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.Laura was excited, but had to probe."Do you know a lot about cars?""No.""Most girls don't.In fact, most of us don't know one car from another.How did you know it was a 300ZX?""Because there's a little sign on the back that says that's what it is," Marie said, and turned away."But how could you see a little sign at night on a silver car?"Then, waking up."Unless the car was stopped?"Grabbing Marie by the arm, she spun her around, and looking in her face saw she was right."You saw the car when it was parked, didn't you? Where? Where did you see it?"In a voice filled with shame, "At the depot."It took a moment to sink in."Oh, my God." She resisted asking why Marie hadn't spoken up sooner.This wasn't the moment.Instead, as Marie burst into tears, Laura drew the girl to her and put her arms around her.When the sobs quieted, Laura said, "Tell me what happened."Marie took off her glasses, wiped her eyes with her sleeve."You were right.I knew about the depot but I hadn't seen it.All I knew was that Terri had told me about it.""Go on.""Things weren't going like Terri wanted.She wanted to get married but he seemed to be losing interest or something.Anyway, she got scared it was going to be over unless.""Unless she slept with him?""Yes, but it wasn't like that, not exactly.I mean, before Peter, Terri was going out with Joey from the neighborhood, only she wouldn't let him, so he left her for Lisa.Then one night her mother and father got in a fight at the dinner table and afterward they went up to their room and.well, Terri knew they were doing it.They did it a lot, I'm talking about a real lot, and it always made Terri feel weird to think about it, them doing it, but not this time.She said this time it all sort of made sense and that's when she decided to do it with Peter.""Who came up with the idea of the depot?""Terri.we know that a man won't respect you if he does it to you in the car, and Terri didn't have a place, so she picked the depot.""But you didn't see it."Marie hesitated again."Not then, not when she was fixing it up.I wanted to but she wouldn't let me.She said it was their place and she didn't want me to see it yet.""And this made you feel a little left out maybe?""No.Well, yes, maybe a little, but I wasn't jealous or anything.I just wanted to see it.""How'd you feel about Terri doing it with Peter.what did you say his last name was?""I don't know what his last name was.Even Terri didn't know.Peter, that was it.Anyway I didn't like the idea and I told her so.The sisters taught us it's a sin to let a man do stuff before you get married.""What did Terri say about that?""She said it wasn't a sin if you were going to marry that person, and that's what she and Peter were going to do.""So she believed they were going to get married.Then what happened?"Marie turned and again leaned against the yellow rail surrounding the ice rink.Laura was acutely aware of how wet and cold she was.Her boots were soaked through, water had dripped in around her collar.But it was worse for Marie, who had no raincoat and who was carrying around a load of guilt and grief large enough to chill her insides."Then I did a bad thing—I went to the depot.""That Saturday night, the night Terri was killed?" Laura was afraid to believe what she was hearing."Yes.look, I wasn't trying to spy on them or anything.I just wanted to see what the place looked like.what he looked like.After all, I was her best friend—""Marie, you did not do anything wrong.There's nothing wrong with being curious about the person your best friend is going with.Were you outside or inside the depot?""Outside.I thought about going inside but I decided it would be wrong.""Okay, can you tell me about it?""I got there early, before they did.That's when I thought about going inside because Terri had told me about the place and I knew how she got in.""But you didn't.""No, I found a hiding place where they couldn't see me, but I could see them when they pulled up."Laura held her breath."They came, and he pulled the car up in that little dead end.Terri got out, opened the window and went inside and opened the door.""What about him, Marie?""He stayed in the car till Terri opened the door, then went inside.""What did he look like?""He wasn't real tall but he was taller than Terri.They made a sort of good couple.He had dark hair and a beard, and he was wearing dark glasses.Oh, and he had on a leather jacket and a white scarf.Terri said he always wore them.""Anything else.I mean about the way he looked?""Just that he really was good-looking, like she said."From the description Laura thought he could have been wearing a ski mask, with a beard attached.There was no way even an eyewitness like Marie could identify him for certain with a description like that.Even if it wasn't a mask, the beard could have been a phony, or if it was real he could have shaved it off right after."What happened then?""They closed the door.""So that's all you saw.But what about when they came out?""I didn't see them then.It was starting to rain and I thought they'd be in there for a long time, maybe all night, and I didn't feel like getting soaked, so I left.""What did you think when Terri didn't show up for school on Monday?""I was sick then, I didn't go to school on Monday.""But you already knew she was missing, didn't you? Her parents must have been going crazy."Laura could see her tightening up and realized she had hit a nerve.the reason Marie was feeling so guilty."Why didn't you tell anyone about this until now?" Laura said."Because when Terri told me about the place and what she was going to do, she made me promise not to tell anyone, especially her parents, because if everything worked out like she hoped she was sure she and Peter would run away and get married.""Didn't you worry?""Yes." and she began to cry again."I was afraid for her, she was my best friend, I didn't want her to do this—""Did you talk to the police?""Yes.""Why didn't you tell them, or your parents?"Crying harder now, Marie said, "I was afraid everyone would hate me for what I did.Sneaking around like that, spying."Laura reached out and put her arms again around the girl."Never mind
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