She pulled out a plain duffel bag and then began packing the things she’d need for her trip when her roommate barged in, startling her. “Oh, my god! Have you heard?”
“Heard what, Stephanie?” When talking with her roommate, Sally typically played dumb. The girl couldn’t handle anything remotely intelligent. She’d once mistaken Sally’s slipper for a mouse and ran screaming from the room in the middle of the night, waking up half the kids in the dorm.
Sally tapped her foot, waiting for the blonde to fill her in on her urgent news.
“Mrs. Conley.” She paused. “You know, the math teacher…”
“I know who Mrs. Conley is.” Sally rolled her eyes. “Could we get to the point?”
“Well, she kidnapped three boys! She’s some pervo woman!”
“I’m sure that’s not what happened.” Sally shoved a blouse into her bag.
“It’s all over the monitors!” Stephanie huffed. “There’s some Asian reporter lady who’s out front right now, interviewing Mrs. Padilla.”
Sally looked at her with wide eyes and then fished her phone from her pocket, checking the Hi-Li feeds. “Crap!” She grabbed her notepad and raced for the door.
As Sally jogged through the halls, she glanced up at a live feed on one of the Hi-Li monitors. Mrs. Padilla, the headmistress, stood at a podium in front of the school, answering questions from the reporter. Sally exhaled and quickened her pace.
She exited the building and was met with resistance from the heavy Georgia air; it was an unusually warm day for early spring. The headmistress faced a large TV camera held by a rather plump cameraman, who looked as if he’d rather be playing video games than interacting with real live people. Sally joined the crowd that had gathered, recording video with her phone’s camera and listening to the exchange.
“William…uh…Martin and…Daniel Sherman were missing first.” Mrs. Padilla’s gaze darted back and forth from camera to reporter as though unsure how she should answer the question. It looked to Sally as if the eccentric old woman was watching a tennis match. “But I was told they’d come back. Professor Marcia Conley assured me that she’d found them, and that I should wait in my office to deliver punishment. And then…then they were all gone.”
“Who is the third boy, Mrs. Padilla?” the reporter asked. “Perhaps people who know the boys can call in with information.”
“Shayne Masterson?” She looked dazed, confused, and unsure of herself. “Shayne was the third boy. He was head of the boy’s dorm. He was…is a football player.”
“Police have speculated that…” The reporter glanced down at a note card. “…Marcia Conley may have kidnapped the boys. What are your thoughts on this accusation?”
“Well, I hardly think that…” She faltered. “I don’t think… I mean, Mrs. Conley! I assure you, that isn’t possible.”
“That’s all the time we have, Mrs. Padilla.” The reporter turned toward the camera. “Teenage runaways? Or abduction by teacher? We’ll have more for you at eleven. This is Lani Tanaka reporting live from Hidden Lake Preparatory School. Todd, back to you.”
The light on the camera went off, and Lani turned back to the headmistress, thanking her for her assistance. Mrs. Padilla, bordering on tears, looked extremely uncomfortable in the heat. It was no wonder with the gaudy dress, feathered hat, and equally clashing necklaces, brooches, and other such adornments. She looked to Sally like a young girl given free rein in a costume shop. While some kids thought she was a bit loony, Sally always felt that she truly cared and was respected by most of the students and staff.
Sally noticed the headmistress walking away with a limp and went to her side. “Do you need any help, Mrs. Padilla?”
“Oh, my dear!” The woman’s high-pitched voice seemed to match her haphazard appearance. “Thank you so much! I twisted my ankle in these damned heels.” Her eyes went large. “Oh dear. I’m sorry about my language! I don’t know what’s gotten into me!”
“It’s okay, Miss P. I’m a big girl.” Sally gave an upward nod.
“I’m just… I can’t believe what has happened. Never in my life… Mrs. Conley? Surely, it couldn’t be true…”
“You’re gonna be all right.” Taking one of the woman’s arms, Sally supported her weight. “Let’s go to your office and rest.”
