The Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris [118]
“Chicago?” Stacy said. “No, we marched at Chicago one time in the Thanksgiving parade.”
“When?”
“Eighth grade, that would be what?--- nine years ago. The band just went there and back on the bus.”
“What did you think last spring when she first disappeared?”
“I just didn't know.”
“Remember where you were when you first found it out? When you got the news? What did you think then?”
“That first night she was gone, Skip and me went to the show and then we went to Mr. Toad's for a drink and Pam and them, Pam Malavesi, came in, and said Fredrica had disappeared, and Skip does, Houdini couldn't make Fredrica disappear. And then he's got to tell everybody who Houdini was, he's always showing off how much he knows, and we just sort of blew it off. I thought she was just mad at her dad. Did you see her house? Is that the pits? I mean, wherever she is, I know she's embarrassed you saw it. Wouldn't you run away?”
''Did you think maybe she'd run away with some?body, did anybody pop into your mind--- even if it was wrong?"
“Skip said maybe she'd found her a chubbychaser. But no, she never had anybody like that. She had one boyfriend, but that's like ancient history. He was in the band in the tenth grade, I say 'boyfriend' but they just talked and giggled like a couple of girls and did home?work. He was a big sissy though, wore one of these little Greek fisherman's caps? Skip thought he was a, you know, a queer. She got kidded about going out with a queer. Him and his sister got killed in a car wreck though, and she never got anybody else.”
“What did you think when she didn't come back?”
“Pam thought maybe it was some Moonies got her, I didn't know, I was scared every time I thought about it. I wouldn't any more go out at night without Skip, I told him, I said uhuh, buddy, when the sun goes down, we go out.”
“Did you ever hear her mention anybody named Jame Gumb? Or John Grant?”
“Ummmm . . . no.”
“Do you think she could have had a friend you didn't know about? Were there gaps in time, days when you didn't see her?”
“No. She had a guy, I'd of known, believe me. She never had a guy.”
“Do you think it might be just possible, let's say, she could have had a friend and didn't say anything about it?”
“Why wouldn't she?”
“Scared she'd get kidded, maybe?”
“Kidded by us? What are you saying, because of the other time? The sissy kid in high school?” Stacy red?dened. “No. No way we would hurt her. I just men?tioned that together. She didn't... everybody was like, kind to her after he died.”
“Did you work with Fredrica, Stacy?”
“Me and her and Pam Malavesi and Jaronda Askew all worked down at the Bargain Center summers in high school. Then Pam and me went to Richards' to see could we get on, it's real nice clothes, and they hired me and then Pam, so Pam says to Fredrica come on they need another girl and she came, but Mrs. Burdine--- the merchandising manager?--- she goes, 'Well, Fredrica, we need somebody that, you know, people can relate to, that they come in and say I want to look like her, and you can give them advice,how they look in this and stuff. And if you get yourself together and lose your weight I want you to come right back here and see me,' she says. 'But right now, if you want to take over some of our alterations I'll try you at that, I'll put in a word with Mrs. Lippman.' Mrs. Burdine talked in this sweety voice but she turned out to be a bitch really, but I didn't know it right at first.”
“So Fredrica did alterations for Richards', the store where you worked?”
“It hurt her feelings, but sure. Old Mrs. Lippman did everybody's alterations. She had the business and she had more than she could do, and Fredrica worked for her. She did them for old Mrs. Lippman. Mrs. Lippman sewed for everybody, made dresses. After Mrs. Lipp?man retired, her kid or whatever didn't want to do it and Fredrica got it all and just kept sewing for every?body. That's all she did. She'd meet me and Pam, we'd