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“Any idea why Hadley was always so uptight?”
“It’s how some people just come wired,” he said. “Knock on the front door and talk to my wife. She’s up and knew Hadley better than me.”
“Did you spend any time with Mark Foster?”
“No. Like I said, I work long hours.” He checked his watch. “Speaking of which, I’ve got to get going. Go talk to Barb. She’s pretty connected in the neighborhood.”
“Thanks.” Zoe walked to the front door, past a planter filled with yellow flowers and vines tumbling over the sides.
She knocked and heard the volume of a morning television newscast grow quieter as footsteps approached the door. The door opened to a heavyset blond woman in her forties.
“You’re police,” she said, somewhat startled. “I saw you yesterday at the Foster house.”
“Agent Zoe Spencer. Your husband just told me you know Hadley Foster well.”
“Sure, I’m Barb. Hadley and I didn’t know each other that well, but Skylar and my daughter, Devon, used to hang out.”
“But you spoke to Hadley from time to time?”
“Sure.”
“Did Hadley ever sound like she was afraid for her life?”
“God, no.”
“Did she ever mention that she wanted out of her marriage?”
“Who doesn’t from time to time?” And then, as if she realized her quip had fallen flat, she added, “No.”
“Can I speak with Devon?”
Barb shifted, twisted the ring on her finger, and then finally nodded. “Devon’s in the kitchen, having breakfast. Please come in.”
Zoe followed the woman through the house, past a collection of pictures and antique furniture. The place was clean and organized and stood in stark contrast to Uncle Jimmy’s place on Prince Street. She wondered if she would ever have the time to give the house what it deserved.
“Devon, Agent Spencer would like to talk to you about Skylar.”
Devon’s long lean frame was hunched forward over a phone as she quickly typed a message. Her hair was jet black and fell over her face in a thick curtain. “What?”
“The police are here, Devon. Put the phone down, honey.”
Zoe waited for the girl to type a few more words before she looked up, though she kept a firm grip on her phone. “You’re friends with Skylar Foster?”
“Sure. I mean, we were super close for a little while, but she’s all about her boyfriend now.”
Zoe pulled out a chair and sat beside Devon. “Skylar is missing, Devon. And I’m doing everything I can to find her. What can you tell me about her?”
Devon looked up at her mother and then back at Zoe. “I don’t know.”
“Anything you can tell me about her. Habits, boyfriends, friends her parents might not have known about.”
“She got along with everyone here okay. No big drama.”
“What about back in Oregon?”
Devon was silent for a moment. “Well, she had a boyfriend out in Oregon, and he tried to break up with her. She said it really hurt her feelings, and she had a hard time letting go. Sky started following him around.”
“She was stalking him?”
“When you say it that way, it sounds really creepy.”
Was there a nice way to say it? “What did she do?”
“Sky got caught breaking into his house. I think she might have even trashed his room.”
But was that the kind of offense that caused a family to uproot and move across the country? “Did she hurt anyone?”
“I don’t think it was on purpose,” Devon said.
“What happened?”
“She accidently hit him with her car. He’s okay now, but I think it kind of scared everyone. She’s on medicine now and doing better. She’s going to be pissed when she finds out I told you this much.”
“Do you remember the boyfriend’s name?” Zoe asked.
“George Tate.” Devon rushed to say, “She seems really happy with Neil.”
“Has she made any threats against anyone you know in Alexandria?”
“No. She was always super sweet. And when she wanted, she could charm anyone.”
“Thanks, Devon,” Zoe said. “You’ve been a big help.”
“It’s weird what happened in the Foster house. Do you think Skylar is okay?”
“I hope so.”
“She could be hiding out until the drama passes.”
“Has Skylar run away before?”
“A couple of times, but only for a few hours, and it was always to Jessica’s or my house. We’d eat ice cream and talk about how her parents sucked. She didn’t like to be around them when they fought.”
“I never saw them fight,” Barb said.
“They were super careful that no one heard them,” Devon said. “They wanted everyone to think they were perfect.”
“Is that what Skylar said?” Zoe asked.
“Yeah. She hated that they were always getting into it.”
“What did they fight about?”
“Money, mostly. Mrs. Foster liked to buy things. And I think Mr. Foster wasn’t making the money he used to,” Devon said.
“I never knew any of this,” Barb said.
“Did Mr. Foster ever threaten his wife?” Zoe asked.
“No. At least not that she told me.”
Kids absorbed more than most parents realized. Zoe fished two cards from her pocket and handed one to Barb and one to Devon. “If you think of anything else, call me.”
“Of course.”
“She’s going to turn up,” Devon said. “She always does.”
“I hope so,” Zoe said.
Outside, Zoe called Bud Clary. When he answered, she asked, “What’s the status of the messages on Skylar’s phone?”
“She’d been in contact with a guy by the name of Mr. Fix It,” Bud said.
“Really?”
“He’s told her multiple times how special she is and how much he loves her. Let me read an exchange.”
“Fire away.”
Wild Blue: My mother is leaving my father.
Mr. Fix It: I told you she would.
Wild Blue: How am I going to survive without my family.
Mr. Fix It: I’ll be your family now.
“Damn it,” she said. “Thanks, Bud.”
She returned to the house and rang the bell. Barb answered it. “I have one more quick question for Devon.”
“Sure.” Barb called to her daughter, who came down the stairs.
“Sorry to bother you again. Have you heard of a guy named Mr. Fix It? Skylar was messaging him through an app.”
“No, she never mentioned him to me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, thanks again.” When Zoe found Vaughan, his phone was to his ear and he was frowning, deepening the lines around his mouth and eyes. She imagined in a few years those lines would be permanently etched into his face, and the flecks of gray in his hair would be thickened. At least on him, the extra wear looked good. He was a hard man to ignore.
When she reached Vaughan, he said in a weary tone, “Agent Spencer and I will be right there.”
