Page 121 of Taken Away

“No.” The word came out thin. Her eyes widened. “Mabel?”

Burke nodded.

The color drained from her face. One hand rose to cover her mouth. “Oh my God. But I thought she had a heart attack...”

“So did everyone else.”

Mary Lou lowered her eyes. When she finally spoke again, her voice was quieter.

“Oh Lord, I can’t believe this, Burke.”

Neither spoke. The silence stretched.

Then Mary Lou shook her head. “First Sara Parker gets taken. Then that SBI agent. Then all the mess with Danny McCall and that poor girl. And now Mabel? What in the world is happening to this town?”

Burke didn’t have an answer. Finally he said, “I need history. About Anne and Mabel.”

Mary Lou let out a breath. “You picked yourself a tangle.”

She smiled faintly. “I went to school with them, you know. Mabel was a year ahead of me. Anne was in my grade.”

“You all grew up together?” Burke’s pen hovered over his notebook.

“K–12 and then some.” A hint of fondness softened her face. “People talk now like they were always at each other’s throats. That’s the story folks like to tell.”

She shook her head. “They fussed some, sure. Sisters do. Anne could get under Mabel’s skin faster than anybody. But let somebody else say a word about one of them, and the other was ready to whip you in the parking lot. They were on the same side. Always.

“They were best friends.”

The answer came without hesitation. “Not just sisters. Best friends. You know how some people spend their whole lives looking for their person? Those two started out with theirs.”

Silence settled between them.

“What changed?” Burke asked.

“Harold Blackwood happened.”

A faint smile touched Mary Lou’s face. “Everybody knew Harold Blackwood only had eyes for Mabel.”

Burke looked up. “Everybody?”

Mary Lou laughed. “Honey, that boy followed her around like a lost puppy. If Mabel was working the concession stand at the fair, Harold suddenly needed three hot dogs.” She shook her head. “Everybody figured sooner or later he’d finally work up the nerve to ask Mabel to go steady.”

"They were inseparable for years after school. Everybody thought it was only a matter of time before Harold and Mabel married."

"Then something changed?” Burke asked.

Mary Lou nodded slowly. "That's when it seemed like Anne suddenly took an interest in Harold."

Mary Lou stared into her coffee. “I don’t know if she meant to. Maybe she did. Maybe she didn’t. But Anne noticed when somebody else was getting the attention.”

The statement hung there.

“I think Anne finally realized Harold wasn’t looking at her.”

“And?” Burke asked.

Mary Lou sighed. “And suddenly Harold Blackwood became very interesting.”