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Phoebe mentally put the man's name on the list of people she needed to speak with over the next few days. She recalled Neal Hanson rushing out of the coffee shop during her conversation with Chief Bennett.
What exactly had Neal Hanson overheard that day?
Phoebe stared down at the nearest desk. The seats seemed so much smaller than when she had been in high school. Everything seemed so insignificant now that the truth was revealing itself one secret at a time. Ethan had his fair share, because Phoebe didn't believe that he was as in the dark as he claimed to be, especially after Chloe had seen him with Simone Langley last night.
"Alice, I appreciate—"
Phoebe's words got stuck in her throat. After lifting her gaze from the desk, she had expected to focus on Alice. Instead, the woman whom Phoebe had seen in the parking lot days ago was standing right in front of her.
Dead.
The woman was clearly dead, and there was a pleading gaze in her eyes that made Phoebe's stomach twist in knots. The pink t-shirt and white shorts were bright in color, but not as vivid as the dried blood that was caked to the right side of her face. Thick mud coated most of her hair, just as before.
"Francie."
The moment Phoebe whispered the woman's name, the missing puzzle piece fell into place with a sickening thud as the apparition faded until Phoebe could finally make out Alice's concerned expression.
The teacher had already closed half the distance of the classroom.
"Phoebe?" Alice's voice seemed distant. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Phoebe muttered as she pulled herself together. She desperately needed to speak with Chief Bennett, so she hastily made her way to the door. "Alice, thank you for answering my questions. I'm so sorry, but I've got to go."
Had Jenna discovered that Ethan's mother was dead?
Maybe Ethan had figured out his mother had been murdered, and Jenna was just trying to help him prove it. The woman could have also died in some terrible accident. There could be the off chance that all she wanted was for Ethan to know that she hadn’t abandoned him.
The way the blood coated the right side of Francie’s face, perhaps she hit her head against the side window of a car. Such a scenario wouldn't necessarily explain the mud, but Chief Bennett needed to start checking old Jane Does that could have been brought to the morgue back then. It was becoming very clear that Francie Turner hadn’t left town or abandoned her son.
By the time Phoebe had reached the front door of the high school, she could sense the vibrations of her cell phone in her coat pocket. She shoved open the door before pulling out her phone.
"Chloe? I'm leaving the high school right now," Phoebe said quickly without pausing to take a breath. "I think Jenna was looking into—"
"Pheebs, stop." The tone of Chloe's voice had caused Phoebe to come to an abrupt halt at the top of the steps. The wind whipped across the parking lot, causing her to turn her back and face the glass doors. "I never made it out to your parents' house. When I went to the café to pick up some coffee for the drive, the rumor had already spread through the grapevine. Are you ready for this? Chief Bennett brought Ethan Turner into the station this morning. The locals are already saying that Ethan killed Jenna."
Chapter Nineteen
Phoebe
"Please, Chief Bennett, let me speak with Ethan."
Phoebe and Chloe followed Chief Bennett through the bustling bullpen of the Bar Harbor police station. Most of the officers were busy on their computers, while others were on the phone. Desks were cluttered with files, coffee cups, and picture frames. A corkboard wall was plastered with a map of the town and the surrounding areas.
Nowhere in the station could Phoebe spot Ethan Turner.
"That's not how an official investigation works, Phoebe." Chief Bennett pushed open the door to his office. A whiff of spearmint hung in the air as Phoebe and Chloe crossed the threshold. The instant that the chief closed the door, the chaotic sounds were instantly brought to a low murmur. "Have a seat."
Chief Bennett pulled out his chair from behind his desk and sank into the worn leather while Phoebe and Chloe claimed the two guest chairs positioned in front.
"Chief Bennett." Phoebe made sure that her voice remained steady despite the churn of emotions inside her. "You wouldn't even be considering Ethan Turner as a suspect if we hadn't insisted you take another look at Jenna's case."
"Can you at least tell us why you brought Ethan in for questioning?" Chloe asked as she set her purse down on the floor beside her chair. "There's nothing officially linking him to Jenna's murder."
The chief regarded them with blue eyes that had seen too much yet had missed even more. Guilt. Phoebe understood that emotion more than anyone in this town. The chief reached forward and opened a manila folder that had been in the middle of his desk. He pulled out a photograph, reached across his desk, and gently placed it in front of them.
Phoebe and Chloe leaned forward to examine the picture more closely.
The photo was of Francie Turner. Phoebe easily recognized her, but Francie appeared at peace in the picture, unlike her appearance when she had materialized at the high school. Her pretty features were devoid of any sign of violence.