The cool air from the building embraced them as they entered and made their way to the office. Once inside, Sally sat her in the big brown plush chair behind the desk. Then she went to the water cooler, filled a cup, and brought it to the headmistress’ shaking hands. Sally steadied the woman’s grip and helped her to drink.
“Thank you so much. You’re a good girl, always such a help.” The headmistress pulled off her feathered hat and placed it on the desk, then reached down to remove her shoes. She winced, rubbing her sprained ankle. “Oh! Sally, you must set the record straight! Mrs. Conley would never…”
“I know, Mrs. Padilla, I’m on it. I just need to know what happened.”
“She said they’d come back,” the woman responded absently, still rubbing her foot. “She was sure that they’d left campus. But why would she take them? It just doesn’t make sense.”
“Mrs. Padilla…” Sally tried to get the woman to focus. “Tell me what happened so I can help.”
The headmistress looked at her, dazed. It was clear Sally wasn’t getting any coherent responses from her today. She stood. “Why don’t I come back when you’re feeling better, okay?”
Mrs. Padilla nodded slightly, staring absently at something across the room as if suddenly lost in thought. Sally sighed and put her notepad into the pocket of her jeans, glancing back one last time at the confused woman before leaving.
CHAPTER FOUR
“YASIF, I’M TELLING YOU. She was a mess!” Sally barked into her cell a couple hours later as the taxi merged onto Interstate 20, approaching Atlanta. She stared out at the passing buildings, the distant sinking sun painting them in dusk colors.
“Hasn’t she always been a bit off her rocker?” Yasif replied.
“Yeah, but whatever’s going on has her more rattled than usual.”
“I’ll get what information I can while you’re gone,” he reassured her—his accent was just as cute over the phone. “You’re better at the people part, though.”
“Just do your best, okay? Talk to Ben Lamb. He was friends with Shayne. He might know something.”
Yasif was silent for a moment.
“I know you don’t like him, but we’re going to need his help right now.” She glanced up as they drove deeper into the city.
“I’ll do what I can.” He sounded reluctant.
She knew she could count on him though. “Oh, and, Yasif…”
“Yeah?” he responded expectantly.
“You think you could get into Billy and Daniel’s room before they go in and clean it out?”
Silence passed for a moment. “I can try. It shouldn’t be hard, considering Shayne was usually the one watching the halls at night.”
“I’m sorry I’m not there with you, Yaz. You know I’d be at your side if I hadn’t already made plans to see Mom.”
“It’s okay.” His tone wasn’t terribly convincing, but she understood; the stakes were much higher than usual. They had exposed a few minor scandals at the school—at least by teenage standards—but this was potentially more dangerous than anything they had done before.
Sympathetically, she said, “Text me later, okay?”
“Okay.” The phone clicked, the connection broken.
She immediately checked her Facebook page, scrolling through the list of posts to see if anyone was talking about the events at the school—a couple random comments, but nothing substantial. She would have to keep a sharp eye out.
She flipped over to Twitter to see how much information had leaked to the media. The hashtags #hiddenlake and #missingkids were already trending. As soon as Lani’s story had aired, there was a sharp increase in mentions. This was something the stations would mi
lk for a few days, especially if they kept playing the angle that a female teacher kidnapped three boys. “Disgusting pigs.”
“I’m sorry?” The cab driver’s eyes appeared in the rearview.
“Nothing. Just something on my phone. Sorry!”
He smiled politely.
She scrunched her nose. How could they think Mrs. Conley would do such a thing? Anything for a story, right? It was stuff like this that made Sally question being a journalist. Sensationalistic news seemed more important than the truth these days
She slipped her phone into her pocket and ran her fingers through her hair, glancing out of the window as evening settled over the city. The taxi merged onto the Downtown Connector that went straight through the heart of Atlanta. Reflections cast off the buildings, giving everything around her a reddish hue. She felt detached, the scene before her surreal as if she were looking on the city through someone else’s eyes. The disappearances had rattled her; she hadn’t truly faced what she had seen.
