Justus Benning had identified Cassie Oliver, also from a Hundreds family, as one of Sarah’s friends.
“Mr. Benning said that Sarah didn’t have a boyfriend. Just between us, I find that hard to believe.”
Diana turned and gazed out the window for a moment, then said, “No, she didn’t have any trouble attracting boys—or girls.” She turned back to me. “Danica, may I assume that anything I tell you is in confidence?”
“Absolutely. My boss, Deputy Commissioner Whittaker, tagged me for this because he values my discretion.”
“Tom is an old friend.” She nodded and took a deep breath. “My husband and I are not religious, and we haven’t preached rigid conventional morality to our children. We believe in being open minded. Conventional ethics, yes. I think you’ll find that Justus has a reputation in business for ethical dealing. Now, that said, we don’t police our daughter as strictly as some parents do. As to relationships, shall we say that Sarah is eclectic, and not at all monogamous.”
“But your husband is not aware of this?”
“Sarah doesn’t bother her father with things that would make him uncomfortable. You know how fathers are about their daughters.”
I didn’t from my own experience, but I had heard about it.
“So, there is a possibility that one of her friends might have taken things a little more seriously than she intended.”
“Yes, I’m afraid so. And…she takes risks sometimes that I don’t think are wise. I’ve cautioned her, but I don’t want to come down on her so hard that she stops confiding in me.”
“Anyone you know who might have wanted to harm her, or who she might have wanted to spend more time with?”
“Not that I can think of. You should talk to Cassie, and also Jerilyn Novak and Bill—William—Moncrieff. They are probably more up-to-date on her activities.”
“Are you worried about her?”
I asked because Diana seemed terribly composed. I watched as her eyes misted, and her composure seemed to crack for a moment.
She bit her lip, then said, “Ms. James, I love my daughter. Right now, she’s finding her own way, but I guess I hope that someday, after she’s found it, we might be best friends. I had that with my mother before she died. Yes, I’m worried. Bring her home, and I’ll personally make it worth your while on top of whatever arrangement you have with my husband.”
While we ate, she gave me some additional details on Sarah’s friends and activities. She also knew the names of a few of Sarah’s past flings, male and female. To her knowledge, none had lasted more than two or three weeks.
At the end, when I got ready to leave, she said, “Ms. James, maybe I’m off base, and I’m hesitant to mention this, but you might check out Martin Johansson. He’s a business associate of my husband. He’s always sort of given me the creeps, the way he watches me, and he seems to be a little too attentive to my daughter. A man his age shouldn’t constantly stare at a teenager. Do you know what I mean?”
“Yes, I do. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Benning, and for being so open with me. One last thing, has anyone contacted you or your husband about paying a ransom?”
She shook her head. “No, although that’s what I expected at first. But nothing. Justus would have paid, of course. I mean, we’re not hurting for money.”
Diana could have used her talent of empathic projection on me to convince me of her sincerity, but she didn’t. Perhaps her composure was something learned, a front for the world, because she was so aware of emotions and her ability to manipulate them. I wondered how much of that she had taught her daughter.
Sarah didn’t go to a public school, of course, but rather to the top private all-girls school in the metro area. I had gone there briefly before they shipped me out to a boarding school. The evening she disappeared, she had been at a concert rehearsal and left in her own car. She hadn’t made the two miles home. Considering what kind of car she drove, I needed to think about carjacking. A hundred-grand car would be tempting for a thief.
I drove by Sarah’s school and parked in one of the visitors’ spaces near the student parking lot to wait for classes to end. The cars there were a lot fancier than the ones in the faculty-staff parking lot. When Cassie Oliver came out, I followed her. She drove to an area with bars and restaurants popular with students from Johns Hopkins and Loyola universities and parked on the street. I parked in a loading zone and put my Metro PD card on the dash, then hurried to catch up with her.
“Ms. Oliver?” Before getting out of the car, Cassie had taken off her school jacket, unbuttoned the top three buttons of her shirt, put on some makeup, and brushed out her braids. Compared to the girl who left school, she looked at least three years older. Her thick chestnut hair framed a very pretty face, and I didn’t think it was an accident that her shirt was at least one size too small. The jacket probably hid that when she was at school.
She stopped and gave me a cautious, “Yes?”
“I’m Danica James. Sarah Benning’s parents asked me to help them find her. Sarah’s mother suggested I speak with you.”
“Oh. Yeah, well, I’m supposed to meet someone.”
“Right. I’m sure that’s important. Perhaps you can spare me some time after we find her body.”
A little bit aggressive, but time wasn’t on my side. Cassie reacted as though I had slapped her. Her face reddened, and she stared down at her feet.
When she looked up, she said, “I’m sorry. Look, can I tell my friend that I’m going to
