A Fortunate Encounter

by J A Whiting

  6

  “When they told me they found Jade’s things, my heart jumped thinking it would lead the police to her.” Bonnie Lyons walked beside Claire through the Boston Public Garden, past the pond and the carefully tended lawns and the gardens full of colorful mums. “But then I realized that discovering the things probably wouldn’t help find Jade and that Jade probably isn’t coming home alive.” The woman’s words caused her throat to tighten and a little sob slipped out as a choking sound. Bonnie used both hands to brush at her cheeks.

  Claire’s heart contracted and she had to bite her lip to keep empathetic tears from falling. In a hoarse voice, she said, “We don’t know that for sure.”

  “I know it.” Bonnie’s tone was hopeless. “Are you married?”

  “I was,” Claire said. “My husband died.”

  “Oh.” Bonnie touched Claire’s shoulder as they walked side-by-side. “I’m very sorry.”

  “Do you have any kids?” Bonnie asked.

  “No.” Claire’s long, curly hair shimmied over her shoulders when she shook her head.

  Bonnie said, “You’re young. Maybe you’ll have kids someday ... that is, if you want them.” After a pause, she added softly, “If you want to risk having your heart ripped right out of your chest someday.”

  Under a cloudy sky, the two women walked along the path past the elegant weeping willow trees with their long golden branches reaching down to almost touch the water in the pond.

  Breaking the silence between them, Bonnie said, “I’m afraid my ex-husband might have had something to do with Jade’s disappearance.”

  Claire stopped walking and stared at the woman, her heart rate picking up. “Really? Why do you say that? Did he and Jade not get along?”

  “He loved Jade.” Bonnie kicked at an acorn on the path. “But he has a temper and Jade has a mind of her own. I worry they may have had an argument.”

  “Did that happen? Did they have frequent arguments?”

  “Not frequent.” Bonnie trained her eyes on the water. “Mitch is a big man. If he got angry, well, a young woman wouldn’t have a chance if he hit her.”

  “Did your husband ever hit you?”

  “Ex-husband. Once.” Bonnie raised her eyes to Claire. “I told him if he did it again, he’d be dead by the end of the week. I think I got my point across. He didn’t do it again.”

  “Did he ever hit your girls?”

  “No. He knew he’d be dead in a day if he did that.” Bonnie shoved her hands in her pockets.

  A sense of worry moved through Claire’s mind. “Why would your ex be afraid of you? Why would your threat mean anything to him? You’re what? Five feet three?”

  “Mitch isn’t afraid of me. But I have two brothers and he might be afraid of them.” Bonnie started to walk again and Claire moved with her. “Sometimes, Mitch drinks too much. It can get in the way of good judgment.”

  “Could your brothers have had something to do with Jade’s disappearance?” Claire asked warily.

  Bonnie’s eyes flashed daggers. “You think my brothers could have hurt my Jade?”

  “I don’t know your family,” Claire said carefully, “but could one of their associates have had something to do with this? Maybe as a way to get back at your brothers for some reason?”

  “No. My brothers stay out of trouble now.”

  Claire was hesitant to accept Bonnie’s reply. “Are you bringing up your ex-husband because he drinks? Do you think he could have hurt Jade?”

  Bonnie moved a shaking hand over her eyes. “I don’t know. I lay awake at night and stare at the ceiling, thinking and thinking. What can I do to find my baby? Who should I suspect? Is it someone I know? Then I fall asleep and I dream Jade is reaching out to me for help and I wake up and stare at the ceiling again.”

  “Do you suspect anyone else? Was there anything going on between Jade and one of her friends, or maybe with a young man? With anyone?”

  “Everything seemed normal,” Bonnie said with a sad sigh.

  “Did Jade see her father on a regular basis?” Claire asked.

  “Yes. They saw each other often.”

  “Did Jade like her father?”

  “She loved him,” Bonnie said the words so softly that Claire could barely hear her answer.

  “Do you really think your ex had something to do with this?”