They exited at Peachtree, and Sally took to watching the people walk along the sidewalks as the vehicle inched through evening traffic. The cab stopped at a red light. Sally’s gaze settled on a man staring at his phone. But what caught her attention was the fact that he wore a top hat. It seemed jarringly out of place. It wasn’t the oddest thing about him, either. Something seemed off, as though he simply didn’t belong. Still glued to his phone, he passed a black cat in an alcove and nearly stepped on the poor creature. Sally screamed out, but stopped herself, realizing he couldn’t hear her anyway. How can people be so careless? The poor animal had been minding its own business.
But wait…the cat wasn’t just simply sitting there. It was watching the man, giving him the evil eye even for almost trampling on its tail. Then the animal stood and followed. Sally narrowed her eyes. She swore it moved after him as though with a purpose. In fact, it looked as if it was following him. Sally shook her head, sure she’d begun to lose her mind, but sure enough, the feline continued after him. It didn’t follow the way a pet would after an owner. It was more calculated, the way a predator would stalk its prey. It crouched low, as though readying to pounce.
This was crazy! It was just a stupid cat!
Traffic slowed.
Sally moved to get a glimpse at what was causing the problem and saw a construction worker directing traffic. It would take a while to get through. She sat back and returned her attention to the strange cat.
Her eyes bugged out. Had it gotten bigger?
She stared in disbelief. The cat was at least twice its previous size. A moment later, it had grown even more. Its body began to swell, its legs lengthen. A moment later, it stood upright on two legs.
“What?” She rubbed her eyes.
“Pardon?” The cabbie’s eyes once again appeared in the mirror.
“Oh, never mind, just a purse that I wanted.” She didn’t want the cabbie to think she’d completely lost her mind, though she wasn’t sure herself she hadn’t.
The driver shook his head.
First the disappearance at the school, now this? She seriously considered making an appointment with the counselor, Mrs. Stone.
As if to confirm her insanity, the cat had taken a form identical to the man with the top hat. It continued after him, following about two steps behind.
Sally wanted to scream at him, to tell the man in front to get his nose out of his phone! A nearby woman glanced at the twin men with mild surprise. Sally was happy to know she wasn’t the only one who saw them. The woman, however, must have figured the two were merely brothers. She shrugged and continued on her way.
The urge came upon Sally to tell the cab driver to pull over and let her out, but what would she do? Confront the man? What if it really was his twin and she’d just hallucinated the cat? What if it had just been a trick of the light? What would she do then? Go up to him and say, “Hey, mister, did you know you have a cat behind you who looks like your twin?”
Now that would be embarrassing!
Once they’d passed the construction, the cab sped up, and she lost sight of the man. A small part of her wanted to go looking for him, but her mother was expecting her, and she still wasn’t completely sure of what she’d seen.
When the taxi stopped again, Sally got out, glanced up at the familiar slim building in front of her, and forgot all about the man and the cat. She was home.
She pushed her hair behind one ear and leaned into the cab, handing the driver her card. After retrieving her bag and the card, she went in.
The Spire was a bit fancy for Sally’s taste, the entrance sitting area consisting of polished marble floors and peach columns. Expensive paintings and artwork hung on the muted tan walls. Half-circle areas of carpeting on either side gave space for guests to sit on couches in the lobby. None of it had changed in the ten years they’d lived there. The familiarity of it was oddly calming.
The elevator was full of passengers. Several more crowded in after her, and Sally found herself pushed toward the back. She let out a breath as the doors slid closed, feeling safe behind so many bodies. Just before they touched, though, the doors stopped abruptly—a hand appearing between them, causing them to slide open again. She couldn’t see the person who was rude enough to stop the elevator, and he might have gone unnoticed altogether if not for the reflection of his top hat in the mirrored walls of the lift.
