CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR - SIGNS OF CLARISSA

"May I help you?" she asked. Mara held up her phone, showing a picture of Clarissa. "Have you seen this woman? She might have been in here yesterday or last night." The associate studied the picture for a moment. "I'm not sure," she said slowly. "We had a lot of customers yesterday. But I do remember selling that scarf to a young woman last night. She was quite excited about it." Mara's heart raced. "Can you describe her? Was she wearing a red dress?" The associate furrowed her brow, trying to remember. "I'm sorry, I can't recall what she was wearing. It was late, and we were about to close. I just remember she bought the scarf and left in a hurry." Disappointed but still clinging to hope, Mara thanked the associate. As they left the store, the group's spirits were slightly lifted by this potential lead. "At least we know she was here," Emily said. "That's something, right?" Mara nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were still missing something crucial. As they m