I patted her hand.
Raynie took a deep breath. “The waiting…it’s…I just want her home.” Her voice faltered on the last word. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away.
When she’d recovered, I went back to the subject of friends. She gave us the names of the same three girls we’d already interviewed at the school.
“Hayley never was one for the big crowds or cliques,” Raynie said. “That whole clubbing scene was just an act she was trying on. Like I said, partly a way to get back at Russell. The real Hayley is more of a homebody. Not a lot of friends, but they’re for real; girls she’d go to the end of the world for. And, I think, vice versa.”
“So she doesn’t have any other friends? Girls who go to a different school, maybe?” I asked.
Raynie thought for a moment. “I don’t know whether they stayed in touch, but Hayley used to be pretty close to Brittany Caren.”
“The actress?” Bailey seemed taken aback. “Brittany Caren, as in the star of Circle of Friends?”
Raynie nodded.
Now the name rang a bell. “Wasn’t she in a few films too?” I asked.
“Yeah, Russell casts her a lot. We’ve known Brittany since she was a kid, when Russell was a co-producer on Circle. Hayley was a huge fan. She used to come to the set and watch the taping. Hayley was a lot younger, so to Brittany, she was just a kid. But Brittany was incredibly sweet to her. She’d always invite Hayley to hang with her in her trailer. It sent Hayley over the moon.” Raynie smiled softly at the memory. “When Hayley got older, they’d go shopping together, see movies. Brittany was the older sister Hayley wished she’d had.” Raynie paused, then added, “And I think Brittany felt the same way.”
“So there are no siblings from a prior marriage for either of you?” I asked. “Hayley’s an only child?”
Raynie nodded. “Not by choice. We tried for another baby, but…” She sighed.
I nodded.
“Any idea when Hayley and Brittany last got together?” Bailey asked.
“It wasn’t recent. Brittany kind of fell off the rails, as you probably know if you’ve seen the tabloids. It was so sad. She went from a sweet, lovely girl to a drunken pill head. When they canceled the show, everyone knew it was because of her.”
“But she’s still doing movies,” Bailey said.
“Only because Russell keeps casting her-no one else will, she’s a walking nightmare. He probably feels sorry for her. But knowing Hayley, I’m sure she tried to stay in touch, show her loyalty. She’s not the type to cut off a friend, no matter what. She’d want Brittany to know she’s still there for her.” Raynie’s eyes grew wet and she dropped her head briefly before continuing. “How often they see each other, or whether they still get together in person, that I don’t know.”
