Abandoned

by Patricia H. Rushford

  “Have you figured out who did it yet?” She settled back into the chair and handed Lisa her drink. “What?” she asked when neither Gavin nor Lisa answered.

  “Um … nothing.” Lisa cleared her throat. She looked embarrassed.

  “Am I interrupting something? If I am, I can go away for a while.”

  “No,” Gavin said a little too quickly. “We were just talking. I told Lisa I hoped she was elected Fall Festival Queen.”

  “Hmm.” Jennie had never figured Lisa might be interested in Gavin romantically. Lisa usually went for the more muscular type. Gavin’s sudden interest in her cousin surprised Jennie. No reason why it should. A lot of guys liked Lisa. She was so cute and bubbly and had a fantastic figure. Jennie, however, was built more like a telephone pole. Don’t go there, McGrady, she reminded herself. She was learning to live with the personality, shape, and gifts that were unique to her and not wish she were like Lisa or anyone else. Besides, over the summer she’d had her share of admirers.

  Lisa smiled. “Thank you, Gavin. That’s sweet. Problem is, if I do win, I’m going to need an escort. Right now I’m not going with anybody.” Her green eyes twinkled. “I suppose you’re taking B.J.?”

  Gavin blushed. “Where did you get that idea?”

  “Well, you two have been spending a lot of time together. I just thought …”

  “I’ve been giving her photography lessons. I think Russ asked her. But if you want, I could take you.”

  “Well, thanks a heap, friend,” Jennie teased. “I was hoping you’d go with me.”

  “You were?” Gavin pushed his glasses back.

  “I’m kidding.” Jennie took a sip of her drink. “I’ll just go by myself. Or I may not go at all.”

  “You could ask Ryan,” Lisa suggested.

  “Right.” Jennie had to admit the idea appealed to her, but he might still be seeing Camilla. She wouldn’t ask—it would hurt too much if he turned her down.

  “What about that guy from Oregon State?” Gavin asked.

  “Scott Chambers,” Lisa added. “Why don’t you ask him, Jennie? He really likes you.”

  “He likes his environmental causes more. I doubt he’d have the time. Last time he called me, he was all excited about going to Iceland to work with Keiko.”

  Lisa gave her an accusing look. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Jennie shrugged. “What did you want me to say? ‘Oh, by the way, I’ve been dumped for a whale’?”

  “Gavin could take both of us.” Lisa brushed back her hair.

  “Both—?” Gavin squeaked.

  “Why not?” Lisa chuckled. “We’re all good friends.”

  “Sounds okay to me.” Jennie nodded. From the silly grin on Gavin’s face, Lisa had boosted his ego into another galaxy. That was good. Gavin hadn’t been very happy since his girlfriend, Courtney, moved back to New York with her dad. He was smart, cute, and available, but the girls weren’t exactly breaking down walls to go out with him.

  “Now that we’ve settled that,” Jennie said, “let’s get back to business.” She told Gavin her theories about how someone may have gotten into the journalism room. He agreed, then went through the list of people who contributed to the paper and might have had access.

  “It’s a long list.” Lisa tossed her empty drink container in a nearby trash can.

  “Too long,” Gavin said, “but I suppose we should get started.”

  “Seems like a waste of time.” Lisa crumpled a damp napkin. “There’s no reason for any of the journalism students to print garbage like this.”

  “Maybe.” Jennie toyed with her straw and focused on the moisture dripping down the side of the paper cup. “But the fact remains that someone did it. This person is vindictive, knows how the paper goes together, and had to have done some extensive research. The only motive here that I can see is to hurt Annie.”

  “And hurt her chances of being elected Fall Festival Queen,” Gavin added.

  “Which is why I keep going back to the other contestants. We know Lisa didn’t do it. What about B.J.? I’d hate to think of her as the kind of person who would write something like this, but …”

  Gavin sighed. “I’ve wondered about that myself. She’d like Allison to win, but not that much. She’s changed a lot since she came to live with the Beaumonts. Seems more settled and happy. She enjoys working on the paper.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t fit.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” Lisa agreed. “It has to be someone on the outside.”

