Queen of the Wood ✅

22 - The Conclave

My eyes roamed around the spotless kitchen in the modest house where Leo and his girlfriend lived. Maizie was currently in the living room, reading. She didn't ask any questions or even look put out when the three of us walked in from the party and made our way here.

Leo had already passed around beers and was settling down at the table while I glanced into the living room, where I could hear an old episode of "Dateline" playing.

We hadn't stayed at the party much longer. I had gone back downstairs, waiting for another chance to talk to Maggie, but after a while, it became clear that it wouldn't happen. She made a quiet exit, almost without me noticing.

I wasn't quite sure what Leo had been up to until he approached us and suggested we head to his place. I didn't argue with leaving. While I was no longer worried about an anxiety attack, I still felt uncomfortable with everyone watching Brett and me while whispering to each other. Only a couple of our classmates had ventured up to talk, and the conversation had stayed far from Maeve and homecoming night.

They had been polite, at least. Asking me about Florida and if I went to the beach often. It was surreal.

Almost like Maeve had never disappeared. Just barely, though.

"So... ya wanna share with the rest of the class about the sheriff and OSBI payin' ya a visit?" Leo said after taking a drink of his beer.

"Oh... yeah," I said, suddenly quite taken with examining my own bottle.

"I mean, I work at the department, and even I didn't know he went out there," Leo continued. "Stephanie must know someone in the right place if she heard about it."

No kidding. I was curious as to how she knew. And what exactly she knew. I hoped it wasn't much. Stephanie wouldn't hesitate to use it against me, even if all I had told the agent and sheriff was that I couldn't remember anything. It was bad enough she had announced to a house full of people that I had been questioned again in the first place.

"They came over a couple days ago. The sheriff and some OSBI agent. Wanted to talk about that night. I told them everything I know - which isn't a lot. The agent wanted to keep pushing, but the sheriff... stopped him," I said, deciding it was best to get all the information out.

I glanced up, finding both men watching me. Leo looked curious, while Brett seemed surprised. Honestly, I was still stunned by the whole exchange.

"Any insights ya can give us about the sheriff?" Brett then asked, looking over at Leo.

"Hell of a lot better than Whittaker, that's for damn sure," Leo said with a snort. "I trust 'im. And not surprised he stepped in on the agent. Though I didn't know he was lookin' into the case again."

We all went silent at that. I supposed each processing in our own way. I worried what we were trying to do would get in the way of an investigation. We shouldn't be doing this anyway. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth, prepared to shut everything down.

"I'll see if I can figure anythin' out without settin' off any alarms. In the meantime, what'd Maggie say?" Leo said.

Both men looked at me again, and embarrassment filled me to the brim.

"I didn't actually get anything. I was about to ask her, but Stephanie interrupted us, and I didn't get a chance to talk to her again before she left."

"Hmm, we can try again this weekend," Leo said. "I heard somethin' interestin'. Turns out that Stephanie went off into the woods just before Maeve did. Didn't see that in any of the interviews in the report."

My eyes widened. I didn't know that Stephanie had left the party too. It wasn't in her interview, so she had definitely lied to the police. I wondered why no one had pushed her on that.