  “I guess not.” A few tears fell from the woman’s eyes. “Mitch loves his daughters. I’m clutching at straws, suspecting everyone. I just don’t know where to look.”

  “Is there someone you want me to talk to?” Claire asked.

  “Would you talk to Jade’s friends, Alyssa and Cori? Alyssa Pointer and Cori Ball. The police talked to them and I talked to them, but maybe they’d open up to you. They might have some ideas. It couldn’t hurt to speak to them again.”

  “What about Jade’s boyfriend, Kyle?”

  “Yes, talk to him, too. He might know something Jade wouldn’t tell me or her sister,” Bonnie guessed.

  “Did Jade call you the night she went missing?” Claire asked.

  “Me? No, she didn’t.”

  “What about your daughter, Jeena? Did Jeena hear from Jade that night?”

  “No. Jeena didn’t say anything to me about hearing from Jade.”

  “Is that unusual?” Claire asked. “If Jade was fearful about something, wouldn’t she contact you or Jeena?”

  “Yeah, she would.”

  “So maybe she wasn’t in a situation where she was afraid. Maybe she was uncomfortable about someone or something and she called her friend to come and get her out of it.”

  Bonnie nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “Jade contacted her friend while she was at the convenience store,” Claire thought out loud. “People must have been around, going in and out of the store.”

  “No one would have kidnapped Jade if people were around,” Bonnie said.

  “Maybe Jade was in someone’s car when she texted her friend to come and get her,” Claire suggested. “Are you sure Jade wouldn’t go off with someone? What if it was someone she loved?”

  Bonnie blinked. “She loved Kyle and Kyle is still in Boston. He didn’t take off with her.”

  “What about someone else?” Claire asked. “What about someone she used to love?”

  Bonnie bit her lip. “Jade had a boyfriend before Kyle, but he cheated on her. She didn’t want anything to do with him after that.”

  “Is he around?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Blake. Blake Rhodes.”

  “Did Jade keep in contact with him?”

  “No. She didn’t want anything to do with him.”

  “What if Blake got in touch with her recently, out of the blue?” Claire asked. “Would Jade be tempted to meet with him?”

  Bonnie’s mouth tightened. “I don’t think she would.”

  “Jade broke up with Blake? She initiated the break-up?”

  “She did.”

  “Was she upset about letting him go?”

  “Sure she was. Jade thought they might end up together. It was heartbreaking for her, but she wouldn’t accept being cheated on.”

  “What do you think would happen if Blake contacted her and apologized? What if he told her he made a huge mistake and wanted to start over? Would she be open to that?” Claire asked.

  “Jade was with Kyle.” Bonnie seemed unsure of how to answer. Her face showed confusion and uncertainty.

  “Would Blake still be attending school now? Has he graduated from college yet?”

  “He was the same year as Jade so he’s a senior.”

  “Does Blake attend Whittemore?” Claire asked.

  “Blake goes to Boston University. He went to Whittemore for his freshman year and then he transferred to Boston.”

  Close by, Claire thought. Maybe too close. “I might look him up. See what he’s up to. See if he’s talked to Jade recently.”

>   “It won’t lead to anything, but if you think it might help, go ahead.” Bonnie suddenly seemed exhausted. “I never liked the city. Too many people, too much noise. I’ve always wanted to live in a quiet town by the sea. I grew up in Bayside. I raised my girls in Bayside. We spent a lot of time at the beach, walking in the sand, swimming in the ocean. Even in the winter, we’d go and walk the beach. I never wanted to leave there. But now I’ve been thinking, what if we had moved to the city years ago or to another state, or at least to another town further up the coast. This terrible thing never would have happened. If only I’d known. Why did I stay in Bayside? Why?”

  Claire said helplessly, “Because it was your home.”

  “I hate the area now,” Bonnie said, her voice firm. “I can’t stay there. I’ll move away one day. Not now, of course. I can’t leave without finding my baby. I can’t leave her out there.” The woman shivered when a cold breeze whipped past them. “Winter’s coming. The air is changing. You can feel it, can’t you? The dark, the snow, the ice. The cold, angry ocean. It’s all just around the corner. Do you remember the year we got that snowstorm the day before Halloween? That was a long, dreary winter.” Bonnie looked out over the grass and gardens.

