Page 27

“We need to find meeting room D,” she said.

“Where the hell is that?” Turner said, spinning in a circle.

“Probably in the building attached to the church that we saw when we pulled up. I mean that I saw. You were too busy abusing your radio station privileges.”

She walked off toward a door on the other side of the vestibule marked Community Center. Turner’s footsteps echoed behind her. “You’re really uptight, you know that?”

He was especially irritating today and against her will, her brain wondered if he’d been in contact with Dani, his soon-to-be ex-wife. She didn’t ask. She wouldn’t ask.

They entered a wide hallway. On the side adjacent to the church building was a wall filled with children’s artwork. Small sets of tables and chairs were spread out beneath it as well as some couches and freestanding magazine racks stuffed with magazines and Bibles. Halfway down the hall, a lone figure sat at one of the tables. Josie recognized Piper West from all of Sylvia’s photos. Her legs swung back and forth. She rested her elbows on the tabletop. Her head was bent toward whatever she was drawing. As they got closer, Josie saw several coloring pages and crayons scattered around her.

Piper looked up from her work and Josie felt a painful crack beneath her sternum. The brightness and joy she’d seen in Sylvia’s photos were gone from the little girl’s eyes. They looked dull and mournful. “You’re the police,” she said.

“That’s right,” said Josie. “My name is Josie and this is Kyle.”

Piper appraised them carefully before asking, “Are you here to arrest someone?”

Turner raised a brow. “Does someone need to be arrested?”

“No.”

“That’s good,” he replied. “We’re just here to talk to some people.”

Josie squatted down on the other side of the table so she was level with Piper. “You’re drawing all by yourself?”

Piper went back to coloring, dipping her chin so that her silky blonde hair fell over her face like a curtain. “The grown-ups are having a big important meeting about my grandma because she went to heaven. I have to wait out here ’cause Mommy said I’d be bored. My sister got to go inside ’cause she’s asleep ’cause she had the sneezes from allergies and Mommy gave her the pink medicine.”

Josie wanted so badly to hug her. Before she could ask another question, raised voices came from the room across the hall. A woman’s voice cut through a din of male voices. “That. Is. Enough. All of you quiet down, right now!”

Silence.

“Sit. All of you. Now.” There was a beat of silence before she snapped, “Now, Carter.”

“Honey,” Josie recognized Dean’s voice, “don’t⁠—”

“Zip it,” the woman cut him off. “At this rate, there won’t be a funeral. Your mother would be horrified by your behavior today. All of you.”

“I’m just trying to represent Sylvia and her wishes,” said an unfamiliar male voice.

“Stop speaking,” she responded. “You’re lucky to still be in this room. If you want to stay, then you’ll keep quiet until you’re asked a question.”

Suddenly, Carter charged out of the room. He stalked past Josie and Turner. If he noticed them, he didn’t give any indication, instead making a beeline for little Piper. When she saw him, a smile broke out across her face. Carter scooped her up, hugging her tightly to his chest. He banded one forearm across the backs of her thighs. His other hand stroked her hair.

“Aunt Kirstie is yelling,” Piper said.

“I know,” he murmured into her temple. “Ignore the adults today, okay?”

“I love ignoring adults,” Piper whispered loudly.

Carter’s chuckle covered up both Josie and Turner’s soft laughter.

“Oh, I know,” Carter replied ruefully.

Piper leaned back and squished his face between her small palms. “Are you mad, Daddy?”

“No, sweetie. Daddy’s just sad that Grandma had to go to heaven. Sometimes when grown-ups are sad, it comes out all wrong.”

“Sometimes my sad and mad get mixed up, too,” Piper said sagely.