Her First Mistake by Carey Baldwin (books for 10th graders txt) 📕

She held back a sigh. Here sat four members of a close-knit tribe—where there should’ve been five. “Thank you for having me,” she said for the umpteenth time that evening.

“I’m so glad you came.” Alma extended her hand toward a decanter of red wine and Angelica moved it out of her reach. “But I’m sure you understand if we’re not on our A game. I assume you’ve heard the news about the FBI.”

Mia’s heart took a long pause in her chest. “Yes, a little. Something about a possible connection with two other missing women. I didn’t quite understand why.”

“One in Colorado and another in Arizona.” Baxter sat forward in his chair. “I phoned Samuels as soon as I heard.”

“Would’ve been nice if the police had given us a heads up so we didn’t have to hear it on the news. Detective Samuels has been about as transparent as a brick wall,” Angelica said. “The way he’s treating us you’d think our family was under suspicion. How many times does he need to interrogate me?”

“I guess two less times than he’s come after me.” Isaiah scoffed.

“He’s just doing his job. Anyway, when I pressed him, he explained the concerns about the other women,” Baxter spoke in a composed voice, seemingly trying to lower the rapidly rising temperature in the room. “First, there’s both geographic and temporal proximity—both those young women disappeared in the past thirty days. And second, both women are in their mid-twenties and are believed to have been abducted off the street from well-known tourist areas after a night out. The young woman in Colorado was out drinking at the Pearl Street Mall, and the woman in Arizona was partying in Old Town Scottsdale.”

And Celeste disappeared on a Friday night from the Gaslamp Quarter.

Mia took a sip of water, swallowing her thoughts. She didn’t want to voice them and upset Alma, but it was plain enough where the investigation was headed. Had Mia taking Celeste’s keys put her in the cross hairs of a serial killer?

“Mia, have the police interviewed you yet?” Alma asked, her voice weak and shaky compared to just moments ago.

Mia did have a meeting with Detective Samuels tomorrow, but she’d set it up herself to tell him about Shoshanna. At Pocket Park, he’d given her his card and asked her to call if she thought of anything that might be of use. Now Alma’s use of the word interview seemed awfully close to interrogate, making Mia uneasy. Her mind flashed to the morning she’d woken up in her room, fully dressed and wearing wet tennis shoes.

The morning after the night Celeste disappeared.

Absurdly, her stomach flipped over—she’d never done anything remotely criminal in her life. Except for taking Celeste’s keys, of course. “Why would they want to interview me?”

“You saw Celeste on Friday before she disappeared.” Alma reached for the wine again, and this time Angelica didn’t block her. “In fact, would you mind telling us about that night? I didn’t want to press you for details right after you’d fainted, but maybe you’re up to it by now.”

“Of course. I’m perfectly fine,” she said, though in truth she was feeling rather queasy.

“Go on then, please,” Alma said. “I want to know it all. Tell me every detail you remember from the Piano Man. No matter how small. You never know what might be important so please don’t leave anything out.”

Mia looked helplessly at Angelica. Hadn’t she explained to her mother that Mia didn’t know anything? This was the moment where Baxter or Isaiah or Angelica should say something to Alma like: Don’t upset yourself. Leave the investigating to the police.

But no one did.

Four pairs of inquisitive eyes turned on her.

Bile burned its way up her throat. She choked down a sip of cool water. This family deserved the truth. But no one suspected her of taking Celeste’s keys, and coming clean now wouldn’t help at all. Nor had Mia decided how to best handle the information about Shoshanna spotting Celeste at the strip club. She didn’t know if that was connected to Celeste’s disappearance or not, and she hated to tarnish the family’s image of Celeste without good cause.

Still, Alma had said not to leave anything out and Mia was no liar.

Or at least she hadn’t been up until now.

If lies of omission counted, she was definitely building a resume. “I wasn’t with the group of teachers that night. I was supposed to meet one of the parents for dinner but she couldn’t make it, and then on the way out I bumped into Jane and Celeste.” She paused for air, trying not to hyperventilate. “I only wish I knew more.”

“Which parent were you supposed to meet?” Angelica asked.

“Ruth Hudson.”

“Tennyson’s mom? That’s interesting. Why couldn’t Ruth make it?”

“She texted that something came up. Interesting that Ruth invited me out, or that she couldn’t make it?”

“Both.” Angelica leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. “Celeste had an appointment with Mrs. Hudson penciled in the day planner we gave to Detective Samuels.”

“But Tennyson is in my class, not Celeste’s. I don’t see why Ruth would need a conference with her.”

“I don’t think it was to talk about Tennyson. The entry specified drinks. It’s a coincidence, I guess, but coincidences should be looked into.”

“Let’s leave the topic of Ruth for now, shall we?” Baxter jumped in. “Mia, did Celeste say anything to you about her plans for the evening? Where she might be headed after dinner? Was she going straight home? Why she didn’t catch a ride with one of her friends?”

“I was just leaving the Piano Man when I bumped into her and some of the other teachers, so I don’t know what happened after that. I wish I had the answers for you, but I’m afraid I don’t know anything more.”

“You’re absolutely sure she didn’t say anything else about her plans?” Baxter looked like