  To Claire, the winter still seemed far away, but she knew Bonnie was right. It was just around the corner.

  “I need to find my girl.” Bonnie looked Claire in the eyes. “I can’t have her out there in the cold all alone. I need to know where she is. I need to bring her home.”

  Claire’s throat was tight and she couldn’t think of anything to say that might comfort the woman.

  “You’ll help me, won’t you, Claire? You won’t give up, will you?” Bonnie asked. “The police aren’t going to find the clues they need because they don’t have this thing in their hearts.” Bonnie pointed to her chest. “This awful suffering … like a knife digging into my heart. You won’t leave me to do this alone, will you? You won’t give up, will you?”

  Claire wished she was anywhere else but where she was … standing next to this woman so full of devotion to her daughter, so full of such unimaginable pain.

  “I won’t give up.”

  7

  “I picked Jade up at home around 8pm. We thought about going to a movie, but then we drove around and remembered there was supposed to be a bonfire across from the college in the park.” Alyssa Pointer sat across the table from Claire and Nicole in a Beacon Hill coffee shop. The young woman had long brown hair, nice skin, and huge brown eyes. She looked bright and good-natured and seemed sincerely eager to help. “I’ve been a wreck since Jade went missing. I keep replaying the night in my head, wondering what happened. What went wrong? How did this happen to Jade?”

  Claire gave a sympathetic nod. “It’s very hard to make sense of things like this.”

  Nicole asked, “Could you run through the evening for us? You and Jade decided to go to the bonfire?”

  “We’d forgotten it was that night. We both thought it was the next week. We got excited about it. It was a nice night and we thought it would be fun to be outside with everybody so we headed over there.” The sparkle disappeared from Alyssa’s eyes when she realized how the excitement about the evening turned to something else just a few hours later.

  “What happened when you arrived at the bonfire?” Claire asked.

  “After we parked, we ran into some girls we know from school. We crossed the street and met up with some other people we all knew. There were a ton of people there. Everybody was looking for something to do. There were food trucks parked nearby, music was playing. It was great.”

  Did you and Jade stay together?” Nicole questioned.

  A guilty look slipped over Alyssa’s face and her energy went flat. “Not the whole time.”

  “You split up?” Claire wanted to know more about what Alyssa and Jade had done.

  “There were a bunch of us.” Alyssa’s shoulders sagged. “We moved around, talking to different people. I went to a food truck with some girls and when we got back, I didn’t see Jade.”

  “Did you worry?”

  “No.” Alyssa shook her head. “You know how it is … you talk with a few people, then move to another group. Groups come together and then they change. Everybody is moving around. You know you’ll meet up with your friends eventually.” The young woman caught herself. “Most of the time you do.”

  “You didn’t see Jade again that night?” Claire asked.

  Alyssa took a deep breath and shook her head. “I didn’t see her again after I went to the food truck.”

  “But Jade texted you, right?” Nicole asked.

  “She did, but I didn’t see the message right away.”

  “How long after it was sent did you see it?” Claire questioned.

  “Maybe an hour and a half?” Alyssa pushed at her long locks.

  “Did you text Jade back? Did you call her?”

  “I texted and then I called. Jade didn’t answer.”

  “What did her message to you say?” Claire asked.

  “The police took my phone, otherwise I’d show you. It said, Will you come pick me up? Call me when you get my message. I need a ride. I’m at a convenience store in Hadwen.”

  “Do you know who she was with?”

  “No. I don’t have any idea.”

  “Did you see who Jade was hanging around with at the bonfire?” Claire asked wondering if any useful information would come from the interview.

  Alyssa said, “She was with her friend, Cori. Some other people, too. But she was with Cori every time I saw her.”

  “Do you know Cori well?”

  “Not well. Sometimes we all hang around together, but it’s always in a big group.”

  “Was anything going on with Jade? Was she concerned about anything?” Claire asked.