  “Lisa, I know how hard it is for you to see any of the kids being this cruel, but face it—who else would even care?” Jennie turned to watch the skaters on the ice below. Speculating was getting them nowhere. “I still think the key to all of this has to do with whoever has been following Annie. We just have to figure out who that is.”

  After a long silence Jennie said, “Sitting here isn’t going to get us anywhere. I’m going to call Mom—see if she’s talked to Dad yet. If she hasn’t heard from him, I’m going back to Annie’s place—see if the police have had any luck. I want to know who was driving that beige car.”

  Gavin threw away his cup. “Can you drop me off at the Oregonian? I’m going to write an article about the break-in. Then I’m going to call everybody connected with the school paper.” The Oregonian was the Portland area’s primary newspaper, and Gavin worked there part time as a reporter.

  “I could talk to some of Annie’s friends,” Lisa volunteered. “She might be staying with someone and have sworn them to secrecy.”

  “Good idea.” Jennie cleared the table, slipped the strap of her backpack over her shoulders, and headed for the pay phones.

  “Any luck?” Lisa asked when Jennie joined her and Gavin at the exit.

  “Waste of thirty-five cents.” Jennie frowned. “Dad hadn’t called, and I woke Mom up from a nap.”

  “I appreciate the ride.” Gavin opened the passenger door and climbed into the backseat. “Takes me too long to get around on my bike.”

  “When are you getting your driver’s license?” Jennie asked, pretending annoyance at having to drive him. She really didn’t mind—especially when she was able to drive him home or pick him up. Gavin lived on a farm in East County. She loved the country setting. She also enjoyed talking with his mom, Maddie, who was a writer.

  He shrugged. “I don’t have a car and can’t afford the insurance, so what’s the use? Unlike you two, who are spoiled rotten and have your parents subsidizing you, I have to pay for everything. Trust me—it’s expensive. I’d rather save the money I make for college. Besides, if I had my own car, I wouldn’t have an excuse to ride with two beautiful women.”

  “Yeah, right,” Jennie grumped. “I saw the photo of me you put in the school paper. I’d hardly call that beautiful. Thanks a bunch.”

  “Hey—it was a good action shot. Anyway, it isn’t the photo; it’s the numbers people will be looking at.”

  Lisa slid into the seat beside her and pulled the seat belt around. “Numbers, huh? Like 30–23–30?”

  “Lisa!” Jennie huffed.

  Lisa laughed. “Relax, Jen. I was only kidding. You are so uptight.”

  “Well, I don’t think you need to let the world know my measurements.”

  “I’m sure Gavin won’t tell anyone.”

  Gavin leaned forward. “You want to run that by me again, Lisa? I’ll put it in next week’s edition.”

  “That is not funny.” Jennie started the car and backed out of her parking space as she heard the click of Gavin’s seat belt.

  “Sick—that’s what you two are. Just plain sick.” Jennie caught Gavin’s wide grin in the rearview mirror and tossed one back at him.

  After dropping Gavin off at the newspaper office and promising to pick him up later, Jennie and Lisa continued on to Jennie’s house, where Lisa had left her car tha
t morning. She didn’t come in, saying she was going to pay a visit to Allison and B.J., then to Charity Brooks and some of the other girls Annie ran around with.

  It was only after Lisa was gone that Jennie remembered what Annie had said about Charity when they were driving to the pool on Thursday. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Charity,” Annie had said. “She hates me. I’m not sure why.”

  Jennie crept into the house in case her mother was still taking a nap. She hurried into the kitchen, grabbed an apple, checked the answering machine and message pad beside the phone, then went upstairs to her room.

  There she tried to call her father, but he was still out on a case. Rocky wasn’t available either. Frustrated, she finished her apple and wrote her mom a note saying she was going back over to Annie’s.

  At three-thirty she drove up to the curb in front of Annie’s house and parked behind a patrol car. Three cars filled the driveway—one of them was Debra Noble’s teal blue minivan.

