Bianca paused, as if considering her next words carefully.
‘Do you think she's dead?’ she asked.
Cory thought about it. Of course, he'd been considering that possibility since the moment the report about Poppy had first come in.
‘There's only ever been one recorded murder in this town and that occurred before I got here. The biggest risk to your life in Shallow Falls is Devil's Corner. That's claimed more lives than anything else in this community; it's unbelievable that the road hasn't been rerouted through the woods. So no, I don't think she's been murdered. I think there's an explanation. She may have wandered off somewhere; perhaps she's lost or scared.’
‘But will she be found dead?’ Bianca asked. The issue was clearly troubling her and she was looking to Cory for guidance.
‘This is the tough side of a reporter's job,’ he began. ‘It's definitely not for everybody. But if you push me, I'd have to say that there is a chance now that a dead body will be found. I don't believe yet that it'll be murder—I still think the most likely cause is that she wandered off, got lost and maybe fell, or, even worse, drowned. But that's just speculation; I'd never raise that in a newspaper article. We have to deal with the facts.’
‘Did you know that two of the girls' dads are still on the scene?’
Cory took his eyes off the road for a moment, then quickly turned back.
‘Did Megan and Toni tell you?’
‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘Apparently there's always lots of shouting when they're around. The kids go outside and play, apparently. Neither of them is very interested in the girls; they just seem to come to see Reece. One is in the military and the other lives locally somewhere.’
‘You know, you've got a talent for this work, Bianca.’ Cory smiled. ‘You’re always falling over interesting tidbits. Did they say anything about father number three?’
He pulled the car into the newspaper office’s parking lot. As he switched off the engine, it ran on a little. He needed to get that fixed, especially with such an important story going on. Now was not a good time for his means of transportation to let him down.
Bianca was smiling, clearly delighted at the compliment he'd just sent her way.
‘No mention at all of the third guy. He’d be Megan's father, I'm guessing, as she's the eldest. It must be a tough life for those girls.’
They climbed out of the car and made their way over to the office block. Walking through the corridors, they could see many of the offices were now vacant, the ghosts of magazine teams and advertising departments wandering the empty rooms in echoes of more vibrant times for the Tribune. All those other publications were long gone; all that remained was an almost skeleton staff and a single weekly paper. The magazines had been pulled first, then the daily edition. Cory knew that the weekly must follow, but he couldn't bring himself to look for another job just yet. It would take him away from his son and Shallow Falls; he'd have to head out to a larger city to stand any chance of finding a decent reporting job. He wasn't ready to give up on his marriage just yet.
‘Hey, Cory, Bianca, how's it going?’ Mitchell asked as they passed his office. It looked incongruous against the backdrop of the empty rooms throughout the rest of the building, but Mitchell's family had owned this building for just under a century. It was bought and paid for, and had become the only remaining asset in the company, aside from the old printing press.
‘All good,’ Cory replied, ‘I'm just going to update the news copy on the website and feed in some new photographs of the missing child. Anything else to report here?’
‘Since she hasn't turned up, we're going big on it for Friday's paper. There's a big splash of photographs—we've got the school, the search, and the police operation. It's going to be a bumper issue. Keep your ear to the ground. What we're lacking right now is a suspect, cause, or motive. And don't give everything away on the website. We need to make sure there's still a reason to buy Friday's paper.’
‘Will do,’ Cory replied, and continued the short walk to the newsroom.
‘Good morning,’ Oliver Vasey said as they walked up to Cory's desk. ‘This story is looking good. Tell me you have more pictures of the child.’
Bianca placed them on his desk.
‘Nice work. I'll have to see if I can remember how to use the scanner. Have you got more words for me, Cory? Mitchell just upped the coverage, so I'm desperate for anything you've got. He's even considered dumping Vasey's People this week to make more space.’
‘I've got plenty of words for you—I'll get them filed now. Let's get those images on the website. Send the electronic versions over to Bianca, too, will you? She’s going to make some posters.’
Cory made sure Bianca was logged on, then got his head down and began to file his updates on the story. Although the newsroom was an active and noisy environment, he'd long ago learned how to screen it out and maintain his concentration. He typed steadily, his fingers striking the keyboard at a furious speed. As he recorded his experiences chatting to Reece and talked about the searches over at Shallow Falls, he was vaguely aware of phones ringing, conversations taking place across desks, and some new level of excitement.
‘Cory.’
It was Bianca's voice, almost shouting at him, impatient to get his attention.
He'd been in the zone, crafting his words, creating compelling news copy to bring readers up-to-date with the story.
‘Oliver's been trying to get your attention for the past minute.’
‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘You know how it is when you're in the middle of a riveting story, right?’
‘You need to file your story and get over to the police station,’ Vasey said. ‘They've pulled someone in for questioning about the kid.’
‘Already?’ Cory replied, ‘That's fast work. Have we got a name?’
‘Yeah, it's Xander Griffen, a young chap, lives over on Reece Norman's side of town. Bit of a weirdo, by all accounts.’
‘Xander? He's almost her next-door neighbor. Does it look like it'll stand up?’
