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by Pete Dove (Author)
Best friends forever. The bond between teenage girls can be strong. And often is. That was certainly the situation between eighteen-year-old Susan Smalley and her great mate, Stacie Madison, who was just a year younger.
The two were classic late eighties girls. Lots of carefully styled hair, innocent smiles and a love of life. Their bubbly personalities and bright intellects lit up wherever they went.
A friend was holding a party in Arlington, which lies to the west of Dallas. It is a fair drive from Carrollton - to the north west of the city - to the small town, which sits mid-way between Dallas and Fort Worth. But they were teens, and possibly thought nothing of the forty-minute journey they would have to make. So, after changing at Susan's home, they headed off there. The girls stayed at the party for just a short while and left at around 10pm to drive back to Stacie's house. But at midnight, the youngsters did something out of character. Although they had been told to be home by midnight - a reasonable enough expectation for such young adults - they decided to return to the party. It was an odd decision, being so far - close to another ninety minutes of driving there and back, in the dead of night. Still, that is what they appeared to set off to do. Perhaps, though, they changed their mind - or at least had doubts. Because, on the way, they stopped at a Steak and Ale restaurant where Susan worked part time as a waitress.
She chatted to a boy who was a co-worker for a while, and Madison waited in the car. Then the two girls went on their way. As far as is known, their plan was to head back to the party.
Neither girl was seen again.
What happened to Stacie Madison & Susan Smalley?