  8

  “Well, hi, Jennie.” Debra was just getting out of her van and glanced back toward the street. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was about to ask you the same thing. I’m a friend of Annie’s. Do you know if they’ve found her?”

  “I’m afraid not. I heard about her disappearance and decided to interview the family. We’ll do a segment on the six o’clock news and again at eleven.” She glanced toward the house. “Excuse me, but I should get inside. Are you going in?”

  “I was. M-maybe I shouldn’t.”

  “You said you were Annie’s friend?”

  “Uh-huh. She goes to my school.” Jennie realized after she’d said it that Debra already knew that.

  “Jennie, why don’t you stay? It might be good to interview a classmate.”

  “Um … I’m not sure I want to do that.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t ask any ‘stupid’ questions.” She gave Jennie a broad smile that said she’d forgiven Jennie for the comment she’d made after the meet. “I just want to do what I can to help the police find her—or convince her to come home.”

  “I do too.” Jennie told her about Annie’s concern that someone may have been stalking her.

  A frown set on Debra’s clear features. “That’s what my police informant said. I hope that’s not the case.

  “Oh, here’s Les.”

  Jennie looked back at the Channel 22 News van. The cameraman slid out of the van and opened the back to pull out his equipment. The three of them walked in together.

  Rocky and Annie’s father stood off to her right, just inside a room that looked like an office. Except for Rocky’s fleeting glance in her direction, the two men ignored her.

  Jennie walked past without acknowledging him. While they were making introductions and setting up, Jennie sat on the stairway in the entry, watching.

  Dr. Phillips wore a polo shirt and shorts. His tan, muscular legs and arms bore evidence to the hours he spent outdoors—probably playing golf. She’d noticed a cart sitting just inside the open garage door, and from his bewildered look, she assumed he’d just come home.

  “Is all of this really necessary?” Dr. Phillips said. “Annie’s upset. Give her a little time to cool off, and she’ll be back.”

  “You seem certain of that,” Rocky said.

  “I am. I know my daughter. Jeanette tends to blow things out of proportion. She shouldn’t have called you or the media into this. It’s a family affair.” He shook his head. “Annie’s going to be even more upset when she hears we’ve brought in the police and reporters. And I don’t think the media attention is going to help at all. I told my wife not to worry this morning before I left.”

  “Dr. Phillips, there’s reason to believe your daughter may have been abducted.”

  “What? That’s impossible. I mean …”

  Rocky related the discussion he, Jennie, and Mrs. Phillips had had earlier. Jennie found it odd that Mrs. Phillips hadn’t told her husband, but maybe she hadn’t had a chance. What she found even harder to accept was the fact that his daughter hadn’t come home all night and he’d gone out golfing.

  “We’re ready to start.” Debra spoke briefly to the two men and ushered them closer to the camera. She placed Dr. and Mrs. Phillips together on the couch, with Jennie next to them. Rocky was to stand next to Debra.

  “Okay, Les. Whenever you’re ready.”

  Les responded by turning on the camera. “Go ahead.”

  “Good evening, I’m Debra Noble.” Debra spoke into the microphone and looked directly at the camera. “Many of you will remember Annie Phillips as the perky young lady from Trinity High School whom I interviewed just last week. Annie was one of four girls hoping to gain the title of Trinity’s Fall Festival Queen. Today Annie is in the news again, only on a much sadder note. Annie left her home last evening at eight-thirty and has not returned. Her boyfriend, Shawn Conners, allegedly dropped her off around eleven, but her mother told police this morning that Annie is still missing.

  “We’re here this afternoon at Annie’s house with her parents, Dr. Paul Phillips and his wife, Jeanette. Annie’s good friend Jennie McGrady is here, as well, along with Officer Dean Rockwell from the Portland police.

  “Officer Rockwell, I understand you’re leading up the investigation into Annie Phillips’ disappearance.” Debra stuck the microphone in Rocky’s face.

  He leaned away from it. “At this point everything is speculation. We’re checking into several leads.”

  “Do you think she was abducted?”

  “We’re not ruling out that possibility. Right now we’re looking for information. If anyone knows anything about Annie Phillips’ whereabouts, I urge them to call the police immediately.”

