Through the windows, Regan saw Alexa working at her desk in the empty room. The door was locked so she knocked.
Alexa opened the door but stayed a step back, clearly telling Regan not to invade her space. She was an attractive young woman. Twenty-six, but she looked older, her hair up in a bun, wearing sensible pants and a blouse that was a generation too old for her. Little makeup, with blemish-free light brown skin and long lashes.
“May I help you?” she asked, smiling at first Regan, then at Lucas.
“I’m Regan Merritt. This is Lucas Vega. We’re looking into the death of Candace Swain for a podcast.”
Her face paled. Alexa would never be able to play poker. As soon as she said her name, Alexa knew who Regan was. She’d clearly listened to the podcast.
Alexa stepped back, cleared her throat. “I—um—yes? I don’t know how I can help you.”
“We’d like to talk to you about Candace Swain from NAU. You knew her.”
“Yes.”
Lucas said, “Were you at the party when Candace disappeared?”
“I don’t understand what you want from me.” Alexa was nervous, her eyes darting, as if looking for an escape. Guilt? Fear? Both?
“May we come in?” Lucas asked. “You’d probably like to sit down.”
“No, I’m sorry, this is my classroom. I can’t have personal business here,” she said firmly.
“Ms. Castillo,” Lucas said, “Regan has been helping me retrace Candace’s steps from after the party until she was found dead. We know she was in Kingman that weekend—her boyfriend said that she often visited a sorority sister who had already graduated. I narrowed down the possibilities, and you’re the most likely from that list. Did you see Candace that weekend?”
“Why?”
“Because I think you know why she disappeared and what she was doing. That will help us figure out what happened to her.”
“I can’t talk to you.”
Regan was watching Alexa carefully as Lucas questioned her. His words were straightforward, and his tone matter-of-fact, not confrontational. But the more questions he asked, the more agitated she became.
“You mean, you won’t talk to us,” Lucas said.
“I don’t know what you want, I don’t know why you’re here, I want you to leave. I’ll call security.”
She hadn’t denied seeing Candace.
Regan said, “Do you know that Taylor James died of an overdose Wednesday night?”
Her eyes widened. She hadn’t known, and she looked terrified.
“Go away. Please. I have nothing to say to you. Nothing. Do not come here again. This is where I work.”
A teacher walking through the courtyard had slowed and was watching them, perhaps picking up on the panic in Alexa’s voice.
Lucas said quietly, “You really need to talk to us, Alexa. I know you’ve listened to the podcast, and my guess is that you’re the one who sent me the anonymous letter about the argument between Taylor and Candace. You gave us Kimberly Foster’s name. We also know that you volunteered with Candace at Sunrise Center. Anyone else we need to talk to? Do you know who killed Candace or just suspect someone other than Abernathy?”
At that moment, an older woman approached holding the hand of a little girl, two and a half or maybe close to three, with curly brown pigtails. “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” The girl ran full-speed toward Alexa with a huge grin on her face holding a paper with bright colors in what Regan suspected was a rainbow.
Alexa stared at Regan, then she grimly shook her head before turning to the girl and plastering a smile on her face. “Bella! How is my angel?”
“See my pit-cher? All the colors!”
“It’s so pretty, it is definitely going on the refrigerator when we get home.”
Alexa barely looked at Lucas and Regan when she said, “I need to go. Thank you for your time.” She ushered Bella and the older woman into her classroom and closed the door.
Everything Alexa said—and didn’t say—confirmed what Regan and Lucas suspected.
She was the anonymous letter writer.
She was terrified of someone.
And now Regan understood why Alexa hadn’t wanted to come forward. She had a little girl, and she was scared. Fear was powerful, especially when you had more than yourself to protect.
But if she feared Taylor, why would Alexa still be scared after learning she was dead?
Thirty-Two
Regan let Lucas talk about his impressions of Alexa Castillo, which were very similar to hers: yes, she wrote the letter; yes, she knew more than she said; yes, it was most likely her that Candace visited in Kingman. He was excited about their discovery and wanted to brainstorm ways to convince her to talk.