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Phoebe stood, but she didn't turn to follow the principal out of his office. Instead, she brought him up short as he came around his desk.
"I loved my sister, Principal Grayson." Phoebe waited for him to meet her gaze. "You know firsthand how much Jenna's death affected me, and I'm appalled that you believe I would use her death for financial gain. If there is even the slightest chance that Jenna was murdered that day, I will find out the truth. My family and I deserve that. Again, if you recall anything out of the ordinary in the weeks before she died, I would like to know."
Principal Grayson studied her for a moment. At first, she wasn't sure that her sentiment had gotten through to him, but his features eventually softened in understanding.
"You might want to speak with Derek."
"Derek? You mean Derek Vance?" Phoebe wasn't sure what Derek had to do with Jenna, but he hadn't even been her group of friends back then. "Why?"
"I caught the two of them in an empty classroom about a month before…well, a month before Jenna's death." Principal Grayson couldn’t have missed the shock on Phoebe's face. "I'm not saying they were doing anything untowardly. I merely caught them skipping class. Since Derek wasn't known to run in Jenna's circles, it struck me as odd back then. Truthfully, I haven't thought about it since. And if you want my opinion, I—"
"I don't believe Derek would have hurt my sister, either," Phoebe reassured him, not wanting to end this visit on a bad note. She didn't know Derek well enough to say that he was a nice guy, but it was interesting to note that he and Jenna had made some type of connection before that fateful day. "I appreciate the information, though."
When Phoebe and Principal Grayson stepped out of his office, she was sure that Mrs. Todd had applied a fresh coat of lipstick within the past five minutes. Chloe seemed very pleased with herself, which meant that she had gotten not only excellent footage, but also relevant information. The two of them finally exited the school with Jenna's school file in hand. While the cold wind was somewhat of a shock to their system, they still both sucked in the clean, crisp air.
"I hope we don't smell like skunk for the rest of the day," Phoebe muttered as she tried to sniff the sleeve of her jacket. She couldn't tell if there was a lingering odor. "We should get something to eat while we review Jenna's file, but I'm not so sure those at the diner will let us inside."
"Pheebs, don't look to your right, but some woman is watching us from a classroom window," Chloe said quietly as they began to walk toward the SUV. Phoebe immediately glanced that way, recognizing the woman on sight. "Pheebs! I told you not to look."
"Alice Hart," Phoebe replied as she lifted a hand and gave a small wave. Alice didn't return the greeting. Instead, she disappeared after taking a step backward. "Alice went to school with Jenna. Valedictorian, I believe."
Phoebe slowed her pace to a stop, unable to look away from the window. The last thing she heard about Alice, the girl had graduated and gone on to attend one of the Ivy League schools. Her parents had passed away when she was very young, and she had been raised by her grandmother. Phoebe recalled the woman dying a month before graduation.
What would have caused Alice to move back to Bar Harbor?
"I'm not telling you to look next time," Chloe muttered as she walked around to the passenger side door. "And just so you know, we do smell like skunk.”
Phoebe continued to stare at the window.
“Hello?” Chloe called out with a chatter. “Earth to Pheebs. It's cold out here. Can you press the button on the key fob?"
"Sorry," Phoebe said as she finally pulled her gaze away from the school. "You're right. We smell like skunk. Let's head back to your apartment. It's a good thing I brought a small bag of clothes with me. We'll change, order breakfast from the diner, and then read over Jenna's student file."
"Pheebs?" Chloe had retraced her steps so that she could meet Phoebe's gaze over the hood of the SUV. Her nose had turned red in the little amount of time that they had been outside. "You okay? Did something happen when you were talking with the principal?"
Phoebe parted her lips to respond, but something caught her eye over Chloe's shoulder. A young woman stood across the parking lot staring at them with an intense, haunting gaze. She was wearing a pink t-shirt and a pair of white shorts...in the month of March when most people would be bundled up against the chill.
The woman's summery apparel wasn't what pointed toward her being dead.
It was the thick, dark mud that coated her brown hair in clumps.
There was also the dried blood, almost black in color, caked to the side of her pale face. Her eyes were sunken with dark circles underneath, and her skin had an unnatural grayish pallor. She stood unnaturally still, showing no signs of breathing or blinking.
The woman's presence exuded an aura of sadness and longing that sent a chill down Phoebe's spine. She could almost hear the silent cries emanating from the lost soul that seemed to be trapped between worlds.
"Pheebs?"
And just like that, the apparition disappeared into the thin cold air.
Chapter Seven
Phoebe
Phoebe cradled the warm cup of tea in her hands, seeking comfort in its heat as she waited anxiously for Chloe to return from the diner. She took a small sip, letting the rich black tea slide down her throat, hoping it would settle the queasiness in her stomach.
Neither one of them had really stopped to speak with Aunt Trish, who had been behind the counter waiting on a customer when they had rushed into the yarn shop. Chloe had ushered Phoebe past the counter, upstairs, and into her living room with determination, setting the camcorder on the coffee table and instructing Phoebe not to move.
Phoebe hadn't listened, of course.