  “Thank you, Officer Rockwell.” Debra turned away from him and moved to an empty chair near the Phillipses and sat down. “Dr. and Mrs. Phillips, I know this is a difficult time for you. I understand that Annie became upset when she discovered she was adopted.”

  “Yes.” Mrs. Phillips dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “We should have told her before. I see that now. I just wish we knew what’s happened to her. We love her so much.”

  “I’m sure you do.” Debra went on to tell about the story that had appeared in the school paper and how it led to Annie discovering she had been a throw-away baby.

  Debra then focused on Jennie, and the camera followed her lead. “Jennie, can you give us any insight as to what might have happened to Annie?”

  “Not really. She told me at school a couple of days ago that she was being followed. That’s what makes this so scary.”

  “It is frightening indeed.” Going back to Mrs. Phillips, Debra said, “Annie is your only child, isn’t she?”

  “Yes. We were never able to have children of our own. Paul was on duty at the hospital the night Annie was found. We were thrilled when we were chosen to adopt her. She’s been a delightful child. I just pray nothing’s happened to …” Mrs. Phillips dissolved in sobs.

  Her husband settled an arm around her. “May I say something?”

  “Certainly.” Debra tipped the mic toward him.

  “Annie, honey, I know this is hurtful for you, but running away isn’t going to solve anything. If you’re watching, please know that we would never deliberately hurt you. Adopted or not, you’re our daughter, and we love you more than life itself.”

  “Okay. That should do it,” Debra said. “I’ll do the wrap-up on the air. Thanks. We’ll need a recent photo of Annie.”

  Mrs. Phillips stood. “I’ll get one.”

  “Dr. Phillips, I’m curious. You were talking to your daughter as though she had run away. Apparently you don’t agree with the abduction theory.”

  “No, I don’t.” He closed his eyes. “I can’t.”

  “Well, I hope you’re right.” Debra placed the microphone in her large briefcase and took
the framed 8 × 10 portrait of Annie that Mrs. Phillips handed her. “Thank you for doing the interview. Let’s just hope it does some good. Have you talked with anyone else?”

  “No,” Dr. Phillips said. “And I don’t think I can go through this again.”

  “You probably won’t have to. Once I run the exclusive, the other stations will pick it up. The more attention this gets, the more likely we’ll find someone who has seen her.”

  “If it doesn’t alienate her completely,” Dr. Phillips muttered.

  Debra apparently didn’t hear him. If she did, she didn’t acknowledge it.

  “I appreciate your staying,” Debra told Rocky. “You will call me if anything breaks, won’t you?”

  “You’ll be one of the first to know.” He gave her a smile and walked out with her. If Debra hadn’t been at least ten years older than he was, Jennie would have suspected him of flirting with the woman. Maybe he was. Age didn’t matter to some people. Debra was definitely flirting with him—batting her baby blues and turning on the charm.

  Jennie would have followed them outside, but Dr. Phillips stopped her. “Jennie, I understand we have you to thank for this abduction business.” His expression and the harsh edge in his voice told her he wasn’t thankful at all.

  “Me?” Jennie automatically went on the defensive. “Annie told me she was being followed. I just told the police.”

  “Annie never mentioned anything like that to us.”

  “She was afraid to in case it wasn’t for real. She didn’t want anyone laughing at her.”

  He frowned. “If anyone is to blame in this, it’s that young man who edits the paper.”

  “Gavin didn’t—”

  “Oh yes, Gavin Winslow. You can tell your friend for me that he’ll be hearing from my attorney.”

  “But—”

  “I’d like you to leave now, Miss McGrady. I need to talk with my wife and try to pull what’s left of my family back together again.”

  Jennie clenched her fists and stepped outside. The door slammed behind her. “How rude.” But the man is hurting, part of her reasoned. Anger, denial, it was all part of the grieving process. Jennie had been through it all years ago when government agents came to their house to tell them her father was missing and presumed dead. She’d been angry too. Still, Dr. Phillips had no right to lash out at her. She hadn’t done anything but try to help.