Page 10 of Stolen Angels
The detective frowned, and Lara realized she was lost at the moment, random thoughts and memories of her daughter jumping through her head.
“Do you take medication for your headache?”
Lara leaned against the kitchen bar. “Yes, but they make me sleepy so I waited until after Ava left.”
The detective nodded and Lara wondered what she was thinking. That she was a bad mother? She was a bad mother. She should have run after Ava.
“Do you often have migraines?” the detective asked.
“Some, mostly when I’m stressed or overtired.” Which had been a lot lately. “Or when the pressure drops, like it did this morning.”
“So that was the trigger today? Or were you stressed too?”
“Do you have children, Detective?” Lara rubbed at the back of her neck where the tension was building.
The detective lifted her chin. “No, I don’t.”
Lara released a sigh. Sometimes she felt like the weight of the world had settled on her shoulders and she was bowing beneath it. “Being a single mother means everything falls on me. Getting Ava to school, helping her with homework, doing errands, meals, working.”
“I imagine that is difficult,” Detective Reeves said. “Do you have a job?”
“Part time at the Fabric Hut. I work the tables cutting and get discounts on fabric. They like for me to make clothes and curtains and placemats to display and when they sell, I get a commission.” She ran her hand over the bar stool where cereal had been spilled, then gestured toward the corner table to a basket filled with colorful hairbows. “I make those and sell them at the craft fairs and the store. But I only work when Ava’s at school so I can be home when she gets off the bus.”
The silence echoing through the rooms mocked her. No Ava giggling, no rattling presents, no skipping around and singing Christmas carols and turning cartwheels in the family room.
Lara had always reminded her daughter to do her tumbling outside. Her throat burned with more tears. When she came home, she’d let her turn cartwheels all over the house.
God… she had to come home.
“You said you were in here when Ava ran outside.” The detective pointed to the kitchen door. “Did she go out the back door here?”
Lara shook her head. “No, she ran into the living room. I yelled at her to wait, but when I got to the door, it was open and she was gone.”
Detective Reeves walked around the kitchen looking at the table, the floor, and studying the back door. Then she went into the living room and glanced at the furniture and the Christmas tree.
Lara followed her, nerves bunching in her belly. The front door was still open.
Detective Reeves’ gaze landed on the wrapped presents beneath the tree and the stocking with Ava’s name embroidered on it. “What happened after you realized she’d run outside?” she asked.
“I raced to the door and ran out, but before I got to the sidewalk, the bus was driving past.” She rubbed her temple again, replaying the morning in her mind. “I should have let the cupcakes burn and gone with her. Or I should have called the school to see if she made it. But I thought I caught a half-glimpse of her on the bus…”
Ellie patted her back. “You didn’t know,” she said softly. “You can’t blame yourself. Now tell me about the rest of your morning.”
“I was so dizzy from the headache that I had to lie down.” She swallowed hard. “That’s when I took my migraine medication. I was only going to sleep for an hour but woke up three hours later. Then I was in a hurry to get the cupcakes ready so I could make the party on time.” Her voice was so brittle it sounded like glass shattering. “If something bad’s happened to her it’s my fault.”
Nine
Ellie heard the guilt in Lara’s voice and coaxed her toward the sofa. For a moment, Lara paused to stare at a picture of Ava on the mantle. “That was last year,” she said in a tiny voice.
Ava was wearing a green velvet sweater and a red and white polka-dotted bow in her hair that Lara had obviously made.
“Is there anyone I can call to come and sit with you, Lara?” Ellie asked. “Do you have other family or a good friend that can come over?”
“My friend Emily Nettles. She’ll come.” Lara dropped her head into her hands and closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry this is happening,” Ellie said, grateful Lara had a friend like Emily. Shondra had told her Emily was a godsend to the community. “Call Emily while I take a look around the house.”
Lara nodded, and Ellie read it as a sign she wasn’t hiding anything. She quickly checked the mother’s room and noted the bed was still unmade, sheets tangled as if she’d rushed to get ready to leave as she’d said. She found a bottle of Sumatriptan on the bedside table, confirming Lara’s story, too. The number of pills listed on the bottle was twelve, and Ellie checked the bottle. Ten remained.