Vasey shrugged.
‘Who knows? Tarrant will be under massive pressure, so he must have a reason for pulling him in.’
‘But Xander Griffen? That seems a bit too easy,’ Cory said, thinking aloud. ‘He's an easy target, too. Especially after what happened to him last time.’
Chapter Eleven
Shallow Falls Library was fighting a losing battle against the ongoing ravages of the internet. Once a proud addition to the town's resources, it was now struggling from severely depleted numbers of users and the consequent lack of local government support that soon followed.
The early twentieth century building, which once stood confident and proud at the end of the main street, now looked a little worse for wear and in need of a good coat of paint. Like a gladiator struck down in the arena, it had fought a brave fight, but now, bloodied and dispirited, it had only to wait for the inevitable thumbs-down from the emperor to finally put itself out of its misery. It was there that Cory and Bianca were heading after their short walk to the police station.
‘One moment,’ Bianca urged.
She took the second-to-last poster out of a cardboard wallet and taped it to a lamppost.
‘I'll save this last one for the library. At least we've done our bit to help Reece out.’
Cory stopped and read the poster one more time. A photo of Poppy with her hair in a ponytail beamed out at him. Reece had said that the latest photo, which they'd been using, wasn't how Poppy looked most of the time. The school had made her remove the ponytail for the photo, insisting it was more appropriate for a formal photograph.
‘But that's not how Poppy looks,’ Reece had said. ‘I hate that school photo. I wouldn't pay for it—they cost enough as it is. They made her do something different with her hair, but she never wears it that way. She thinks uncovering her ears will help her to hear better and I'm certainly not going to be the one to stop her. She looks uncomfortable in that picture; I don't
want that in my house.’
Bianca had respected her wishes and changed it for another. Even though Poppy had grown up a little since the image was taken, Reece still felt it would help people to spot her better.
‘That photograph catches Poppy's beautiful soul.’ she'd said. ‘That's how I want them to see my daughter.’
Have you seen Poppy Norman? the poster read. Missing since 3pm on Tuesday May 3rd. Please contact The Shallow Falls Tribune or Shallow Falls Police if you can help.
Cory wondered what lengths he'd go to to save his own son. It had been three days since he'd last seen him and less than a day since they'd spoken, albeit briefly, on the phone. The simple answer was that he'd do anything to save the life of his child. And, having met Reece Norman, he'd go just about as far to save the life of her child, too. If he could do anything to help her escape from the pain she was in, he'd do it. He never wanted to see someone in that state again; Poppy's disappearance was torture for her.
‘How long until we'll hear about Xander?’ Bianca asked.
She had a habit of asking precise questions directly. That was a great trait in a reporter.
‘Who knows? It depends what they have on him. Poor guy—it's not the first time this has happened. Do you remember? It was after his parents died, some woman accused him of following her. I just felt desperately sad for him at the time—he clearly has learning difficulties of some kind. They'd be better off finding him some care, instead of hauling him back to the police station.’
‘He's definitely a loner,’ Bianca said. ‘He'd come into the store and was painfully shy. I'd try and get him to speak, but I never heard him say more than a thank you. It's terrible how his parents died, too. I guess they cared for him when they were alive. I don't know who picks up the responsibility now they're gone. Does anybody?’
Cory shrugged. Truth was, he didn't really know. Xander was an adult, living in that big house all on his own. He must have money, because he certainly didn't have a job.
‘You know they died on Devil's Corner?’ he said.
‘No, I didn't know that. I only knew it was an accident. I've never heard it called that until you said it, but I know my parents always take it slow—it's one hell of a corner. I just figure it's sensible to slow down a bit. What happened, did they skid off it?’
‘Yes, something like that. It was icy, too—it’s even more treacherous in winter. The car went hurtling down the embankment right into the river at the end of the falls. Crunched into a great big rock at the bottom. They had airbags, but the force of the blow was so great, it broke their necks. It was a horrible way to go.’
Cory saw Bianca's expression.
‘I'm sorry, was that too much information? I forget that you're an intern. You're so good at this reporting business, I've begun treating you like a reporter already.’
‘No, it's fine,’ Bianca reassured him. ‘It's just that I know the rock you mean at the river. We used to walk out there and mess around in the water when I was younger. I never realized so many people had died there.’
‘Like I said, the town council should be campaigning to deal with that stretch of road. Right, we're here, let's see if Mrs. Franklin can help us.’
They walked through the grand entrance to the library, their footsteps echoing on the tiled floor. Cory opened the heavy oak door that led into the downstairs section, where they were greeted by a sign reading Fiction & Children's.
‘I learned to read here,’ Bianca said. ‘Mom used to bring me twice a week, regular as clockwork. I must have read every book in the kids’ section at least twice. Mrs. Franklin has worked here as long as I can remember.’
‘Do you still use it?’ Cory asked. ‘I've only ever been on newspaper business. I don't get to read much these days.’
He surveyed the flaking paint on the high, ornate ceiling and observed how quiet it was. Just a couple of seniors were there, one reading last week's Tribune and the other engrossed in a book in the romance section.