Sally froze, her eyes wide, her muscles refusing to budge. Could it be? Shifting as best she could, she caught a glance of his face in the reflection.
She shuddered, the oddness of his features more apparent now that she’d gotten a closer look—though no one else seemed to notice. His eyes were a bit off, his nose a bit too small, his skin a bit too pale. The others were just annoyed at his attempt to squeeze into the already full elevator.
What was he doing there? She stared at his image in the mirrored surface as if she could read his life history from the reflection. Was this mere coincidence that he lived in the same building as her mother? The thought made Sally shudder.
The doors closed again and the elevator began its upward journey, leaving Sally’s stomach on the first floor. It stopped several times, people sliding around as one by one they exited. Sally couldn’t take her gaze off the man.
At floor fourteen, the doors slid open and the man stepped off. Just before passing out of view, he turned and glanced at Sally—a subtle look? It could have been just a passing glimpse, but it was enough to send chills up her spine. She wrapped her arms around her bag, pulling it close to her body as though it would protect her from harm. For no reason other than her own irrational fear, her heart pumped like mad. By the time she arrived on the twentieth floor, only three passengers remained, but her nerves still buzzed with fear.
Sally stepped out of the lift, moving quickly down the long hall toward her mother’s apartment, her gaze darting back and forth as though she expected Mr. Top Hat to pop out from each and every doorway. She jabbed the doorbell with her finger, shifting nervously on her feet. An echo from the opposite end of the hall made her scream out. To her embarrassment, it turned out to be an old man with a cane entering the hall.
“Calm down,” she said aloud. “Why are you being so stupid?” Pausing to take a deep breath, she remembered her keycard and wondered why she’d bothered with the doorbell in the first place. Swiping her card, she pushed the door open and swooped inside. For the moment, she was safe.
CHAPTER FIVE
“WELCOME HOME!” Her mother’s voice rang out.
Sally let out a yelp, grabbing her chest in fright. She could feel the pounding of her heart along with the embarrassment over being afraid of an empty hall. She took deep breaths to calm her nerves.
“What a way to greet your mother!” The woman smiled and held out her arms.
“I’m sorry, Mom, it’s been a really weird day.” Sally dropped her bag and embraced her mother.
“We can talk about it over some nice hot chocolate.” Her mother looked old—older tha
n she should have, anyway. It was clear she still wasn’t sleeping well.
“Are you okay?” Sally asked.
“Of course, dear.” She put on a big smile. “You know me.”
Sally knew. Her mother spent most nights watching television or reading magazines—not doing the thing most people did at night, sleep.
“I’m so glad to see you, honey! I wish you’d come by more often.” She had been smoking again, the rasp in her voice more defined. Sally caught herself before commenting; now wasn’t the time.
“I know, Mother. I have a lot of responsibilities with the Hi-Li and I’m graduating soon, remember?”
Her mother put her hands on her face and started crying. “My little girl!”
“Please, Mom! I’ve had a really rough day.” She kissed her mother on the cheek and then escaped to her bedroom, not in the mood for hysterics. As soon as her bag hit the floor, she fell onto the bed, letting her mind relax for the first time since she had left the school.
She stared up at the ceiling for a while, trying to force the strange things she’d seen from her mind. She kept expecting the guy with the top hat to show up any second.
She didn’t know what to make of the man or the disappearances. How could something as ridiculous as a shape-changing cat exist? She felt insane. How would she tell Yasif? He barely believed her about the disappearances.
After a time, Sally felt ready to face her mother and made her way back into the living room. Darkness had consumed the city visible through the large windows behind the couch. As expected, her mother was buried in the cushions, watching TV. She rose without saying a word, offering up a spot as she retreated into the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned with steaming mugs of hot cocoa and handed one to Sally. They sat together with the view of the city at their backs, sipping the creamy warm beverage for a while without a word.
Sally Singletary's Curiosity (The Sally Singletary Book 1) Page 2
