Free Peachville High Demons 01: Beautiful Demons by Sarra Cannon Page B

parents, they gave me the necklace when I turned eight. That's when they first told me that I was adopted. They said my mother's only request was that they made sure I got that necklace.”
    Mayor Chen seemed to think this over for a moment, then turned back to me. “Do you know anything else about your real mother?”
    Why was she asking me about my mother? And the necklace? What did any of this have to do with Tori's death? I shook my head slightly. “I don't know much,” I said.
    “But you've seen her before?”
    “Not really. I mean, I accidentally saw a picture of her that my adoptive parents kept in a file in their desk.”
    “And that's how you knew to draw that picture we found in your notebook? Of her wearing the necklace?”
    I nodded again.
    “Do you have any idea how Tori Fairchild would have gotten hold of your necklace?”
    “No, that's what I was trying to tell the sheriff. I lost that necklace Friday night at the game. I always wear it, everyday. But when I was getting in the van to come home that night, it was gone. It had to have fallen off somewhere at the stadium. Anyone could have picked it up.”
    Mayor Chen's eyes locked onto mine, and I searched them, hoping to see some sign that she believed me. On the table, the folder fluttered closed. Mayor Chen hadn't even moved her hand. I stared down at the closed folder, then back up at her ebony eyes.
    “Miss Madison, thank you for your cooperation today,” she said. “You are free to go.”

Is That You?

    Ellis drove me home in his squad car. This time, I got to ride up front.
    “How you hangin' in there?” he asked. “Seems like they kinda gave you a rough time in there.”
    I sank deeper in my seat. “I guess I'm alright.” I didn't really want to talk about it with this guy.
    “They can be kind of rough on me too,” he said.
    I figured he was just trying to make me feel better, but when I looked over at him, I could see honesty in his face. The older man had been kind of mean to him when he dropped those pencils. Maybe he knew what it felt like to never have anyone take you seriously.
    “What's with the sheriff?” I asked.
    “What do ya mean?”
    “Small town like this. I guess I wasn't expecting a pretty petite lady to be the boss around here. It was sorta unexpected.”
    “Oh,” he said with a shrug. “I guess I never really thought about it that much. Sheriff Hollingsworth might be small, but she's tough. Real tough. And smart too.”
    “It's just that in the movies and stuff, you always see towns like this with old white guys in charge. The good ol' boys. But here, I don't know. This town is very... progressive. Black lady sheriff. Asian woman mayor. Lots of minority women in charge. All very beautiful.” I don't know why I was talking to Ellis about these things. It was more that I was just working out my own questions and he just happened to be there. But now that I did take a moment to think about it, having all these women in power did seem a little unusual.
    Mayor Chen is like me.
    The realization had come to me the second she closed that folder, but I didn't want to admit it. What did that even mean? She was like me. So what? Wasn't that a good thing? But somehow it didn't feel good. It felt dangerous.
    Ellis looked confused. His eyebrows were drawn together and his lips were turned down in a concentrated frown. “I never really considered it,” he mumbled.
    I started to think about who else might be powerful in this town. There was old Mrs. Shadowford, but she didn't seem to hold much sway in the political arena. Still, she was obviously wealthy and owned a lot of property. Her teacup had rattled when she got angry. I shivered.
    Principal Tate at the high school was a woman. Drake's sister owned the most popular shop in town. If I asked around, I wonder how many more women I could find in high places.
    Officer Ellis pulled down the drive toward Shadowford and my palms grew sweaty. I had no idea what to expect from