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“Sounds good.” She gathered her things, and he walked her to the door where they said goodbye. When she got down to the street, she looked up at his window to see him standing there, hands in his pockets as he stared down at her.
Noelle had run some errands and stopped in a couple of shops, looking for the perfect gifts for Callie, Paula, and Chantilly. She had dropped her purchases back at her hotel room and had picked up the cash in the duffel bag she’d left in the safe in the closet and was heading to Louise’s house.
It was interesting being back in Reno. She’d held some amount of fear inside about returning to the place where so many personal tragedies had occurred to her. But she was surprised to find that everywhere she turned, there were good memories too. And while they didn’t cancel out the bad ones, they helped dispel the anxiety she’d felt about being back in her hometown. Another victory, some more closure. And she was grateful.
Her phone rang as she was walking through the hotel lobby, and she pulled it from her purse, smiling to see that it was a FaceTime call from Callie.
“Hi, Sugar Plum.” Her daughter’s lovely face filled the screen and made her smile.
“Hi, Mommy!”
“How’s my girl?”
“Good! Me and Paula went shell hunting, and I found the biggest one ever! I put it on my shelf.” She turned the camera around for a moment so Noelle could see the large shell sitting among her books and other favorite items.
“You made sure it wasn’t still someone’s home, right?” she asked on a laugh.
“Yes,” she said, turning the camera back around as she rolled her eyes. But then she grinned. “I miss you, Mommy.”
“I miss you, too, baby girl. But I’ll be home soon.” She turned the corner, heading to where she’d parked her car. She didn’t mention possibly coming home early, because she hadn’t even checked to make sure there was a flight just yet. She’d do that tonight, after dinner.
“Paula wants to talk to you, Mommy.”
“Okay. I love you, Callie. I’ll talk to you in the morning, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy. I love you too.”
Callie handed the phone to a smiling Paula, who was obviously making food at the counter as she spoke on the phone.
“How’s it going there?” Noelle asked.
“Great! Callie and I have been all over town. She’s showing me the best bike trails and candy shops.”
Noelle laughed, clicking her key fob and then opening the door of her rental car and tossing the duffel bag onto the passenger seat before getting in. “I bet. Watch that one. She has her mother’s sweet tooth.”
“Oh, I’m aware.” Paula smiled, but then her face went serious. She glanced over her shoulder and then moved to the other side of the kitchen. “How are ... things?”
Noelle put the key in the ignition and turned the AC on but then sat back in her seat without buckling yet. “Hard,” she admitted.“Complicated.” She squinted out the window for a moment and then looked back at Paula’s concerned face. “We’ve discovered a few things that are odd, but nothing that leads anywhere specific.”
Paula gave her a sympathetic look. “You’d have regretted it if you didn’t try at all, though.”
“I know. You’re right. Anyway,” she said, pulling her buckle across her body. “I might be coming home a little earlier than scheduled. I’ll let you know.”
“Take as long as you need. This is a vacation for me. Your daughter is a joy.”
“Thanks, Paula. I owe you.”
“You never owe me.” She blew Noelle a kiss, and Noelle blew one back, and then they said goodbye, and Noelle disconnected the call before pulling out into traffic.
It took less than ten minutes to make the drive to Louise’s apartment. Noelle smelled rain in the air as she got out of her car and looked up at the sky. It was pewter and deep gray, with beams of silvery light shining through the clouds. She never missed an opportunity to take in something beautiful, and she did that now, staring at that heavenly sky for a moment before putting the strap of the duffel bag over her shoulder and walking to Louise’s door.
When the older woman answered her knock, her face registered surprise. “Oh. Hi. Did you forget to ask me a question?”
“No. We found something in your brother’s things, and I wanted to return it to you.”
“Something?”
“Money,” she said, thrusting the bag toward her.
