Dark Horse

by Melissa Pearl

  “Why?”

  “He doesn’t know. She just stopped showing up for classes. When the school contacted the family about it, the father said she’d decided not to bother graduating, but wouldn’t say more. Eddie was gutted. Apparently she was quite the runner.”

  “Eddie?” Cam’s dark eyebrows shot up, proving she wasn’t a true Aspen Falls local. Anyone who grew up in Aspen Falls knew Coach Eddie Carlton. He was a freaking institution at Aspen Falls High. He must’ve been working at the school for at least twenty-five years.

  Nate grinned. “Coach Carlton’s my contact at Aspen Falls High. If I ever need gossip on what’s going on around the school, he’s my man. The guy doesn’t give a shit about policy and procedure. If it’s helping out a police officer, he’ll tell you anything.”

  “Good to know.” Cam smirked and leaned back in her chair. “So, Mila dropping out with no explanation is weird, right?”

  “I know. Unless she thought she was going to flunk out anyway.” Nate made a note to see if he could get a look at her academic records.

  “Teenagers can be impulsive.”

  “True, but she was seventeen. They usually have a little more direction by then.”

  “Something must’ve motivated her.” Cam’s brown eyes narrowed. “I wonder what happened with the father? What did Jean not want to tell me?” She tapped her long finger against her chin and glanced at Cam. “Did the coach say anything about Mila’s emotional state?”

  Nate shook his head. “He didn’t know too much. All he cared about was the fact that he’d lost one of his long-distance runners, but he’s not the kind of guy to mess around with quitters. He probably wrote her off after two missed practices.”

  “So a hard-ass coach, then?”

  Nate raised his eyebrows. “Oh yeah.”

  “Do you know if any of the other teachers in the school might remember her? Maybe we can talk to one of them.”

  “Eddie rattled off a bunch of teachers who’d been there for a long time. One of them is bound to know Mila,” Nate murmured, turning back to his computer. “I’ll go through the website and check out the names, see if any of them would be willing to have a casual chat with me.”

  Cam winced. “Until we identify Mila as the victim, it’s not exactly legal to be hunting around the school and talking to a bunch of teachers.”

  Nate shot her a quick grin. “That’s why I said casual chat.”

  12

  Tuesday, May 8th

  2:05pm

  Sally had felt sluggish all day. Alcohol, even in moderation, always gave her a headache, and dragging her butt out of bed had been hard work. The hospital’s usual bustle and hive of activity snapped her out of her stupor…until she took a break. If she sat down for even a moment, she knew the effects of the previous night would swamp her.

  “You look exhausted, girl.” The head nurse, Trisha, checked her watch and then lightly tapped Sally’s knee. “You go on and take a break now.”

  “If I take a break, I’ll fall asleep and never wake up,” Sally moaned, resting her forehead against the cool desk. “Am I too young to complain that I’m getting old?”

  “Oh, stop.” Trisha snorted. “You have definitely not earned the right to talk like that.”

  “But I feel like a dinosaur today.”

  “Your bones aren’t even creaking. Now get, before you miss your break altogether.” She flicked her hand, sending Sally off.

  With a reluctant sigh, she stood on heavy legs and shuffled away from the nurses’ station. She didn’t even make it to the break room before she was stopped by an energetic Lena.

  Her smile was bright sunshine and Sally frowned at her. “You are such a cow for not feeling like crap today.”

  “What can I say? I drink well.” She winked. “You taking your break?”

  “Yep. Trisha ordered me away.”

  “Good. Go sit in the sunshine. It’ll make you feel better.”

  Sally narrowed her eyes. Something in Lena’s smile told Sally there was more to it. “What?”

  “Nothing.” Her voice pitched as she raised her hands in the air.

  “You are the worst liar.”

  “I know.” She blew Sally a kiss and walked away.

  Sally gazed down the corridor leading outside. Part of her was tempted to walk to the break room and ignore her friend, but she knew she’d never hear the end of it.

