Save Her Soul (Detective Josie Quinn #9)(40)

Gretchen said, “Lana, we understand you were good friends with Beverly. We have reports that she wasn’t seen by anyone close to her after your junior year of high school ended. Was that the last time you talked with her?”

“The last time I talked to her was about a week after school ended. We hung out at my house. She slept over. She went home in the morning, and I never heard from her again.”

Josie asked, “Did you go to her house? Call around? Try to find out where she went?”

“Of course,” Lana said. “No one was there. No one else had seen her. We knew she was moving so I just assumed that’s what happened. They moved away.”

The screen went haywire for a moment. Where Lana had been was just a mess of lines. They waited as it snapped back. Gretchen said, “We spoke with Kelly Ogden earlier today. She told us that there were several males that Beverly was interested in at the end of your junior year in high school.”

“That’s right,” Lana said.

Josie jumped in. “Kelly said there were four. Does that sound right to you?”

“Yes.”

“Was one of them Ray Quinn?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember me?”

Lana leaned in, her eyes and forehead taking up most of the picture. “Yes, I remember you. Honestly, I don’t know that anything was going on between her and Ray. She said there was, but I’m not sure. I didn’t really believe it. I think she wanted something to happen with Ray, but he wasn’t interested.”

Gretchen asked, “Was one of the guys she liked a man who was doing construction work at her house?”

Lana sat back in her chair and scratched at the loose skin on her nose. “Yes. I do remember that. He was older. She really liked him. He did seem interested in her. I was at her house once when they were flirting. I don’t remember his name though.”

“Do you know who the other two men were?” Josie asked.

“No. Beverly was secretive about them. That’s why Kelly and I weren’t sure how much of what she was telling us was true. I can tell you this, though. She was only sleeping with one of the guys she was into. She made it sound like she was some kind of irresistible seductress, as though men couldn’t control themselves around her, but she was actually only intimate with one guy. That’s what she told me anyway. I’m not sure which guy that was, but I do know he had a tattoo.” Lana laughed. “For some reason, she thought a guy with a tattoo was so… grown-up. Sexy.”

Gretchen said, “Yeah, that’s what Kelly told us. Do you know kind of tattoo this guy had?”

Lana smoothed a wayward piece of hair out of her eyes. “Oh, I think it was—” The sound cut out and onscreen, Lana’s visage froze, twisting as lines burst across it.

“Oh boy,” Paige said. “I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to talk to her. Just wait a minute. She’ll come back, hopefully.”

After a long moment, Lana came back on. They asked her about the tattoo again. “Don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure it was a skull. I don’t know where on his body, though.”

Gretchen had her notepad out, jotting down this new detail.

“Lana, was Beverly into drugs at all?” Josie asked.

Lana shook her head. “No. I never saw her using any.”

“Do you have any idea who might have killed her?”

“Oh God, no. I’m so sorry. I don’t. I know she was seeing an older guy and she fought with her mom like crazy, but I can’t imagine anyone killing her. Oh but—” She broke off and Josie thought the connection had been interrupted again, but Lana was just taking a moment to think. Almost to herself, she said, “I guess it really doesn’t matter now. In fact, if she was killed right after school ended, you’ve probably already found out on autopsy. Beverly was pregnant.”

“Yes,” Josie said, surprised that Beverly had shared that with Lana but not Kelly. By all appearances in high school, Kelly had been closer to Beverly. Then again, Josie realized, Kelly was more of a minion. She had done whatever Beverly told her to do. Her function wasn’t to provide counsel or comfort. Lana had obviously been the more sensitive of the two friends, refusing to carry out Beverly’s crueler ploys. “That was confirmed on autopsy. Do you know who the father was?”

Lana frowned. “I’m afraid not. But as I said, it could only have been one of the men. That’s actually how I found out she was only intimate with one person. When she told me about the pregnancy, I asked her if she knew whose it was and that’s when she admitted to me she wasn’t as active as she made herself out to be.”

“Did she tell you any of their names? Other than Ray’s?” Josie asked.

“No.”

“Kelly said she had nicknames for them? Do you remember any of them?”

“No, I don’t. It was such a long time ago. I’m really sorry. I wish I could. I’ll give it some more thought, but… I mean, that was high school.”

“I understand,” Josie said. “What about someone named Alice? Did you guys know anyone by that name? Did Vera have any friends named Alice?”

“No, not that I remember,” said Lana.

The screen blipped again, Lana disappearing once more and a strange metallic clang sounding from the speakers. Paige’s fingers moved the mouse, clicking several times to try to get Lana back. They heard her voice before her face popped back up. “Vera knew.”