Missing and Endangered (Joanna Brady #19)(98)

“No comment,” Joanna repeated.

“Would it be possible for me to speak to Jenny herself?”

“Not on your life, Marliss. Now, get the hell out of here.”

“You know that someone’s going to have to interview her eventually. Wouldn’t you rather it were a friend?”

“You’re not Jenny’s friend, and you’re not mine either.”

“What about what happened in Sierra Vista yesterday?”

“What about it?”

“Leon Hogan’s widow and her boyfriend were both murdered.”

“The incident at the Nite Owl occurred inside the Sierra Vista city limits. You’ll need to talk to them about that.”

By then Lady and Lucky had finished their business and were ready to go back inside. Joanna was, too, closing the rolling shutters behind her and leaving a frustrated Marliss stranded on the far side. It was a satisfying way to end that first attempted interview, but Joanna knew it was only the beginning of the media onslaught. Most of the calls that day went to the office, and people there fielded them as well as they could. A few of the more enterprising types somehow managed to access the landline phone at High Lonesome Ranch, and for hours it rang off the hook.

“Aren’t you ever going to answer it?” Denny asked the third time Joanna let a call ring through to voice mail.

“Not this time,” she said. “Whoever it is, I don’t want to talk to them.”

“Why not?”

“Sometimes Mommy just doesn’t feel like talking.”

“But what if it’s not for you? What if it’s for someone else?”

“Then they don’t feel like talking either.”

Nevertheless, there was a whole lot of talking going on that day, much of it between Beth and Joanna. Robin had called and warned Joanna that the FBI would need to speak to Beth at some length come Monday morning, and Joanna did her best to pave the way. The young woman found the prospect of another round of interviews daunting.

“Am I going to be stuck talking about this for the rest of my life?” she asked.

“Not the whole rest of your life, but until Gerard Paine is put away for good, you and Jenny both are going to be front and center. Believe me, I know it will be uncomfortable. But remember, the way the two of you conduct yourselves has the potential of making a big impact on many lives other than your own. By going public with this and taking Paine down, you’ll be keeping similar outrages from happening to other unsuspecting young women. Unfortunately, there are countless jerks just like Paine out prowling the Internet and hunting for unsuspecting victims. By explaining how Paine targeted you, you’ll be raising awareness and warning others to be on the lookout for those same kinds of behavior.”

“I saw a picture of him on the news this morning,” Beth said quietly. “Paine’s an old man, like really old. The whole time I was talking to him, I was picturing that other guy—the dead one in the picture. It’s creepy—like talking to a ghost.”

“Yes, it is creepy,” Joanna agreed. “By the way, have you ever seen the movie The Wizard of Oz?”

“Never, why?”

“You need to, because it turns out the wizard’s pretty creepy, too,” Joanna said. “Everybody thinks he’s this powerful, all-knowing being, but in reality he’s a cowardly little guy hiding behind a curtain, the same way Gerard Paine hid behind his computer screen. By the way, as of now we’re putting The Wizard of Oz on our must-see movie list for this Christmas vacation. Come to think of it, I don’t think Denny’s ever seen it either.”

Eventually the conversation turned to Beth’s parents. “What should I do about my mom and dad?” she asked.

“After seeing them in action, Butch told me a little about your parents, and they sound . . . well . . . difficult,” Joanna answered. “But here’s the thing, Beth: You can’t fix them. The only person you can fix is yourself. It might be wise for you to try to forgive them, because they probably did the best they could and were only trying to protect you. Unfortunately, that kind of protective isolation ended up leaving you totally unprepared for what was waiting for you out in the real world.”

“I should forgive them?” Beth asked. “Really?”

Joanna nodded. “More for your own mental well-being than theirs, but to do that I think you’re going to need professional help.”

“You mean, like talking to a counselor?” Beth asked.

Joanna nodded. “Yes, but in person. I understand there’s a Web-based support network for people like you, but I don’t recommend your using it.”

Beth shot Joanna a shadow of a smile. “Why?” she asked. “Because whoever’s on the other side of the computer screen might not be the people they claim to be?”

For the first time, Joanna had a hint that Beth was getting it.

“Exactly,” she said. “Now you’re catching on.”





Chapter 51





Sunday dawned clear but cold. Butch made waffles for breakfast. After that everyone, Beth included, went to church, where the junior choir—all ten of them, Denny included—stood at the front and sang “Away in a Manger.”

During coffee hour Marliss Shackleford did her best to corner Jenny. “I understand you’ve had quite an adventure this week,” she said. “Who’s your friend?”