A Priest's Deadly Obsession

Chapter 27 - Suspicions Arise

The search party scowered the nearby parks, nature trials and recreation areas for any sign any hint of the missing teenager.

The K9 Units used some clothing of the girl to try and find her scent but nothing was coming up. Not a a trail.

After a while, the party rested on a bench in the park.

Juliet sat next to Elizabeth's friend Anne.

"I heard you were on her volleyball team."

Anne fanned her face with her baseball cap. "Yeah,"

"You guys also went to prom together?"

Anne looked down at the hat in her hands. "Yeah.." her voice cracked.

Juliet placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Was there anything weird going on?Like did she menion anything?"

Anne frowned looking at Juliet, "What do you mean?"

For a while now Juliet's suspicions were that Elizabeth must have taken off somewhere. Maybe the girl wanted nothing more to do with Zach, her school and her uncle. Maybe she went off with another family member.

Perhaps the young teen was rebelling against her uncle.

Either way, Juliet did not believe at all that someone would have taken her. Besides, that is not the town she knows or grew up in.

Things like that just don't happen here.

"Like maybe she wasn't happy at home?" Juliet pried.

Anne shook her head, " No, she and her uncle are so close. He's her only family and he's hers."

Juliet pondered in thought.

Suddenly, Anne remembered something.

That odd conversation she had with Elizabeth at the arcade.

"...now that you mention it though..." Anne said placing a pensive finger to her chin recalling the conversation. "She did tell me that someone was harassing her recently."

Juliet felt taken aback, her gut churned at the words.

"Harassing her? Like sexually or something?"

Anne shook her head again, "She didn't say that, she just said someone wouldn't stop even though she told them to. She asked me what to do. I told her that she should tell someone, a teacher or if it has to be reported then she should report it." Anne scrunched her face, " She said that it wasn't a big deal but that it was just annoying; now that this has happened though...I don't know if it has anything to do with it..." Anne continued to look out into the distance, the sunlight was becoming scarce.

"Now after all this...." Anne voice cracked again..."I can't help but feel like a shit friend..." She closed her eyes tightly releasing a tear.

Juliet felt confused and uncomfortable.

Did the person harassing her have anything to do with her disappearance? Or was it just bullying?

"It's not like we know if that had anything to do with it, it's not like you knew either. You gave her advice and that's what friends do." Juliet smiled trying to cheer up Anne. "Anyways, I do think it's kind of creepy and you said it happened recently. Maybe you should tell the police."

Anne nodded.

"Was there anything else?"

The girl racked her brain trying to remember any detail, "Not really. After she told me about the harassment going on whenever she felt alone at school she'd ask me to accompany her."