‘I read on my phone these days,’ she answered. ‘I guess we get what we deserve if this place finally falls apart.’
‘There's Mrs. Franklin—let's see if she can help with my hunch.’
Imogen Franklin had worked all her life in the town's library. Some townsfolk believed they'd built it around her and that she never left the building. Several generations of children had grown up knowing her only as the library lady. They would look at her fearfully at first, scared of the single thick hair that was growing out of the mole on her cheek. She never plucked it—not in all those years. But when she asked them if they wanted to stamp their own books, they'd forget about her appearance, captivated by her magic and passion for books. Perhaps Imogen Franklin was there to teach young children their first important lesson in life—that you can't judge a book by its cover.
Cory and Bianca walked up the ornate period staircase which led up to the nonfiction section. Cory had spotted her reshelving books up there, pulling along her distinctive wooden cart. It was a wonder she never tired of putting books back on the shelves.
‘Hello, Bianca, it's been a long time since I've seen you,’ she said, immediately recognizing a former patron the moment she saw her. ‘I gave you your first board book when you were a baby, and now look at you, a grown woman.’
‘Hello, Mrs. Franklin.’
‘Please call me Imogen. And what brings you here, with Cory Miles of all people?’
‘It's the usual newspaper business, I'm afraid. I've got a planning question. You hold historical records here, don't you?’
‘Probably,’ she replied. ‘What is it you're after? Are you working for the newspaper now, Bianca?’
Bianca nodded and smiled.
‘Just think, it all began in this very building with that first book. A love of words, that's what it is. You're welcome here any time, you know, Bianca. Just because you're all grown up, it doesn't mean we won't have books that you'll like.’
Bianca's face reddened a little and Cory knew how she felt. He'd never once brought his son to the library. Hearing Imogen Franklin speak made him feel like he'd betrayed her in some way.
‘I'm interested in the plot of land that Reece Norman's trailer is on.’
‘Oh, that poor lady. What must she be going through right now? And those lovely girls of hers—they're regulars in here, you know. I hear Reece telling them not to be like her and to learn to read properly. I'm sorry, I said too much… but it breaks my heart when adults can't read. They can get started at any time, you know. It's never too late.’
Cory hadn't realized that. Was Reece illiterate? It had never even occurred to him.
‘Can you also pull out any information you have on that entire row of houses that border on the woods, including the Griffen residence?’
‘It's going to take me a little time to lay my hands on them—old planning documentation is stored in the stacks on the third floor. One of my volunteers called in sick today, so I'm the only paid member of staff in the building. Can it wait a little while until I have a moment to look for you?’
‘Yes, it's no problem.’ Cory replied. ‘Here's my business card—would you give me a call at that number when you find it?’
‘Yes, I'll let you know right away.’ Imogen replied. ‘I know we have what you're after; you're not the first person who's asked for that particular documentation. In fact, there have been a few people who've wanted to look at the title information on Reece Norman's house in recent months.’
Chapter Twelve
Cory needed a strong coffee, so he suggested to Bianca that they walk up the main street to Lacey's Diner. The place was completely different during the day compared to the evenings. Now it was packed with seniors and shoppers, catching a breath from retail and enjoying the best that the town's most popular eatery had to offer.
‘We'll need to take stools at the counter,’ Cory said. ‘There's no chance of getting a booth in here at this time of day.’
Bianca located a second se
at while Cory placed the orders. He was getting antsy about Xander Griffen, but he knew the procedure: there would be no more information from Chief Tarrant unless a charge or arrest was made, and that could be some time coming. Sitting in the diner and listening to people's conversations was the best bet for now. In the same way the initial search for Poppy had turned up the local gossip about Reece, so it would about Xander—except Cory knew a bit about Xander already.
‘The coffees are on their way,’ he said, as Bianca sat on a stool. ‘It's buzzing in here today.’
‘I'm not sure why anybody buys the paper,’ she replied. ‘They're all talking about Xander.’
‘Pick up anything interesting?’
‘Poor guy has been sentenced already, by the sound of it. Just walking to the far end of the bar and back, it was like gossip bingo. I heard no smoke without fire, he's a strange one, and he's never been the same since his parents died. Basically, he's been written off as the town nutjob. He never struck me that way when he came in the store. As far as I could, tell he was just painfully shy.’
‘This is precisely why we need the local paper,’ Cory began, ‘because the people of Shallow Falls can't be trusted to get the facts right. Imagine if all we had was gossip. We'd be hanging people on the basis of a vote on Facebook if we did that.’
The coffees arrived: Bianca had an Americano, and Cory a double espresso. If she ever got a full-time job as a reporter, she'd graduate to espresso—she'd need it to sustain the long and erratic hours.
Cory's phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his back pocket to take a look.
‘It's from Reece Norman,’ he said. ‘Must be important—she said she only had two dollars’ credit left when we spoke earlier.’
Reece had left a voicemail rather than a text message. If she was unable to read and write, as Imogen Franklin had intimated, that made sense. Cory figured he must have missed the message when he silenced his phone at the library.
Now You See Her Page 6