Chapter 38
Carolyn (March 1958)
...
Nancy's bed was empty the next morning. When Carolyn woke up, she turned to check if Nancy was awake and expected to see her still sound asleep with the covers over her head. Usually Carolyn was always the first one to wake and be up and about in the room, but she was pleasantly surprised to see that Nancy's bed was already made.
"Nan?" she called out. There was no answer. Carolyn yawned and rubbed her eyes before getting out of bed and fixing her sheets. She thought that maybe Nancy had gone into the bathroom to take a shower but she quickly noticed that the door was wide open and the light was turned off. No sign of her there.
"Nancy?" Carolyn said as she spun around. Nancy wasn't in the room. Carolyn crossed her arms and noticed a draft flowing through the room and investigated the window. It wasn't completely shut all the way; just slightly cracked, allowing the cold March air to seep into the room that already suffered from chronic chilliness. Carolyn slid the window all the way down and pressed on it to make sure the draft stopped. She no longer felt the fresh morning air creeping through.
"Maybe she couldn't sleep," Carolyn thought. "Maybe she went to the day room." She shrugged her shoulders. "At least she's up early before me."
Carolyn took her time to shower that morning. Usually she would have to hound Nancy awake and get her to shower and rush her to get dressed. Carolyn would fix Nancy's hair for her and would have to remind her to brush her teeth. Nancy would pout since she wasn't a morning person and Carolyn would laugh at her ridiculousness while having to rush through her own morning routine. Carolyn was able to breathe in the hot shower steam and clear her mind for a moment while she slowly began to shake the sleepiness from herself. After getting dressed, Carolyn left the room to attend breakfast down in one of the dining halls but when she got there, she still didn't see Nancy. They always went to breakfast around this time but she was nowhere to be found. Carolyn ate her breakfast alone and in silence. She wondered if something may have happened. She tried to remain collected but her thoughts were beginning to race. After finishing breakfast, Carolyn went back up the stairwell to Bradley Diamond's and checked the day room. No Nancy. She scoffed when she realized she wasn't in there. She checked the library next and there was still no sign of her. Carolyn's worried thoughts began to spiral. She did her best to compose herself and control her breathing. "I'll probably see her in class. Maybe she's off ghost hunting with Roger." The thought made her chuckle; Nancy ghost hunting even though it scared her. Carolyn was never a fan.
When she got to her first class of the day, Nancy was not in her seat. Carolyn sat down and felt like her thoughts were going to spin her out of control. The other girls began to file in for class and then soon after, Mistress Laurier stepped in. The mistress greeted the young women and began to take attendance like any other morning. Carolyn was confused. "The mistress doesn't know?" she thought to herself. She figured that if something had happened to Nancy that Mistress Laurier would announce it to the class, like when Holly and Sharon were removed from Bradley Diamond's, but she did no such thing.
"Miss Moore?" the mistress said puzzled.
"Yes, Mistress Laurier?"
"Where is Miss Adler?" The mistress sat her attendance book down on her desk and took off her reading glasses to clean them.
Carolyn was stunned for a moment. "She was not in our room this morning," she paused. "I thought she had woken up early though I did not see her at breakfast either."
"You do not know where she is?" the mistress sounded concerned.
"No, Mistress."
The girls in class looked at each other equally confused. They whispered to each other before Mistress Laurier urged them to quiet down.
"Well," the mistress scoffed softly, "how odd. I will have to get to the bottom of this." Mistress Laurier placed her reading glasses on the desk and straightened them next to her attendance book. "Ladies," she said, "you will read pages thirty-nine to fourty-eight of your book this morning while I look for Miss Adler. This is unlike her."
Carolyn felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and fear briefly took over. "Mistress Laurier?" she said before the mistress was about to leave the classroom.
"Yes, Miss Moore?"
"I looked for her everywhere and I did not see her in any place I had searched." Carolyn's voice was shaky and the mistress took her out in the hallway to speak with her in private.
"Now Carolyn," the mistress said as she shut the classroom door, "you said you have not been able to find her?"
"No, Mistress. She is just gone." Carolyn wiped the tears that fell from her eyes onto her cheeks.
"Did Nancy say anything to you?" the mistress asked.
Carolyn couldn't help but shake her head though it didn't seem important to Mistress Laurier at the moment. "No, Mistress."
"I will have the hotel staff search for her. There is the possibility that Nancy has run away." The mistress placed her hand gently on Carolyn's shoulder.
"Run away?" Carolyn laughed. "We are graduating in a few weeks! Why would she run away?"
"I do not know, dear," Mistress Laurier said sadly. "We will find out what happened. I know as Nancy's roommate and friend you are concerned for her wellbeing and safety. The best thing you can do is continue with class and your studies. Graduation is right around the corner. I will handle this issue. We will determine if she is actually missing and alert her family once we know for certain."
Carolyn thanked the mistress, as it was the only thing she could do before returning to class and reading silently while wondering where Nancy had gone.