Pretty Girls Dancing(72)

“I’m going to have you talk to Sergeant Rossi, ma’am.” He led her to the elevators, and they traveled in silence to the third floor. Her heels echoed in the silent halls as she trailed behind him, trying to calm her nerves. At least she knew Janie was all right. But the girl had lied to Claire about working tonight. Janie never lied. She was truthful, to a fault at times. Dishonesty was totally out of character for her.

But then, so was trespassing. Claire gave a slight shake of her head as the officer held open the door leading to the sheriff’s office for her. Janie rarely went anywhere besides school and work. Where would she have trespassed?

Nearly two-thirds of the desks behind the counter were empty. But a couple of smaller offices had lights blazing. It was to one of those spaces that the uniform showed her. Rossi’s name was on the half-opened door. “Janie Willard’s mother is here.”

“Mrs. Willard.”

The man inside rounded his desk and came to greet her. “Thank you for coming, ma’am. Please sit down.”

Claire remained standing, twisting the handle of her purse between her fingers. “I need to see Janie. Please take me to her.”

He gave a smile that was probably meant to be reassuring. It wasn’t. He looked vaguely familiar. Tall. Brown hair with a matching droopy mustache. Had he been at the house when Kelsey’s investigation was going on? Claire couldn’t recall. There had been so many uniforms at first, before the BCI agents had taken over the case. So many questions asked. So few answers received.

“She’s fine. Shaken up, seems like. Hasn’t spoken a word since Deputy Brennan found them in the vacant lake house out on Fuller Road.” He took her arm and steered her to a chair. She sank into it, uncomprehending.

“I don’t understand. Why would she be there? And who is them?”

“Your daughter hasn’t said anything. Not that we’ve attempted to question either her or her friend before parents arrived,” he added hastily. “But the other girl has spoken freely since being brought in, and her foster parents are with her now.”

Foster parents. Alyvia. Claire rubbed at a spot between her brows. Of course, it would be. Was that girl the reason Janie had been somewhere she’d had no right to be? “It would be helpful, ma’am, now that you’re here, if we can get Janie’s story about why they were on someone else’s property.”

“She isn’t going to be able to talk to you. My daughter has an anxiety disorder. I have to go to her now. She needs her medication. Do you have her purse? She’d have pills in it. Otherwise, I’ve brought some from home.”

“I don’t think your daughter had any belongings with her. Her car was parked next to the garage at the lake house. Maybe her things are inside it.”

“Then I need to see her now. Immediately.”

“That will have to wait until—”

“No, it will not wait! You will wait!” Temper blazing, she bounced out of the chair to gaze up at the man who stood when she did. He was a good five inches taller, but he didn’t intimidate her. Not with her imagination supplying her a vivid picture of the shape Janie was in right now. She’d be more than shaken up. No doubt she was in the grips of a full-blown anxiety attack, with all the accompanying emotional and physical reactions that came with it. Claire had witnessed plenty of those incidents after Kelsey had disappeared when Janie had regressed. “Unless you want me to press charges for denial of critical care while she’s in your custody, you will allow me to give her the medication she’s been prescribed for anxiety. Now.”

Annoyance was visible in his expression as their gazes did battle. He was the first to look away. “It has to be a labeled prescription bottle with her name on it.”

“It is.” She dug in her purse, pulled out the bottle, and showed it to him.

“All right. Deputy Krantz is the juvenile officer on duty. He’s been splitting his time between the two of them. The story the other girl is telling is sort of far-fetched. A statement from Janie could clear up a lot of things. You should be aware, however, that given their ages they could be charged as adults.” The man started out the door.

Charged. A fist squeezed Claire’s heart as she hurried after him down another hallway. David was right. She needed to call an attorney. She tried to recall the name her husband had mentioned. Brant Strickland. He’d helped them through Kelsey’s investigation.

The memory had her stomach hollowing out. This was nothing like seven years ago, she assured herself. Janie was fine. Not lost to them like her sister.

A stocky man with a blond crew cut stepped into the hallway, pulling a door closed behind him. Rossi spoke to him. “This is Mrs. Willard. Ma’am, Deputy Krantz.”

“I need to see my daughter.”

“She’s right inside here, ma’am. She seemed to be in some distress a while ago, so I brought her a glass of water.”

The words torched Claire’s fear and galvanized her into action. She pushed by Rossi and rushed to the door. Opened it. There was a small scarred table in the center of the room. Her daughter sat on one side of it facing her, arms wrapped tightly around her waist. When she saw Claire, her lips quivered once before she firmed them.

“Janie.” Claire rushed to her side, sank to her knees beside her daughter’s chair. “Deep breath. Blow it out. Again. Use your self-talk. I am not controlled by my anxiety. It’s okay to be overwhelmed. I’m strong enough to get through this.” She’d recited the affirmations with Janie often enough years ago that they were embedded in her brain. She took her daughter’s hand in both of hers. Felt the clammy moisture of her palm. And was transported to the time after Kelsey was taken. When Janie’s progress had taken a giant leap backward. When the anxiety had produced night terrors, a galloping heart, sweaty palms, and strangled breathing. Habit had her checking the pulse in her daughter’s wrist. Was surprised to find it rapid but not racing.