Quince nodded. “Our Jane’s are blue, too, but—”
“That doesn’t prove it’s her, I know. Still…”
Quince stopped scrolling and grinned at her, telling Sun, “If I ever go missing, boss, I want your daughter leading the investigation.”
The blinding smile that widened across Auri’s face caused Sun’s insides to warm.
“Thanks, Mom,” Sun said when her mother handed her the printout. She refocused on Auri. “We’re going to head back to the station if you’re okay, hon?”
“Of course,” she said. “I’m sorry you hurried back from Santa Fe because of this.”
“No worries,” Quince said, standing. “We needed to get back anyway.”
Her dad stood and slapped Quince on the back. “Let us know if you kids need anything.”
Her mom was clanging dishes in the kitchen. “Dinner’s not quite ready, but I can bring you two a plate later.”
The bashful grin that commandeered Quincy’s face had Sun fighting a giggle. “That would be amazing, Mrs. Freyr.” When would that man get over his crush on her mother?
Sun gave Auri a hug. “No more investigating, okay? We’re on this.”
“But, Mom, what if I have an epiphany that could break the case wide open?”
“Then you call me and I’ll look into it.”
She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “So you can take the credit for my genius?”
“Yes,” Sun said, deadpanning her. “That is exactly why you should call me. I could not possibly do this job without your genius insights into the criminal mind.”
“I figured as much.”
She laughed and gave her another hug. “See you guys later,” she said to her parents.
They waved as Sun and Quince walked to the front door.
Sun glanced up at her bestie. “I want to get back out to Copper Canyon tomorrow.”
“Did you see something in the photos?”
“Maybe. I just want to make sure forensics didn’t miss anything.”
“Like?”
“Did you notice the necklace Whitney had on in almost every picture?”
“The one our Jane Doe wasn’t wearing when we found her? I did. You think it’s really her?”
“I don’t know. I just want to double check.”
“You got it, boss.”
* * *
Auri had started for her room when she heard her mom and Quincy talking as they left. She had somehow missed the fact that the girl who may or may not be Lynelle’s cousin had been found at Copper Canyon. It rang a bell, but she couldn’t remember why.
She hurried to her room and called Sybil.
“Hey, Auri,” Sybil said, her voice almost despondent.
“Hey, Syb. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just, I’m so sorry, Auri.”
Auri sat at her desk and opened her laptop. “What? Why?”
“I freaked out and my freak-out freaked you out.”
“So, lots of freaking out.”
“They’re infectious. Like herpes. Or Ebola. You never freak out, Auri. You’re so calm under fire, you’re like ice. You can handle anything, and then I come along and … I wish I were more like you.”
“Sybil St. Aubin, stop that right now. You are amazing and you’ve survived a horrible situation against terrible odds. It’s natural for you to be hyperaware of your environment for at least the next thirty years.”
“I guess. But I feel like I’m dragging you down with me.”
“Actually, I think you’re a good influence. Maybe I’d stay out of trouble if I were more hyperaware.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Gracias.”
“De nada. Hey, do you remember hearing something about Copper Canyon?”
“Yes. They found that girl there this morning.”
“Right, but I mean before that.” Auri chewed her bottom lip in thought, trying to remember. “I feel like something happened there. Something really strange.”
“Oh! Oh, my god, yes!” She could hear Sybil tearing through paper or pages of some kind. Maybe a journal? “What was it? Wait. I’ll find it.”
“You wrote it down?”
“Are you kidding? I write everything down. Every word is going in my tell-all. People need to know about the crazy stuff that happens in this town.”
“Your tell-all? Is that the super-secret project you were talking about?”
“Oops. Yes, it is. I’m so bad at keeping secrets.”
“No, this is cool. I had no idea you were writing a book. Wait.” The reality of how a memoir about their antics in Del Sol could go horribly wrong hit her. “You can’t publish anything until we’re, like, really old. In our thirties, maybe. Or even our forties, if we live that long. Then we can’t get into trouble for anything we allegedly did in our youth.”
“That’s a good point. Okay. How about thirty-five-ish? That should give me a couple of years to enjoy my fame before I’m old and decrepit.”
“That’ll work. Did you find anything?”
“Yes. Wait a minute … Blah, blah, blah. Oh, right. Wow, Auri.”
“Yes?” she said from her throne of pins and needles.
“This can’t be a coincidence.”
“Sybil,” she said, her patience waning. “What is it?”
“It was from a conversation some kids were having at lunch. Remember? They were talking about a girl who was taken to the ER last year with head trauma and a broken arm.”
Auri snapped. She knew she’d heard something. “I do remember. A driver found her on the side of the road leading up to the pass over Copper Canyon. Said she was really disoriented.”
“Yes, she told the doctors she couldn’t remember what happened.”
It was all coming back to her. “Right. I can see why you wrote that down. You didn’t happen to get her name, did you?”
“I don’t think they ever said, and we certainly didn’t ask.”
“Why?”
Sybil dropped her voice to a whisper, “Because we were eavesdropping on Lynelle and her super psycho friends, trying to get dirt on her for the Del Sol Inquisitor.”
Lynelle again. “Oh, right. We were going to start a gossip rag, but other than this story, we couldn’t find any good gossip. Makes sense why we didn’t ask.”
“Exactly.”
Auri’s brain raced with how best to find the girl. Sybil was right. No way was this a coincidence, but she couldn’t tell her mom just yet. She’d promised no more investigating. “Okay, thanks, Sybil.”
“Hold on. Are you about to do what I think you’re about to do?”
“No. Possibly. Why?”
“Because I want in.”
“I don’t know, Sybil.”
“I promise not to freak out. I’m good now.”
“Okay, tomorrow we ride.”
“Where?”
“No, it’s just a saying. Never mind. Tomorrow we hack into the sheriff’s database and find that girl. There has to be a report.”