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“That makes me shudder, Adriana.”
“I can see why. Are you…are you going to be okay?” She wasn’t really worried. Francesca was with Jonah, wasn’t she? He’d look out for her. Adriana had always felt safe when she was in Jonah’s company. She was sure he could handle himself in a fight if necessary, and he was street-smart, savvy in a way her soft, bookish husband was not.
“I’m fine. Worried. This case has me reeling. I’ve never been involved in anything like it.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to solve it?” she asked. But what she really wanted to know was whether Francesca and Jonah were getting back together. Francesca hadn’t come home last night. Adriana knew because she’d driven by her place twice, had gone the long way to the video store just to see if she’d find Jonah’s car out front. She would’ve asked Francesca about Jonah, except she’d lost all right to that information when she betrayed her ten years earlier.
“I hope so.”
The phone beeped, signaling another call. She held it away from her for a second to check caller ID. “Stan’s trying to reach me. I’d better go.”
“Okay. Let me know if you hear from Dean again.”
“I doubt he’ll be back. Not tonight.”
“He has your number, too. You should be aware of that.”
“Got it. I’ll talk to you later.”
Thinking that had gone as well as could be expected, she breathed a sigh of relief as she hung up and answered her husband’s call. “Hi, honey. You almost home?”
“I’m afraid not. One of my patients, a five-year-old girl, has just been admitted to the hospital with a serious infection.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Sometimes she didn’t understand how he withstood all the stress of his job. Being a doctor paid well, enabled her to be a stay-at-home mom to their children. But she was concerned about him, knew the worry he felt for his patients weighed heavily on him. “Is she going to make it?”
“I hope so.”
Gazing outside, she thought about her encounter with Dean. “How long do you think you’ll be?”
“Who knows? Don’t wait up, though. It might be late.”
The shadows of the trees lengthened on the lawn as daylight faded to darkness. “Okay. No problem.” This wasn’t a night Adriana wanted to spend alone. She hadn’t even had a chance to explain that she’d had an unwelcome visitor. But she didn’t see any reason to tell Stan now. Why worry him? He couldn’t be with her; he had to take care of that child.
Fifteen minutes later she didn’t mind being alone quite so much. She was too busy digging through the old photographs she’d taken out of the garage and was actually grateful for the privacy.
“There it is,” she murmured as she held up a picture of Jonah cradling their baby just before they had to relinquish her to the care of her new parents.
* * *
“Is everything okay?” Jonah asked as Francesca returned his phone.
She avoided his gaze in case he could see more in her expression than she wanted to reveal. She hated that Adriana had called him, even if it was to talk to her. She couldn’t help suspecting her best friend of being a little too eager to hear his voice. Which was crazy. Adriana was married with two kids. She loved Stan. Francesca hadn’t been a jealous person until ten years ago. After what had happened, she’d changed—and not for the better.
“I’m not sure,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
She told him what Adriana had said, then added, “Dean could’ve left those pictures at my place but didn’t. I’m afraid showing up at Adriana’s was his way of making me aware of his familiarity with my friends.”
“How’d he get there?” he asked, repeating the question he’d fed her when she was on the phone.
“By bus.”
“So that’s why we haven’t seen him. He’s not around.” They were in the van Investigator Finch had arranged for them to use, parked on a dirt side road near the salvage yard. Through a pair of binoculars, they’d seen Paris come and go in the Impala, twice. Had watched Butch drive an old pickup around the property. Had even spotted Paris’s parents driving off in a black Oldsmobile. But they hadn’t spotted Dean. And now they knew why.
“He seems to get around pretty well for not having a car,” she said.
Jonah tapped the steering wheel. “He’s starting to make me nervous.”
