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“For a child you don’t even know.”
“I know her mother.”
Her eyes widened, and she looked almost gleeful. “Oh, I know. She was your sister’s best friend.”
Even if my mother hadn’t been friends with Lisa for years, it wasn’t unreasonable for her to know all of that. Still, it made me feel naked and exposed.
“Are you trying to make a point?” But my mind leapt to that photo again, stolen from my house. Then to the ribbon, the end floating in the breeze. I couldn’t help thinking there was a connection between the two things—as narcissistic as it seemed.
She sat back. “Merely making an observation.”
“You seem like a vigilant neighbor,” I said.
She laughed. “That’s a nice way of putting it, but yes, I can be very vigilant.”
“Did you notice a van parked across the street from the Petermans’ home last week?”
“I’d have to be a blind woman not to have noticed it.”
I couldn’t stop the grin tugging at the corners of my lips. “Mrs. Murphy, you seem like a very direct woman too.”
“Then your observation skills are top notch, Detective,” she said with a wry grin. “But call me Lisa.”
I held her gaze. “It’s important you know I’m not currently a member of any law enforcement agency.”
“Maybe not, but you’re still a detective.” She motioned to my glass. “You haven’t touched your water.”
I picked up the glass and took a drink. No need to piss off such a valuable source of information, even if she was having fun playing games.
“You called my mother before the sun even rose. Why?”
Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes. “We already know that I’m an observant, vigilant neighbor, and given what happened to your sister, I figured your mother had a right to know.” Her lips pursed in annoyance. “Now ask me something that will actually help you.”
“A little girl’s life is in danger, Lisa, so let’s dispense with the games. Why don’t you just tell me what you know.”
“I know a great deal about a lot of things,” Lisa said smugly. “And I’m good at keeping secrets that don’t need to be told.”
Was Lisa Murphy just a busybody or did she use the information she gathered to her advantage? I was going with the latter.
Did my mother know what her friend was like? A second’s consideration was all that required. Sarah Jane Adams was a lot of things, but a fool wasn’t one of them. Of course she knew.
I gave her a stern look. “Do you know anything that can help me find Ava Peterman?”
She tilted her head. “Now that’s a loaded question.”
“Is it?”
She watched me.
I didn’t like the game she was playing, but I had no authority to be here, and she could kick me out whenever she pleased. I had to play along.
“Tell me about the van parked across the street from the Peterman home last week.”
A smile lit up her face, but her eyes remained cold. “It was parked in the street on Tuesday afternoon and stayed there until Friday night.”
“Did you ever see anyone in the van? Anyone get in or out?”
“No.”
