Threads of Suspicion(105)
She looked toward the stairs and then back to David. “I’ve got one of the best Triple M concert posters ever printed, but it’s framed on my wall. I’d love to show you. And maybe you could sign the playbill from the concert that night? Alongside Maggie’s? Please?”
“I could do that for you, Lynne, sure.”
“What a day to have not made my bed!” She turned toward the staircase. “Two minutes, then come up? I’m on the right at the end of the hall.” Lynne ran up the stairs, two at a time.
Nancy looked between them, her worry showing. “You really came here to meet her, not to be asking questions about the Music Hall, didn’t you? You wonder what Lynne was doing the night Jenna went missing.”
Evie stepped in to take that bullet. “Do you have any reason to think Lynne was involved with Jenna’s disappearance? You’re her mom, you love her, you know her. Is there anything that has caused you concern in all these years?”
“No.” The shake of her head was firm.
“Then relax, Mrs. Benoit, please. Yes, I wanted to meet your daughter. Jenna had photos of Lynne in her album. We’re meeting and talking with all Jenna’s friends. Lynne just happens to be one of them with a unique perspective because she was also at the Triple M concert that night.”
“We’re looking for someone who is a fan of Triple M,” David said quietly. “Someone who travels, who may have been in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, as well as Illinois.”
Nancy’s hand slowly lifted to her chest. “Oh no . . . there’s more than just Jenna missing?”
“We don’t know, Mrs. Benoit. We’re trying to figure that out.”
“Lynne hasn’t traveled much. A concert in Milwaukee, a lot of downtown Chicago trips to see musicals, but that’s about it,” she answered shakily. “She’s got talent and a passion for her music; she just hasn’t had the break yet that gives her a chance. Maggie is both inspiration and role model, and she’s also a star to adore, has been for a decade. Lynne’s wall of fan memorabilia is . . . extensive.”
David’s smile was comforting. “I understand fans, Mrs. Benoit. My famous girlfriend still screams when her favorite performer walks backstage to say hello. Not to mention the time Maggie got Bono’s autograph after a guest appearance at an awards ceremony. I thought I was never going to get her off the subject of Bono, his music, his band, his career, his lyrics.”
Nancy gave a glimmer of a smile. “Yes. I can relate to all the trivia.”
David tapped his watch. “I’ll go up for a bit, Nancy, if you’d like to come with me. No more than a few minutes, though. We’re on a schedule today.”
“That’s fine, go on up. It’s kind of you to indulge her and sign Maggie’s program.”
David nodded and headed upstairs.
Evie wanted to go with him, but there was still too much ground to cover, and it was the mom who could best help her.
Nancy looked back at her, a bit uncertain. Evie very lightly moved back to their conversation. “I know it was stressful when Jenna disappeared. Did you know Jenna well? Lynne and Jenna were friends?”
“Yes, and it was a very hard time.”
“How close were they?” She saw the instinctive hesitation and pressed as much as she could risk. “Please, I can only know Jenna through the insights of those who did know her. It’s important to get a clear sense of how you saw things.”
Nancy sighed. “Jenna was a music connection for Lynne, and I liked that about her. But she wasn’t one of Lynne’s close friends from the neighborhood, like the girls Lynne went to middle school and high school with, who came over for sleepovers and movie nights. Jenna was a lovely girl, polite, good manners, bright, someone who enjoyed the college experience and classes. She filled a gap when Lynne was in college, gave her someone to socialize with, as Lynne’s friends mostly went to the state university rather than Brighton.”
The woman looked away a moment. “It hit Lynne hard when Jenna disappeared. She searched the neighborhood and college with such intensity I seriously worried about her. But maybe I can say it this way: it was the placeholder Jenna provided in her life that Lynne missed more than the friendship. They didn’t have a tight personal connection—I could tell that whenever I saw them together. After a few years, Jenna’s absence was no longer a topic Lynne brought up. I was relieved. Lynne was able to move on, when so many times something like that would get her stuck, fixated, and she’d struggle to let it go.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Benoit.” Evie closed her notebook.