She straightened her shoulders. “It was about three weeks ago. I ran into her while I was getting coffee. We had a lovely time and chatted about family.”
“And it was a pleasant meeting?”
“I suppose it was. I had to go to the restroom, and when I came back, she was gone. I thought it odd, but when I called her, she apologized and said it was an emergency.”
“You said a few weeks ago?”
“That’s right.”
“And where were you?”
“The coffee shop in Arlington.”
Vaughan jotted a note, and she suspected he would be checking the date against Hadley’s credit card receipts as well as any area security cameras. All that they had learned about Hadley so far was that she had kept a tight rein on her life until about three weeks ago, when her life had gone off the rails.
Mrs. Bradford led them into the basement room, where they found the young couple curled up on the plaid sofa in the den, watching a horror movie dating back to the eighties. The movie was a cheesy horror film, and it struck her as odd that a girl who had seen her mother knifed to death forty-eight hours ago was now watching a slasher movie.
Skylar absently ate popcorn from a bowl as she snuggled close to Neil, who had wrapped a protective arm around the girl. If this had been any other teenage couple, she would have thought the scene normal. This scenario troubled her.
“Skylar,” Vaughan said.
The girl’s gaze lingered on the wide-screen television a quick beat, and she muted it before she pulled away from Neil. “Detective Vaughan.”
“Skylar, we need to talk.”
A frown furrowed her brow. “We did talk. Did something change?”
“Nothing has changed,” he said. “But when we talked, we only skimmed the surface. I need to talk to you face to face now. And Neil and Mrs. Bradford, I would like you to excuse us.”
“I think we should stay,” Neil said, straightening his scrawny frame like he was a puffer fish intimidating its challenger.
“It’s okay, Neil,” Skylar said. “I can handle this. After the last couple of days, a few questions won’t be a big deal.”
In the background, the killer slashed at the girls, and they ran for their lives. Vaughan turned off the television. He said nothing and waited for Neil and his mother to leave.
Neil rose up off the couch, kissed Skylar on her lips, and nodded for his mother to follow. “We’ll be right upstairs if you need us.”
The door upstairs squeaked closed but did not quite click into place. Vaughan and Zoe sat across from Skylar, who remained curled on the couch and reached for a soft blue blanket to pull it over her legs.
“Skylar. Tell me what happened two days ago,” Vaughan said.
She pulled the blanket up closer to her chin. “My father told you what happened. A masked man broke into our house.”
“Walk us through the morning,” Zoe said.
The girl closed her eyes, a small sigh slipping over her lips. “I was in my room, getting ready for school. Dad brought me coffee.”
“How was he dressed?” Vaughan asked.
“He was wearing his suit. He gave me my coffee, and then he remembered the recycling. He left. I took a couple of sips, and then I heard the screaming. I ran out of my room, and Mom was on the floor. A man was standing over her.”
Zoe knew Vaughan wanted the girl to repeat the story. She had been given enough time to settle in a little; now was the time to amend it. She had not.
“Skylar, that version of events doesn’t fit with what we’ve found,” Vaughan said.
“What do you mean, it doesn’t fit?” she asked.
The girl had the face of an angel, and when she looked up at them, it was with pure innocence mingled with pain and confusion.
“We pulled surveillance footage from your neighbor’s house. We saw you follow your mother into the house. Why didn’t you tell us that you’d been outside?”
Skylar closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, she was nodding. “I forgot about that. I’m in shock, I guess. And I’m still scared. I didn’t want anyone to know where I’d been.”
“Where had you been?” Zoe asked.
“With Neil.” She dropped her voice a fraction. “We were in his family van. I know Monday nights are the easiest to get away without being noticed.”
“Why Mondays?” Vaughan asked.
“Mom was seeing a guy. Dad works late. He always has a big report to turn in on Tuesdays.”
“Where were you and Neil parked?” Vaughan asked.
“There’s a park close by. We didn’t want our parents to know.” She rubbed her fingertips against her temples. “I should have told you, but I didn’t think that it mattered. I went right upstairs and went to sleep. That’s why I was slow getting out of bed when Dad woke me up at 6:00 a.m.”
“How did you end up at the motel room?” Vaughan asked.
“I’m not really sure. I think I was drugged.”
“Who gave you the drugs?”
“I guess Dad did,” she said softly. “Next thing I know, it was twenty-four hours later.”
“Who is Mr. Fix It?” Zoe asked.
Skylar was silent as she seemed to gauge her words. “Jason.”
“Jason Dalton,” Vaughan clarified.
“Yes.”
“Did he contact your mother ever?” Vaughan asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Would seeing him upset your mother?” Zoe knew the answer to the question but wanted to hear it from her.
“I don’t know,” Skylar said. “It didn’t take much to upset my mom.”
“Maybe seeing a former boyfriend would do it?” he said.
The girl’s gaze sharpened for just an instant, and if Zoe had not been watching, she would have missed it, because on its heels came a flood of tears. Sobs now racked the girl’s body.
“Did you share details of your parents’ marriage with him?” Vaughan asked.
“I don’t know,” Skylar said. “Where’s my dad? I want to see my dad again.”
“Did you tell Jason about your mother and father?” he asked again.
“I want my dad!” More tears rushed down her face. “I want my dad. I want to see him.”
“You can’t. Not right now. You both are witnesses in the case. You two are the only ones who know what happened to your mother.”
“We’ve both told you what happened!” She sounded more agitated.
“Yes, you both did. And the stories conflict.”
“I just said I was confused.”
“About?”
“Everything.”
But father and daughter were both spinning stories that did not match all the facts. Each got portions right. Now he had to figure out why they had left pieces out.
“I’m very tired,” Skylar said. “I don’t want to talk anymore. When are they going to bury my mom?” she asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Vaughan said.
“I miss Mom. I miss her so much.” She continued to weep.
The girl’s words were perfectly reasonable given what she had been through, but the moment felt almost identical to the one that had played out in the hospital. As if it had been rehearsed.