Cryer's Cross Read Online Free PDF Page B

Kendall and says, “Okay?”
    Kendall nods. She agrees. She just can’t say it.
    “Okay,” Sheriff Greenwood says. “When did you last see Nico?”
    “Yesterday at school. I had to go into town to pick up a few things after school. He went home.”
    “What things?”
    Kendall blushes deeply. “Tampons. Not that it’s any of your business.”
    “Kendall,” Mrs. Fletcher says, “they’re just trying to figure things out.”
    “Sorry, miss,” Sergeant Dunne says. “So that was at what time?”
    “Three thirty-five, I guess.”
    “You didn’t see him after that?”
    “No.”
    “Did you talk with him last night? E-mail, phone?”
    “He calls me most nights around eleven.”
    “Did he call last night?”
    Kendall hesitates, trying to remember. “Actually, I don’t know. I fell asleep on the couch down here watching TV. Mom?”
    “I didn’t hear your phone ring,” Mrs. Fletcher says. She turns to the men. “Kendall has her own phone line in her bedroom. It didn’t ring down here, as far as I know, but Dad and I were asleep by ten.”
    “You go to bed early on a Friday night,” the sergeant says lightly.
    Mrs. Fletcher looks at him sharply. “We live on a farm. Day begins at five a.m., sir. We don’t pause for the weekends.”
    Sergeant Dunne nods. “Yes, ma’am.” He turns back to Kendall. “So you don’t think he called?”
    “I
don’t know
if he called. I can’t hear my phone ring down here.”
    Dunne looks at Greenwood. “I’ll have them check phone records. Please write your phone number here, Miss Fletcher. Nico’s, too, please.”
    “Didn’t Mr. and Mrs. Cruz already give you Nico’s number?” Mrs. Fletcher asks.
    “Ma’am, there could be more than one number. Teenagers hide things from their parents all the time. Don’t they, Kendall?” He glances at her.
    She glares back at him. “I don’t.”
    Mrs. Fletcher pours more coffee.
    “All righty, Kendall,” Sheriff Greenwood says. “How has Nico been acting lately? The same as always, or different? Anything unusual that springs to mind?”
    Kendall swallows hard. She doesn’t like Sergeant Dunne. Doesn’t want to say anything that might make Nico look bad. But she knows she has to tell the truth. “He’s been acting preoccupied the last few days.” Her voice catches a little, but she controls it. “We were supposed to go to Bozeman today to look at Montana State. He wantsto be a nurse. So I think he had that on his mind.”
    Sheriff Greenwood writes for a moment. “What else do you think could have made him act preoccupied? Anything?”
    Kendall thinks hard. Shakes her head. “Nothing I can think of.”
    “Were you two having relationship problems?”
    “No. I mean, I asked him if he was acting weird because of me, and he said no, he loved me just like always.” Kendall chokes on a deep sob that comes from her gut. Mrs. Fletcher puts her arm around Kendall. She’s crying too now. The bad thoughts start going in Kendall’s head again. Stuff she can’t control. Could Jacián have done something to Nico, too?
    Sheriff Greenwood writes a few more things, and then closes his notebook. “Okay. That’s it for now.”
    Kendall looks up. “Are you going to question Jacián Obregon?”
    Mrs. Fletcher turns sharply toward Kendall, surprised.
    Sheriff Greenwood shakes his head firmly and says with an edge in his voice, as if he’s said it ten times before, “Jacián Obregon is not a suspect here or in Tiffany Quinn’s case. Do you have reason to think he should be? Real reason, I mean, not just rumors?”
    Kendall opens her mouth, and then she closes it again. And then says, “No, sir.”
    “Good. Then, let’s leave him out of it. He’s been through enough.”
    Kendall stares at the sheriff. “I’m sorry,” she says after a moment.
    He nods and smiles sympathetically, and suddenly he’s Eli’s dad again. “No harm done.” He stands up, and Sergeant Dunne follows. “We’re going to do everything we can