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“Your mother is loyal. She’d never divulge anything private about a person she loves.”
“Who told you he was living here?”
“Your grandmother. I happened to go down there for something, and she was visiting. You know how she loves to gossip.”
“Good old Grannie.”
“Congratulations about the baby!”
“No one knows I’m pregnant. I can do a good job of hiding it, and right now, I’m worried about the busy bees who have too much time on their hands and would just love to make trouble for me.”
“No one is going to do that in your circle. Now that I’m over the shock, I’m thrilled. Finally, a baby I might have an actual relationship with. I can’t wait. I need to get to know your family, Lisa. It might be just what I need.”
“Laura, I heard about Eimy, that ingrate of a woman who is working at my father’s firm. At least she has her kid back.”
I wondered if Ryan had told her. “Yeah, at least. The nanny is dead, but no one seems too upset about that.”
“She was my nanny’s cousin, and the family is heartbroken. She’d just spent a small fortune on having all her trans surgeries, too. It’s just not fair.”
“Jeez, I never thought of that. Anyway, do you have time to talk to me about the summer ten years ago, when they estimate the baby whose skeleton your mother found was born?”
“Are you kidding me?” Lisa’s entire countenance had shifted. I watched her face turn pale and rigid. “I can barely remember anything from five years ago, let alone ten.”
“I’m sorry. I brought some pictures we found in the attic. Would you take a look at them and see if they jog your memory?”
She didn’t answer but pointed to the couch. “Have a seat.”
I sat and waited, and then she held out her hand.
“Hand them over. I was just about to offer you a beverage, but now I think I want this over with as fast as possible.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I hit a nerve.”
That seemed to surprise her, but she must have realized that her resistance might lead to suspicion. It certainly did for me. What was Lisa hiding?
I gave her the envelope, and she pulled the photos out. Immediately, her expression softened again, and she smiled. I craned my neck to see which photo she was looking at, and it was of her and her brother.
“What a great photo,” she said. “You can really tell here that Ryan is our brother. Ryan is better looking than Brent, more muscular. Brent was lanky.”
“So, he looked more like Pam?”
“Um, no, more like Bernice. My dad’s mother. Ryan looks exactly like my dad.”
“Wow, I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet Jack.”
“No, you aren’t,” Lisa said. “He was awful.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, Lisa. I know he had a history.”
“Yeah, you can’t even imagine.” She pulled out the next picture, one of Julie Hsu that Alan hadn’t taken.
“The police were surprised Julie was there,” I said.
“You mean Alan was surprised,” Lisa said. “Oh, yes, she was there, I can assure you. She was making sure my brother wasn’t going there to see Ginger.”
“Were Brent and Ginger involved?”
“You could say that.”
