Good Girls Lie(64)
“What about her roommate? That British girl? Camille said she’d been thinking about asking to move to a different room. I know they didn’t get along.”
“I wasn’t aware they were having issues. Normally the girls are quite open with me about their personal problems. But the police did find Camille’s journal, and she said some very unkind things about Ash. I suppose it stands to reason—Oh, Deirdre, I am so sorry. I just don’t have any good answers for you right now. But we will continue talking. Let me know what Emily says. Anything she can share will help. We can at least get an idea of who Camille was seeing and find out if something happened with the relationship that made her want to hurt herself.”
“I do know she hadn’t seen him in a while. I asked, and she told me they’d broken up. I got the sense it was a quick thing, nothing terribly special. Honestly, she could have come to me, I would have helped her. She’s my daughter, I love her.”
“I know you do, Deirdre. I am so sorry.”
“Ford, I want you to look closely at her roommate. This Ash girl. I—Well, to be honest, when Camille said she was rooming with a girl from out of the country, I was a bit concerned. I told Howard, and he had a dossier drawn up. It had some very disturbing details. You know about the brother, yes? The suspicions about how he died? And her parents—”
“You did a background check on one of my students? Deirdre, you know we handle these things in-house. I found nothing to give me pause. Yes, I am aware of the circumstances that bring Ash to us and trust me, she is a gentle, pliable girl. Devastated by the loss of Camille, too.”
“Yes, well, girls do lie, Ford, you know they do. And in light of the situation, now aren’t you glad we did a more thorough search? News of the parents’ deaths was very upsetting to Camille. Not to mention the younger brother. She didn’t understand why her roommate wouldn’t tell her. And she has been using a false name. That girl has lost a lot of people. Now my daughter is dead, too.”
Deirdre’s voice is getting louder, stronger, more intense with every sentence. Ford is horrified by the implication that she is somehow neglectful, responsible for Camille’s death, simply by bringing Ashlyn Carr to Goode.
“Deirdre, really. This isn’t a path worth following. Ash and I discussed the name change at length and decided it was for the best. She didn’t want her parents’ deaths defining her here at Goode. Didn’t want to be openly rehashing it over and over. I can’t blame her. Truly, her desire for privacy is understandable. And I don’t think Ash’s personal situation has any bearing on Camille’s suicide. The circumstances of an unwanted pregnancy alone shed a great deal of light on Camille’s state of mind, not to mention breaking up with the boy who got her pregnant. It’s a fraught situation.”
Ford can hear whispers in the background, someone talking to Deirdre. Coaching her? Are they on speakerphone? Who’s been listening to her trying to comfort this grieving mother? What has she said that can be used against her, against the school?
“I know my daughter, Ford. I know her well. If she was depressed enough to consider suicide, she would have reached out to me. I feel it in my heart.” Deirdre clears her throat, and the broken mother is gone, replaced by the steely prosecutor. “And because of this, we will be recommending an independent investigation.”
Ford tries to continue sounding conciliatory. “That is certainly your right, Deirdre, but believe me, we’re looking into this. The sheriff has taken Camille’s body to Charlottesville for autopsy, and—”
“Yes, we heard. Howard is on a flight home from Turkey now. He feels it should be looked at by someone closer to the family. He will be in touch with the sheriff to have Camille brought here, to DC, where we can keep an eye on things. I don’t want to be going through an intermediary. You understand.”
We don’t want your local idiots to fuck it up, Ford hears clearly, though the line is silent.
“And of course, if there is a wrongful death suit, we need to be sure everything has been handled properly.”
“Did you just threaten to sue me?”
“You are in charge there, Ford. I’m not saying it’s a sure thing, but don’t be surprised to be served. We thought you’d turned a corner with Goode, revamped all that your mother tore down. I suppose we were too quick to judgment.”
Christ, she’s cold as ice.
“That is your prerogative. But, Deirdre, I can assure you, Ash had nothing to do with this. She’s a grieving sixteen-year-old who has been keeping her hurts to herself. I was up with her most of the night. She’s terribly traumatized by Camille’s death, as are we all. I know she’ll want to attend the funeral. You can meet her yourself, and you’ll see. She’s just a young girl in a lot of pain.”
“And I am a middle-aged woman in a lot of pain. My daughter is dead. I’m the one who’s suffered the loss here, not some girl who’s only known my daughter for a few weeks. No. She is not invited. There will be no students whom we don’t approve. Camille’s friends Piper and Vanessa may come, but no one else. Not even you, Dean.”
Hurt, dismayed, frustrated, Ford realizes it’s time to end the call. “I think you’re in shock, Deirdre. We’ll talk again soon. I am so sorry for your loss. For our loss.”
“Thank you, Ford. I appreciate the sentiment. I’ll be in touch.”