The Last Good Girl by Allison Leotta Read Free Book Online Page B

ballroom on the right, then a dining room with a banquet-length table on the left. “A friend of the family.”
    Anna glanced at Sam. Sam shrugged in a way that said, Hey, you never know what you’ll find behind people’s front doors . Kristen led them to the back of the house, where an open-concept kitchen-living-room area seemed the only place meant for a family rather than visiting dignitaries. A man in a suit was pacing the length of the room, a cell phone to his ear. Anna recognized him from the pictures: Emily’s father, Barney Shapiro. He walked to the kitchen, turned, and paced over to the end of the living room, turned, paced to the kitchen, turned. He didn’t seem to notice the two additional women in his home. At first, Anna thought he was distraught, trying to figure out where his daughter was. But a snippet of conversation proved otherwise.
    â€œI don’t care if the Chinese give us a billion dollars,” he told his phone. “We can’t put Mandarin characters up on a hall. Can you imagine the Big Three’s reaction? We can call it Hu Hall, but we can’t look like Chinatown.”
    They stood waiting for him to get off the phone. Kristen went up to Barney as he pivoted by the stove. She put her hands on his chest to stop his pacing and whispered into the ear that didn’t have a phone clamped to it. As Kristen whispered, her hands stayed on his chest. Anna wondered where Mrs. Shapiro was. Barney looked over and saw Anna and Sam standing in the doorway. He held up a finger as he continued talking on the phone. “Yeah. Maybe we could put the characters up in a classroom. See if they’d go for that.”
    He hung up and turned to them. He smiled a big warm smile, the type that charmed donors and alumni. But it was wrong here.
    â€œHello,” he boomed. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Always a fire to put out. I’m Barney Shapiro.” He offered a hearty handshake as Anna and Sam introduced themselves. “Please have a seat.”
    He gestured to a white L-shaped couch, arranged around a coffee table with another crystal vase of fresh-cut flowers. Anna and Sam sat on one side of the L, Barney and Kristen sat on the other. Kristen sat so close to Barney that their thighs were touching.
    â€œSo how can I help you?” he asked.
    â€œSir, your daughter has been missing for twenty-four hours,” Anna said. “Have you been made aware of this?”
    â€œOf course. When I was a student, I definitely went ‘missing’ twenty-four hours at a time. Those were some of the best twenty-four hours of my life.” He chuckled. “I’m certain that Emily is just out somewhere having a fun time and will show up soon and feel embarrassed that the authorities were called.”
    Anna tried to gauge whether he was putting on a good face because the possibility of his daughter being abducted was too terrifying to fathom. She saw only humor and politeness in his eyes. If he was worried, he was good at hiding it.
    â€œI hope you’re right,” Anna said. “But there are indications that it could be far more serious than that. We’re certainly taking it seriously.” She glanced at Kristen. “Can we talk in private? I have some information to share that is for the family only.”
    â€œKristen is my fiancée. Emily’s mother and I have separated, and Kristen and I will be married next fall, after all the legal machinations are taken care of. Kristen is part of the family.”
    â€œWhere is Emily’s mother?” Anna asked.
    â€œCalifornia. That’s where she lives now.”
    â€œOkay. We’re trying to compile a list of all the places Emily might have gone off to, her regular schedule, her friends,” Anna said. “Can you tell us about that?”
    â€œWell, sure.” He pulled out his phone and starting swiping. “I can access the registrar’s office right here.