Hillary Hunt—the other girl in the circle of popularity that was made up of Carrie, Adrienne, Kate, and Hillary—was a small blonde girl with wide brown eyes that seemed too large for her face. She wore sweatpants and a shirt with the Elmhurst Academy crest on it. She was currently sitting cross-legged between her parents on a large sofa in the Hunts’ living room.

Shauna wasn’t above pressing Hillary. The girl’s parents had put off the interview the last time they’d reached out to her, claiming their daughter was too distraught to talk.

Screw that, Shauna thought. Two of her friends had died. Pressuring her for information was necessary.

“Were Carrie and Adrienne talking to anyone new?” Shauna asked. “Maybe on social media? Someone they’d met online or kids from another school?”

“No, nothing like that,” Hillary said, shaking her head for emphasis.

“Is Hillary in danger?” the girl’s father asked and her mother’s face took on a look of panic.

The school had dragged their heels on warning parents about the danger to their students, arguing the fact the girls had both gone to the same school was coincidence. It made Shauna sick to think they cared more about their reputation, their bottom line, than the safety of the students. There would be a notice going out in a few hours, though. The mayor had finally pressured the head of the school to make the warning.

“Do you think this person will come after Hill?” Mrs. Hunt echoed the question.

Shauna let the question hang in the air long enough for the family to draw some conclusions, then gave a weak, “we hope not,” in response, before asking her next question. “Hillary, can you think of anything, any little detail, that might help us figure this out? Figure out who hurt Carrie and Adrienne?”

She felt a little shitty for playing on that fear, but screw it. They needed a lead. Ronan was back at the station and she and Zach had come to try to pull something from the girl in the hopes she’d have something for them to go on.

The question had the desired effect. Hillary squirmed, confirming there was something the girl was holding back.

Zach took that moment to quietly ask Mr. Hunt to join him in the other room. Shauna knew he wanted to clear the room of men in the hopes Hillary might open up.

She softened her voice. “Hillary, we need to stop this person. Before anyone else gets hurt.”

The girl looked at her mom, then back to Shauna, pushing one piece of hair behind her ear as a tear slid down her face. “Sawyer’s clubhouse.” Another glance to her mom then back to Shauna.

“I told you I didn’t want you going there,” her mother said, then looked to Shauna. “His parents think it’s okay to build a kid his own game room and let the kids all hang out there unsupervised. What kind of parent does that?”

Shauna nodded but didn’t say anything. She agreed with Hillary’s mom, but right then, she needed Hillary talking. “What happened in the clubhouse, Hillary?”

Hillary was crying now. “I went there with some friends. There were a few of us, so I thought it was okay. But I think he slipped something to me. I woke up and I was alone.” The girl held herself now, arms wrapped around herself like she couldn’t get warm. “I think someone did something to me. My clothes weren’t on right, like someone had undressed me but then didn’t dress me up right. I had a tank top on under my shirt and that was gone. My underwear was crooked, like...”

She didn’t finish. Her mother’s arms were around her now and the poor woman looked like she might be sick. Shauna didn’t blame her.

“Can you tell me when this was?” Shauna asked. They’d have a hard time proving anything if she didn’t remember who did this to her, but maybe the girl would be able to tell her something they didn’t already know. If someone had been there with Sawyer. Maybe just by telling them today, memories would open up for Hillary and she’d remember some small detail that would help.

“About three months ago.”

“Can you tell me who was there with you when you got to the clubhouse?” Shauna asked.

“Sawyer was there, and Kyle Lawler and Mike Davies. Adrienne and Carrie were there, but I think they left before I was slipped something.” The pinched brow said the girl was trying to remember but wasn’t sure and Shauna knew time could be hard to piece together on some drugs. She wondered if it was GHB that Hillary had been given, like the others.

“Did you tell anyone what happened?”

Hillary nodded. “I told Carrie and Adrienne what I thought happened. They still went and partied there some. Carrie liked the attention she got there. Adrienne said she thought it was creepy that he hit on her and Carrie both, but I’m not sure either of them really believed anything had been done to me. I think they thought I just got drunk and passed out.” She looked to her mom. “I only had a little beer. I didn’t pass out.”

Now she looked back to Shauna. “Kate believed me. She started making excuses not to go there. We would usually hang out someplace else if Carrie and Adrienne were going there.”

As Shauna listened, she couldn’t help but hate the fact that it was so hard for girls to feel like they couldn’t come forward for help. If this girl had said something to an adult, would Carrie and Adrienne be alive today? But the girls probably feared it would get out, that they’d be called easy or worse. Maybe people wouldn’t believe her at all. There were all kinds of things for a girl in her position to fear. Shauna understood that all too well. 

When her husband had abused her, Shauna hadn’t wanted anyone to know what had happened to her. There was still shame inside her over it, despite the fact she knew full well she shouldn’t feel any. Her husband should have borne all of that.

Listening quietly, she documented everything Hillary had told her. She didn’t know if they’d ever be able to bring any charges on Hillary’s behalf if she had no memory of what had happened, and any evidence that might have existed on her body or clothing was long gone. But, maybe Hillary could testify in court. With her testimony, they would be one step closer to justice for Carrie and Adrienne.