Free Thaw (Detective Ellie MacIntosh) by Kate Watterson Page B

had been raw and windy, and she didn’t have the advantage of running laps or jumping bars to generate some much-needed body heat. Instead she had to bundle up to her neck, her cheeks stinging, as she walked around and gave what she hoped was encouragement to the students on her team.
    Being a high school track coach wasn’t exactly a dream job, but it supplemented her teacher’s income and she needed the money. She actually liked it better than teaching chemistry, and it was an added bonus when she had a star athlete like Rose Beech. She was undefeated the past two years in the regular season in the two-hundred meter, and had even gone to semi-state.
    Bright student also; she had her in class. Pretty girl, five foot seven or so, long legs, blond hair, and a genuine, infectious smile.
    The disappearance had rocked the small community and Susan was fairly sure that sooner or later she would be vilified for not making sure Rose was in her car and out of the parking lot before she left.
    And this seemed to be sooner.
    The detective was different from the county deputies she’d dealt with so far. Female, fairly young, with smooth fair hair and a way of looking at you and maybe seeing entirely too much. She wore a gray sweater that emphasized her slenderness, a white top, and black slacks. This particular police officer was not a happy addition to her day, and the morning had been pretty bad already.
    Not what she needed.
    “It was routine. When I last saw Rose she was walking to her car,” Susan said, taking a folder out of the drawer in her desk, her spine stiffening. “There were no cars left in the parking lot except the maintenance vehicles.”
    “And hers?”
    “And hers.” Confirmation that was hardly necessary since she’d already told the local police. In fact, the car had still been there when she pulled in this morning. “Look, Detective . . .”
    “MacIntosh,” the woman said helpfully, her hazel eyes direct. “Ellie MacIntosh.”
    “I was supposed to wait and watch her leave safely. Do you think I feel guilty now? Don’t doubt it.” Susan meant it, every single word. They were in the classroom, the smell of antiseptic and chalk so familiar she rarely noticed it except after the summer break. “But everyone else was gone and there was no one else here and I had a dentist appointment. I thought it was perfectly safe. Now I regret driving away, believe me.”
    “I do.” The police officer sat down in one of the desks in the front row but didn’t take out a notebook. “Tell me everything about yesterday. I don’t care how insignificant it might seem; if you remember it, I want to know about it.”
    The bell rang. A flare of panic rose. In a minute the students would start pouring in and she was going to have to pretend she wasn’t having what could be defined as the worst day of her life. “I have a class.”
    “I have a missing girl. And honestly, I really don’t think we have a lot of time, Ms. Reichert. When someone is missing, the first day or two is the best time for them to be found, otherwise . . .”
    Otherwise …She didn’t need the rest of it. Her imagination was vivid enough.
    Susan nodded. “I understand.”
    She did. It made her sick again. Hoarsely, she said, “Poor Rose…I really have no idea where she could be. I wish I did.”
    That was the absolute truth and yet there was a lie lingering in there somewhere, and unfortunately Ellie MacIntosh seemed to sense it.
    “Ms. Reichert, I do understand this is not the most pleasant of conversations, but how much better would you feel if you were part of the solution? This is what I really need from you. As far as we know, you were the last person to see her, and it is likely she was taken from the parking lot right out in front of this school.” Detective MacIntosh exhaled slowly. “You might know something whether or not you realize it. Talk to me. I want to know about your coworkers, any cars you’ve seen recently that