Have You Seen Her? Read Online Free PDF Page B

four?”
    “Cutting it a bit close, aren’t you, Steven?”
    “Story of my life,” he responded grimly.
    “Steven!” Harry yelled. “Come here!”
    Steven looked over to where Harry stood next to the road. “Nancy, I have to go. Tell Brad’s teacher I’ll meet her at four o’clock. Call me back if she says no. Oh, and, Nancy? Which teacher is this?”
    “Dr. Marshall. She’s his chemistry teacher. Steven, are you okay?”
    Steven’s mouth flattened. “Tell Lennie I’m fine,” he said grimly. “I’m not planning to freak out and blow the investigation.”
    “He doesn’t think you will, Steven,” Nancy admonished gently, making him feel like a truculent child. “He’s worried about you. So am I.”
    Steven sighed. “Tell him I’m fine. But if I feel stressed I’ll go to Meg. Okay?” Meg was the staff psychologist who had continually pestered him to meet with her after Nicky. He’d finally gone, just to get the infernal woman off his back. But she’d helped. A bit. Offering to see her at this point should make Lennie Farrell a happy supervisor.
    “Okay. I’ll call Brad’s teacher. Dr. Marshall,” she added, reminding him. She knew him well.
    “Thanks.” Committing the name to memory, Steven slipped the phone into his pocket and carefully made his way to where Harry impatiently waited, holding a syringe in his gloved hand. “Damn,” Steven muttered and looked back to the flattened grass, the shape of its perimeter clean. “That would explain no evidence of a struggle.”
    “We’ll get it back to the lab along with the hair.” Harry gestured to where Kent was examining the trail of blood leading back to the house. “Kent wants to watch the vet swab the dog’s teeth.”
    Steven sighed. “I just hope we find a lead in a hurry. We’re running out of time.”
    Friday, September 30, 3:50 P.M.
    “So, did you call Brad’s dad?”
    Jenna looked up from cleaning lab tabletops to find Casey standing in the doorway of her classroom. “Kind of. He was out in the field, so I talked to his secretary. He’s coming to meet me in”—Jenna checked her watch—“ten minutes.”
    Casey’s brows scrunched. “Out in the field?”
    “He’s a cop.”
    “Hmm.”
    Jenna paused mid-scrub and looked up. Casey looked thoughtful and that was always a dangerous sign. “What?”
    Casey smiled and sent a chill down Jenna’s spine. “I don’t know. Cop, widower. Brad’s a pretty good-looking kid, so Dad’s got to have some good genes . . .” She shrugged. “Possibilities.”
    Jenna shook her head, feeling a familiar tightening behind her eyes. Casey considered finding Jenna a mate one of her personal goals. Jenna walked to where Casey stood, deliberately towering over her. “Don’t go there, Casey,” she warned. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
    Casey stared up defiantly. “You’re taller today.”
    Jenna’s eyes narrowed. “Because I’m wearing these damn shoes you convinced me would be perfect with this suit. My feet hurt and I don’t have time for this right now. Promise. No contact with Mr. Thatcher. That includes telephone, telegraph, fax, sticky note, and smoke signals.”
    Casey sulked. “I promise. Dammit.”
    Jenna backed away. “Good.” Gathering her papers into her briefcase, Jenna glanced over her shoulder to find Casey looking thoughtful again. Seeing Jenna’s stare, Casey brightened.
    “I almost forgot. I have a date tomorrow night with Ned and he has a friend. I—”
    “No.” Jenna cut her off with a shudder. Ned was adolescent on his best behavior, but his friends were worse.
    Casey frowned. “Why not?”
    “I’m having dinner at Allison’s tomorrow night.”
    Casey made a grumbly sound. “Blow her off. Ned’s friend is really cute.”
    “I can’t just cancel on her. She’d be hurt.”
    “She has the hide of a rhino,” Casey muttered. “You couldn’t hurt her with an elephant gun.”
    Jenna huffed a chuckle. “She’s a lot more tender