  There was obviously something outside that Lena wanted her to see.

  Was it Nate?

  Was he leaning against his bike with a bouquet of flowers and the world’s best apology?

  Her heart quickened with hope until she realized what an absurd dream that was.

  Like a wounded puppy, Nate had gone into hiding, and he wouldn’t be coming anywhere near her for a long time. She knew him well enough to know he’d drown in police work before buying flowers and trying to promise her something he couldn’t deliver.

  She’d left him.

  Hurt him.

  He’d struggle to let go of that.

  Her eyes burned as she remembered the look on his face when she told him they might as well end it.

  But what was she supposed to do?

  He’d backed her into a corner. Worn her down. He wasn’t going to change.

  Could she have done more, though? Said more? Tried to reach him in a different way?

  By the time she reached the door, her shoulders were slumped forward. The urge to drop to her knees and curl into a ball was strong. A decent sob-fest wouldn’t be hard to muster. But she wouldn’t get the chance, because when she walked outside she was met with the last sight she expected to see.

  Waiting in the sunshine was Oscar. He was holding a large bouquet of flowers—yellows, oranges, purples and reds. A cheerful selection that could make any girl smile.

  Sally did.

  They were beautiful.

  “I hope you don’t mind me showing up unannounced.” He pointed to the hospital. “Lena said it would be okay.”

  Sally took the flowers and sniffed them before giving him a shy smile. “Thank you.”

  “I just wanted to see how you were doing and, uh…” He let out an embarrassed laugh and then admitted, “I wanted to tell you that I had a wonderful time last night. I can’t stop thinking about it. About you.”

  Sally swallowed.

  She wasn’t used to this. She’d been in a relationship for so long it seemed weird to be pursued again…and by Oscar, of all people.

  “I was wondering if I could take you out sometime. I mean, if it’s not too soon after the breakup.” He winced. “I know it’s weird. Your family is like, well, family to me, but last night, I just…saw you differently.” Oscar took off his shades and perched them on the top of his head. His brown eyes studied her, making her feel pretty. He grinned. “Maybe we could go out for dinner or just a drive somewhere. Whatever you’d like, really.”

  “I…” Sally forced a smile. “That’s really sweet, but I…”

  “I know. The whole Nate thing, right? I really am not trying to take advantage of the fact that you’re probably still hurting, I swear. If anything, I want to make you feel better.”

  His accent was cute. It made each word sound so strong and purposeful. His elegance was hard to ignore. His smooth way. It’d be so easy to have a meal with him. She could spend the whole time just listening to him talk.

  “I just…” His straight white teeth flashed. “I would hate myself if I walked away without at least trying. I know gold when I see it, and you’ve never been available before. But now you are, and it’s all I can think about.”

  Brushing a wisp of hair off her face, Sally felt herself blush. She seemed to do that a lot around him. Probably because he kept complimenting her. Making her feel like she was something special.

  “I won’t pressure you.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a business card. “I’m in town for a good long while and I’m a patient man. You give me a call whenever you’re ready.”
<
br />   Slipping the card into the top of the bouquet, he gave her another stunning smile before walking back to his car. Sally watched him the whole way, raising her hand when he spun to wave goodbye.

  Her heart fluttered oddly in her chest.

  It seemed too soon to move on.

  Her heart wasn’t ready for someone new.

  It still beat for Nate.

  Sniffing the flowers again, she gazed down at the gorgeous petals. Oscar had picked perfectly. All her favorite colors bundled together into something pretty.

  “Aren’t they beautiful? I nearly died when I saw them.” Lena slipped out the door and wrapped her arm around Sally’s shoulders. “At first I hoped they were for me, but he asked for you the second he saw me.” She looked at Sally with a hopeful smile. “Did he ask you out?”

  “Yes,” Sally croaked. “But it’s too soon.”

