What Janie Saw(97)

                “Do you have any suspects?” Katie asked, settling down, no longer in housewife-cleaning-the-table mode.

                Rafe shook his head. “Nathan and I agree that Adobe Hills Community College strongly figures into Brittney’s disappearance. The one thing both Derek and Amanda’s drawings claim, even if Amanda’s are fake, is that Brittney was with other young people in a car. Derek’s shows that they were on their way to kill her. Amanda’s indicates that they were on their way to the middle of nowhere to party.”

                “On the coldest day of winter?” Katie clearly didn’t buy it.

                “Wouldn’t matter to kids,” Janie said.

                “What’s Amanda got to say to all this?” Katie asked.

                “The family has made themselves scarce. Until we can talk with Amanda, we’re focusing in on Chads and Chrises.”

                “Exactly what I expected, but you didn’t answer my question about Amanda.” Katie pointed out.

                Rafe shifted in his chair.

                “Hey,” Katie said. “Janie’s the victim here. She has a right to know what’s going on in a case that involves her so much her life is threatened.”

                The expression on Rafe’s face was so comical, Janie had to laugh.

                “What’s so funny?” Katie demanded, indignant.

                “You two are what’s so funny,” Janie admitted. “You’ve stopped being my sister and become my lawyer. And Rafe here is about to fall out of his chair because you’re asking him to share information about a case.”

                “I never stopped being your sister. It’s just—”

                Rafe held up his hand. “The only thing I can share is that Amanda wasn’t in class when Nathan took the art books from the other students.” He looked at Janie. “Remember, she left the room crying.”

                Janie nodded. “I remember. Which means we can’t verify that the one you found at Patricia’s house is, in fact, Amanda’s. But it seems as if...”

                “Someone’s gone to great lengths to throw a second trail,” Rafe said softly.

                “Poor Derek,” Janie said. “He was afraid turning in that art book would make him the target of a killer.”

                “So,” Luke said. “In a way, he was brave.”

                “No,” Rafe said. “If he’d been brave, he’d have confessed to a cop, someone in authority. The way he did it, with that art book, he basically signed two more death warrants. Patricia’s has been carried out.”

                “Rafe,” Katie said, “you can’t keep what Amanda allegedly wrote a secret from us. Janie’s in danger. You did bring a copy with you for Janie to verify.”

                Rafe bent down and pulled a folder from his briefcase. In it were several pages photocopied from Amanda’s art book. Katie reached for the papers, but with just a look from Janie, she withdrew her hand and Rafe handed them to Janie.

                “This is my problem,” Janie said.

                Katie opened her mouth and then wisely closed it as Janie began to read.

                The writing looked like Amanda’s. The words were slanted and loopy, and in a few places the i’s were dotted with tiny hearts. Unfortunately, Janie had done no more than glance at Amanda’s handwriting before.