This is the first I’ve heard about Harold’s work schedule changing right around the time of Asha’s disappearance. Do you happen to know where you heard that or is it in MSM somewhere? If this is accurate, I think you may be onto something here.
I know Asha was young and it’s hard to think she may have voluntarily been in a relationship with someone, but it’s not impossible. I say voluntarily only if it was with a kid her own age. Obviously if there was someone older involved then it wasn’t voluntarily, even if she thought it was.
Puberty is accompanied by strong hormones. I know 9 is young, but speaking from personal experience, 10 years old (5th grade) is when hormones kicked in for me. I had a secret friend and we met up at certain times and places prearranged by us the day before. Never at night or in bad weather conditions but if that would have been our only option or if my friend would have asked me to do it, I think I would have. That Turner’s Upolstery shed may have been the perfect place to meet up and she may have been there many times before that night, if in fact she was ever there in the first place.