  Lena growled in her throat and squeezed Sally’s shoulder. “Don’t talk stupid. It’s not too soon if it’s right. Stop waiting around for what you want and go for it.”

  “I want Nate,” Sally murmured.

  “You say that, but do you really? If Nate was so perfect, then why did he never show up? You want Nate to be something he’s not, which isn’t fair to either of you. Think about all those times you were miserable, complaining about how you never saw him. How his mind was always on work. Oscar is here, now, and he wants to spend time with you. He wants to take you out and treat you like a lady. You deserve that, mi hermana.”

  Sally grinned at her friend. “You’re sweet.”

  “I’m right. Just admit it. A little part of you wants to go out with Oscar and see what it’s like.”

  “Maybe.” Sally shrugged, pocketing the card before Lena could steal it and somehow force her into a date she wasn’t ready for.

  As she followed her friend inside and walked the flowers back to the station, she was met with various reactions. All of them were good, including the last, which was a doctor who murmured, “He must think you’re something special.”

  The man winked before turning away, and Sally had to admit how special Oscar had made her feel.

  And for the first time in over three years, her heart spared a beat for someone other than Nate.

  13

  Tuesday, May 8th

  3:45pm

  Nate’s shoes echoed in the empty school corridors as he clipped his way down to Ms. Stewart’s science lab. She was the only teacher at Aspen Falls High who had agreed to meet with him at such short notice. Out of the eight names Eddie had given him, only two had taught Mila and only one was available for comment.

  Nate racked his brain to see if he could remember Ms. Stewart when he’d been at Aspen Falls High, but she’d never taught him. He couldn’t remember Mila Schnyder either. She would’ve been a sophomore when he was a senior, and as hard as he studied her picture, he couldn’t even conjure an image of passing her in the school corridor.

  He’d stopped by home on his way to the school and dug out his yearbooks. He found a few images of Mila. One on the track team, another in the Science Club, and then her student photo in the sophomore section. That was the best one. Her smile was broad and toothy, her blonde curls carefully managed. She had a cheerful sparkle in her blue-gray eyes, which reminded Nate of Sally.

  His gut pinched as he fought off images of his ex-girlfriend and focused back on the case. He paused outside the science lab and tapped his knuckle on the door that was just slightly ajar.

  “Yes, come in,” a woman with a featherlight voice called.

  Nate had already seen the woman on the AF High website, and she looked exactly like her photo—middle-aged, short gray-speckled curls, creases around her eyes. She wore pastel colors and clothes that looked a decade or two old. She obviously didn’t care too much about fashion, but it was clear she’d dedicated her life to teaching.

  Her lab was spotless and tidy. The board was covered with formulas and annotations, and assignments were piled high on either side of her desk. She was scribbling a lengthy comment on one assignment with a bright red pen, not even looking up as Nate approached her.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Stewart. I’m Detective Hartford.”

  She finally glanced up and pulled the glasses off the end of her nose. “Oh hello, Detective.”

  “Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me.”

  “It’s not a problem.” She capped her pen and indicated for Nate to take a seat at the lab table closest to hers. “Although I’m not sure how much help I’ll be. It was a long time ago now. But you are the police, and it’s my civic duty to assist as much as I’m able.”

  Nate gave her a tight smile, glad she didn’t know that this casual chat was kind of bending the rules. He pulled out his notebook and perched on the stool. “So, Mila was in your Advanced Chemistry class in her senior year.”

  “Yes. I went through my computer and pulled up her records, trying to jog my memory. That was twelve years ago now, and I had to study her ID photo to even remember her, but I think I do. She was a straight-A student. Very motivated and alert. Somewhat intelligent, although I think her grades reflected her attitude toward learning and hard work more than her natural ability.”

  Nate’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Yet she dropped out.”

