Sleep My Darlings by Diane Fanning

Author:Diane Fanning
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

CHAPTER 25

At lunchtime in the high school cafeteria, Jena was concerned that Calyx was not in school and her worry was heightened when she realized that no one had heard from Calyx since yesterday when she chatted with her on Facebook.

Jena sent Calyx a text: “WHERE ARE YOU?”

She received no response.

* * *

Back on Royal Park Court, Detective Ruth Cato arrived on the scene to assist the homicide squad. Sergeant Mark Delage lifted the yellow crime scene tape that blocked off the street to allow Cato to drive up the road to the house. She parked by the curb and was still in the front yard being briefed by Detective Eric Houston when a vehicle backed out of a neighbor’s residence.

“Go talk to that woman,” Detective Houston told Cato. “Ask what kind of person Julie is.”

Cato walked up to the vehicle, which stopped as she approached. The woman inside introduced herself as Pamela Elsaadi. “Will you speak to me?” Cato asked.

“Certainly,” Pamela said as she nodded.

“Are you friends with Julie?”

“You really should speak to Julie’s best friends, Lisa Prisco and Lorraine Livingston. I’ve had dinner with Julie and Parker and seen them at other house parties, but I have never had any one-on-one time with Julie or chatted with her on the telephone.”

“When was the last time you saw Julie?” Cato asked.

“Well, I saw her this morning being escorted out of the house by the police.”

“Do you know Julie’s closest friends?”

“Yes,” Pamela answered. “I am friends with Lisa Prisco and Lorraine Livingston. I spoke to both of them this morning. Lisa said that Julie sent her a text message at around one a.m. I don’t know exactly what it said. Lorraine called, too, because when she drove past Julie’s house and when she saw the police she wanted to know what was going on.”

“Do you know how I can reach these women?”

“Lorraine is leaving for New York today, but you can call her cell phone,” Pamela said, providing that number as well as Lisa’s number to Cato. “Lisa lives on the next cul-de-sac off of Sambourne.”

“Could you describe Julie?” the officer asked.

“Julie is nice, shy, not too outgoing. I don’t think she works. She’s had a lot of problems lately and was recently hospitalized at a drug treatment program in Clearwater for prescription drugs.”

“How long was she there?”

“May have been a month,” Pamela said.

“When’s the last time you saw the kids?”

Pamela’s brow furrowed. She shook her head and said, “I don’t know.”

“Have you ever seen the kids?”

“Yes. Julie’s son plays with the Zahrobsky boy. I don’t have any kids that age, but I think he must be around nine to eleven years old. I know they have a daughter, but she’s a teenager and I don’t see her much. Julie’s husband is in the military. He left for Afghanistan two weeks ago.”

“Have you ever been inside?” Cato asked, jerking her head toward the Schenecker residence.

“No,” Pamela said.

“Did you hear anything strange from Julie’s house last night?”

“No,” the neighbor said with a shake of her head.

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