  Alyssa sipped from her coffee mug. “Not really. Nothing unusual.”

  “She was concerned about something though?”

  Alyssa’s shoulder shrugged dismissively. “Not really, it was just little things we all worry about, like money and work. She wanted to be living back in the dorms or in an apartment, but she wanted to save the money. She had an exam and a paper coming up so she was stressed about that.”

  “Do you know her boyfriend, Kyle Vallins?” Claire asked.

  “Sure. I’ve met him.”

  “How was the relationship?” Nicole asked. “Was everything going well or were there any issues between them?”

  “No issues. Kyle is a nice guy. They seemed to be getting along great,” Alyssa said.

  “Any problems with friends?” Claire asked.

  “I don’t think so. Jade never mentioned any problems with anyone. Things seemed normal.”

  “What about any ex-boyfriends?” Claire questioned.

  “What do you mean?” Alyssa adjusted her position on the chair.

  “Were there any ex-boyfriends in the picture? Were old boyfriends around?” Nicole asked.

  “Jade was happy with Kyle.” Alyssa seemed to be side-stepping the question.

  “But had anyone Jade dated previously get in touch with her? Had she talked with or maybe, gotten together with any old dates?” Claire asked.

  Alyssa looked out the window and then shifted her gaze back to the two young women sitting opposite. “Do you have someone in mind?”

  “Blake Rhodes.” Nicole kept eye contact with Alyssa.

  “I think I remember Jade saying Blake had gotten in touch. She dated him for a long time, but they broke up.”

  “Do you know why they broke off the relationship?” Nicole asked.

  “Not really,” Alyssa looked very uncomfortable. “But I know Blake was a cheat.”

  “He cheated on Jade?” Nicole knew from Jade’s sister that Blake had indeed cheated on her when they were dating, but she wanted to draw out what Alyssa knew.

  “She told me so.”

  “Do you know Blake?”

  “A little. I’ve met him.”

  “Was Blake at the
bonfire that night?” Claire picked up a strange feeling from Alyssa.

  The young woman’s eyes widened and she blinked fast a few times. “I don’t know. Wait. Maybe I did see him. I’m not sure though. Maybe not.”

  Claire looked straight into Alyssa’s eyes. “Are you trying to protect Blake from something?”

  “Me? No. Why would I do that?” A pink tinge showed on Alyssa’s pale cheeks either from getting caught in something or from feeing falsely accused. “I wouldn’t do that. I’d tell you if I thought he had something to do with Jade’s disappearance.” She rubbed at her forehead. “I think I saw Blake somewhere recently, but I’m not sure where. Maybe the bonfire? But maybe that wasn’t it.”

  “Were you drinking at the bonfire?” Nicole asked.

  “A few beers.”

  “What about Jade? Was she drinking?”

  “She had a beer when I saw her. I don’t know how much she drank. Maybe that was all she had.”

  “Do you think Jade might have run off with someone?” Nicole asked.

  Alyssa sat up. “No, I don’t.”

  Claire was still trying to figure out what seemed off with Alyssa. “You seem very sure of that. Why don’t you think Jade would go off for a while? She was an adult. There wouldn’t be anything wrong with doing that.”

  Alyssa shook her head. “It would be wrong. Some people might do that, but not Jade. She wouldn’t take off without telling her family. She wouldn’t do that. Her mother would worry. Jade wouldn’t make her mother worry.”

  When Nicole excused herself to use the bathroom, Claire leaned forward, her blue eyes intent, and spoke softly using an even, gentle tone. “I feel like you know something you aren’t telling me. We need every bit of information if we’re going to find Jade. Is there anything, no matter how small, that you can think of? It might seem unimportant to you, but it could be the one thing that can put us on the path to finding out what happened.”

  Alyssa’s lip twitched. “I really don’t know.” Taking a glance out the window, she watched a bunch of leaves scatter over the sidewalk in the wind. “I was feeling buzzed. Not buzzed, drunk. I think I might have seen Jade walk away with two guys. But, I could be wrong. I had way too much to drink.”