Page 129 of Weight of Guilt

“What time?”

“Maybe five. He picked Ellie up for dinner and brought her home around eight.”

“And yesterday?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t see him yesterday.”

“Did you talk to him?”

She rubbed her thumb over the sleeve on her sweater. “He texted me about Ellie. That was it.”

“What time?”

“I don’t know. Mid-morning maybe.” She pulled something from her purse. “I can check my call log on my phone.”

As she did that, the deputy wrote something down.

“Do you know where he was around three yesterday afternoon?” he asked.

Her mouth tightened. “No. We’re divorced. I don’t keep track of him.”

Wren turned away. This was nothing.

They were questioning everyone. Jacob was dating Nora. Of course, his name had come up. She’d even put him on her list.

Every potential lead seemed to reach a dead end.

A few minutes later, the deputy stood and thanked the woman.

Wren watched Rachel stand and start toward the exit.

Before Wren could think better of it, she stepped forward. “Excuse me.”

The woman stopped and narrowed her eyes cautiously. “Yes?”

“You’re Rachel Morgan?”

A flicker of surprise crossed her face. “I am.”

“I’m Wren Loveless.”

Recognition immediately replaced the surprise, and then her features softened. “Oh. Mason’s mom.”

Wren nodded, her gut tightening at the sympathy in her tone.

Rachel rubbed the sleeve of the sweater over her shoulders again. “I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through.”

“Thank you.”

Wren was tired of people saying that. Not because she didn’t appreciate the words, but because she never knew how to respond.

Rachel shifted her weight. “I guess you know I’m Jacob’s ex-wife.”

“I figured.” Wren paused. “Jacob’s dating my sister.”

“Jacob told me he’d met someone. He seems really happy.”

“He and Nora do seem happy. I just love the story about how they met at the hospital while he was visiting his aunt. It reminds me of a romantic movie or something.”