  “Yes.” The woman frowned. “Very surprising, although according to my records here, it did show her grades slipping in the last few months.” The woman closed her eyes, her wrinkles highlighted as she scrunched up her face. “There were a few wayward girls that year. I’m just trying to think if they were friends with Mila or not. I can picture a little cluster of them.” Her curls bobbed as she shook her head. “Not sure, but Mila’s test scores show a sharp decline after spring break. I don’t know what she got up to, but she came back very distracted. She didn’t seem to care about schoolwork as much as she had before, and it reflected in her grades.”

  “Do you know why she was acting that way?”

  The woman shook her head. “I’m here to teach, Detective, not be a counselor. I leave that job to the experts, which is why I suggested she spend some time with our guidance counselor. I made a note of that at the time.” She pointed at her computer screen.

  “And did she?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. I couldn’t force her to go, and from what I observed in class, she wasn’t high or intoxicated. She just seemed distracted.” The teacher squinted at her screen, putting her glasses back on before reading. “Mila is not herself, staring out the window with a dreamy smile. I’ve never seen her so unfocused. Have suggested she have a session with Mrs. Griffin before her grades are affected too badly.”

  “A dreamy smile?” Nate repeated.

  “Yes.” The woman nodded, looking slightly mystified by why a motivated seventeen-year-old would suddenly become distracted this way.

  A dreamy smile.

  Didn’t that say it all?

  Nate checked the woman’s hand and saw no rings on her fingers. He was tempted to ask if she was single and how long she’d been that way, but it was none of his business.

  A dreamy smile.

  Anyone who’d experienced a high school crush would understand.

  “Ms. Stewart, do you know if Mila had a boyfriend? Did she maybe start dating someone during spring break?”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t know.” The woman stiffened. “It’s not my job to keep track of my students’ love lives. The amount they switch and change partners these days is ridiculous.”

  “I was just wondering if Mila was distracted because she was in love.”

  “She was seventeen.” The woman looked incredulous. “You can’t fall in love at seventeen.”

  Nate had to bite back his snicker. “I’m sorry to disagree, ma’am, but I think teenagers fall in love all the time. Their emotions are often much stronger too. Dreamy smiles and distracted behavior indicates to me that Mila Schnyder may well have been in love.”

  The woman frowned and snatched her red pen off the table,
fidgeting with it while she muttered, “Yes, well, I don’t really know too much about that sort of thing.”

  “Right.” Nate swallowed and changed tactics. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Ms. Stewart was passionate about teaching science… and only science. She wasn’t one of those teachers to get to know her students on a personal level. “So, when Mila stopped attending classes, were you aware of any rumors circulating? Did you hear any other students talking about her?”

  She popped the cap off her pen, then replaced it. “Such a long time ago now, it’s hard to remember. Rumors circulate around my lab constantly, and I tend to ignore them and tell my students to get on with it. Although…” She started wagging her finger in the air. “I get confused with who got up to what. I’ve seen a lot of students in my extensive years of teaching, but was she the girl who got pregnant? Or did she run away?” The woman’s shoulder hitched. “Something like that sounds familiar. There were a couple of things going on with that senior class that year, I just can’t remember which crisis belonged to which student.”

  Nate scribbled down ‘pregnant’ and ‘runaway.’

  “Can you remember anything else?”

  The woman shook her head. “I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful, Detective. I really see so many students each year and I don’t get to know them all. There are just too many.”

  Her tight smile indicated that she preferred to keep them at a professional distance. They were there to learn, not bond with her.

  Nate stood, holding his sigh in check as he slipped his notebook and pen away. “Thank you so much for your time, Ms. Stewart.”

  “Of course.” She nodded once more before she uncapped her pen and got back to work.

  Nate walked away from the classroom, his brain buzzing as he strode to the car. Pregnant or runaway. Two great reasons to drop out of school.

  Runaway.

  Nate toyed with that scenario as he walked to his car. “I wonder if there’d be a police report about that.”

  Picking up his pace, Nate double-timed it back to the AFPD precinct.