You Had To Be There

Chapter 11

FAITH'S POV:
I stand up and walk around to Gracie. "Listen, honey, it's been a stressful time, let's just talk and try to figure out what's going on." I take her hand and we follow the Detective into the room where he lays the papers on the table and points to the texts, asking Gracie to explain.
She sits down and reads the texts, staring at it for a while, then looks at me. "Mom? I don't understand. Who sent these texts to Dad?!"
Detective Morris speaks up saying "It's your phone. We were expecting you to tell us. Are you saying someone else used your phone?"
Grace nods vigorously. "Yeah, it had to be that! I haven't been able to find my phone. I thought I left it home yesterday, but it's nowhere in our house."
"When, exactly, was the last time you saw it?"
"I thought I put it in my purse before I left the house with my friends yesterday morning but then it wasn't in there when I looked later so assumed it was at home. I looked for it at home but I really don't know where it is."
"Alright, I will call headquarters and see if we can locate it using the GPS. I was hoping this would get us further with the investigation but it seems like another setback."
I look at him and say, "A setback? I think finding out my daughter had nothing to do with my husbands attempted murder is step in the right direction!"
"Of course, Mrs. McGraw. Of course." He walks out of the room leaving us there.
TIM'S POV: I slowly wake up to someone's hand on mine, and open my eyes to me my Mom standing there with Maggie and Audrey.
"Mom? Girls? I'm so glad to see you!"
Maggie smiles and says, "Not as glad as we are to see you!"
Audrey leans over and kisses my cheek, then says, "Dad, why are the police questioning Gracie?"
I try to sit up quickly and realize I can't when a wave of pain brings tears to my eyes. "What?! They are!? Where?! I thought I'd get a chance to talk to Gracie first!!"
My Mom rubs my arm. "Tim, don't get yourself all upset! Faith is with her, I'm sure everything is going to be ok."
Just then Faith and Gracie walk into the room and Faith says, "Ok we have good news and bad news. Gracie wasn't lying, but we still don't know who sent the text messages."
I slowly let out the breath I was holding in and ask, "What do you mean? Someone else used Gracie's phone?"
Gracie stands next to me and says "Yeah, it must have been that, Dad. I don't know where my phone is. I think I left it at home, but then who would have taken it?"
I look at Faith. "Was anyone else in the house today? Anyone that could have taken the phone?"
After a minute Faith shakes her head. "No. I was home by myself all morning. Whoever got the phone had to take it sometime before 1 o'clock. Gracie, maybe you did have it with you. Could someone have taken it from your purse?"
Gracie nods and says, "Yeah but I don't know who would have. Michelle and Kaitlyn from school picked me up this morning and we went to breakfast at The Red Rooster Cafe, where Kevin works. His mom owns the place and he was working there until 3 yesterday so we stopped in to see him."
Suddenly the door opens and Detective Morris comes in. "I just got word about the location of that cell phone." It seems it is in the possession of a kid named Kevin Hastings.
"Kevin?!" Gracie says.
The detective looks at Gracie. "So you know him?"
"He's my boyfriend."