opened two cans of beer and handed him one. “So what brings you here on a Sunday, my day of rest?” he asked with a chuckle.

Ben took a swallow. It tasted better than he’d expected, soothing his parched throat. “I’m hoping you can help me with something.”

“What sort of something?”

“I’m investigating the disappearance of a woman who went missing ten years ago. There’s not a lot to go by, since she didn’t seem to have many friends. But there’s a yearbook that points to a woman named Juliette Farris. I was hoping you could unlock the universe to her social-media life.”

John frowned. “I’m offended.”

“Why?”

“That’s for babies. But come on,” he said with a wave of his hand toward the living room. “Let’s see what we can do.”

“Looks like you’ve been keeping busy,” Ben said after John grabbed his laptop and took a seat in his recliner.

“Don’t be a smart-ass. Most people want to travel when they retire, but not me. For thirty-five years I couldn’t wait to sit in my favorite chair and play games. Not just any game, either. Right now I’m playing The Witness. Took six years to develop at a cost of more than five million dollars. If I wanted to waste my time, I would go on because it would blow your mind, but enough about me.”

Ben smiled. “It’s good to see you doing what you love. You’ve earned it.”

“Damn straight.”

It didn’t take long for his computer to light up. He punched away at the keys and said, “Juliette Farris? Was that the name?”

“That’s right.”

“Thirty years of age? McClatchy High School?”

Ben set his beer down and came to his side to take a look. “That was quick, but that’s definitely her. What I need to know is whether or not she hung out with Sophie Cole. Juliette wrote a note in Sophie’s yearbook. It’s not much, but it’s all I’ve got. I have an appointment to talk to her later on today. I need to know if there’s anything—”

“Jackpot!” John turned the laptop so Ben could have a look.

“What site is that?”

“You knew what it was before the accident messed up your brain,” John said. “It’s called Myspace, a social-networking website that was founded in 2003. In 2008 it was overtaken by Facebook in sheer number of unique visitors. Here, take a look. Read the profile, group photos, blogs, et cetera, and you’ll see both girls’ names mentioned in the captions. My guess is they were good friends, indeed.”

Ben took the laptop to another chair and scrolled through the images. John wasn’t kidding. He’d hit the jackpot. “You’re a genius.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I could kiss you right now.”

John gave him a worried look.

“Kidding.”

“Not funny.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have a printer, would you?”

“I hope that’s another stupid joke.”

“Yeah,” Ben said. “Can I use it?”

“Help yourself. Down the hall. First room to the right.”

Ben took the computer that way. Behind him he could hear John clacking away, playing his mind-blowing game.

An hour later, Ben was in Elk Grove, knocking on the front door of a one-story house that belonged to the parents of Juliette Farris.

Prior to his visit with John Hardcastle, he’d used his own sources to find out what he could about the woman. The yearbook pictures had shown her to be tall and vivacious. Yesterday he’d made dozens of phone calls until he finally reached Juliette. Although it took some prodding, she had agreed to meet with him at her parents’ house. He didn’t know whether she lived with her parents on a permanent basis, but at this point in his investigation, he didn’t care one way or another. He wanted to have a chat with her.

When he saw Juliette in the flesh, he couldn’t hide his surprise. She looked nothing like the pictures he’d seen in the yearbook. She wore a bright-red head covering. Her face was thin, and once-lively eyes were now buried in deep sockets. The dark lipstick accentuated the lines around her mouth, and she reeked of stale tobacco. Juliette was thirty, yet she looked twenty years older than that, battle worn and wary.

“I’m Juliette,” she said as she gestured for him to come inside, and then promptly closed the door behind him. He followed her to the kitchen, where she motioned for him to take a seat on one of three stools lined up at the kitchen counter.

“My parents should be gone for another hour. I prefer not to talk about any of this in front of them, so let’s get to it.” She grabbed a glass from the cupboard, filled it with water from the tap, and slid it across the counter in front of him. Unidentified particles floated to the top.

Ignoring the glass of water and pretending not to notice the mouse that skittered across the kitchen floor and disappeared beneath the refrigerator, he pulled out his notebook and pen. “So, I’ve been told you were one of Sophie Cole’s closest friends.”