Page 70 of The Advocate’s Ultimatum

JP shook his head. “So, you were living here then?”

“Yes.”

“Did you know the family?”

“Not really. They were down the street a couple houses. We didn’t mix.”

JP didn’t push that. “Do you know what happened to the family after she went missing?”

The woman shut off the hose. “They stayed,” she said. “For a while.”

“How long?”

“Close to a year, I think. Maybe nine months. Something like that.”

“Do you know where they moved?”

She shook her head again. “One day the place was just empty. A for-sale sign went up not long after.”

“Did they mix much with the neighbors?”

“No,” she said. “They kept to themselves. After the girl went missing, they retreated even more.”

“All right. I appreciate your time.”

“You might check with Kevin over there.” She nodded toward the house across the street from the Caldwell’s old place. “He knew them better than anyone.”

She turned the water back on, conversation over.

JP moved on and walked toward Kevin’s. His house had a different feel. It looked more lived-in. The front porch had chairs that looked used, not staged, and a wind chime that actually caught the breeze.

A man stood near the steps, working at something JP couldn’t quite see until he got closer. He was fixing a loose board.

“Good afternoon,” JP said. “Are you Kevin?”

The man glanced up. “Yeah.”

“My name’s JP Torn. I’m looking into an old case. A girl named Hannah Caldwell. I understand you were living here when Hannah disappeared.”

The man straightened up. “Yeah,” he said. “I knew them.”

“Mind if I ask you a couple questions?” JP handed the man his card.

“All right.” The man looked at the card, then tucked it into his pocket. “Tell me they found her alive.”

“We haven’t found her at all, but we’ve found a connection to another case, so we’re taking a second look.”

“Please sit,” Kevin said.

They sat on the edge of the porch.

Kevin looked out toward the street. “They were over there,” he said, nodding across.

JP followed the gesture. “Did you know them pretty well?”

“Better than most,” the man said. “The kids played out front sometimes. Yvonne and I talked a bit. We weren’t close, but we were friendly.”

JP nodded. “Do you remember how long they stayed after she disappeared?”