consulted a lawyer about Lisa?
“I don’t have much time—” you never do when it comes to family “—court is about to begin, but I wanted to check that Lisa was with you.”
Dread crawled down Marian’s spine. “I haven’t seen her since last week.”
“Lisa told me yesterday that she was having dinner with you. I assumed she stayed over.”
How convenient. “No. I was at the cottage.”
“Did Lisa know that?”
“Yes.” Why did you lie again, Lisa? Marian silently wept for the child who had once had nothing to hide. “So she didn’t come home last night?”
“No.”
Marian’s heart began skipping beats. She forced herself to calm down. “Where do you think she is?”
“I don’t know. The school called five minutes ago to report her absence.” Hope’s voice was remarkable in its steeliness. Or maybe it wasn’t remarkable. “But as we both know, she’s gone off on her own before. She’s probably at her friend’s.”
There was a murmur on Hope’s end, someone had come into her office. Hope’s voice became staccato. “Look, I have to go. I want you to call her friends. I’ll recess court at 10:45 and call you.”
“Yes, all right—” The dial tone buzzed in Marian’s ear. Hope had hung up on her.
She put down the receiver and hurried over to her desk. Her address book was there. She hoped she had the phone numbers for all of Lisa’s friends. Her stomach clenched with anxiety. Where had Lisa gone last night? And why hadn’t Hope done anything about it until now?
This was exactly the behavior that had driven her to see Kate Lange in the first place.
She flipped open the book and began dialing.
Kate closed her office door and slid behind her desk. It was 10:25 a.m., although you couldn’t tell by looking out the window. The rain had started. Everything was gray.
She picked up the phone. Her heart pounded as she dialed Marian MacAdam’s number again. She had a feeling her client had deliberately not returned her phonecall. But Kate couldn’t wait anymore. Urgency thrummed through her. After hearing about the homicide on the radio this morning she knew she needed to act—before Lisa followed the same path as that dead prostitute.
“Hello?” Marian MacAdam said breathlessly.
“It’s Kate Lange from Lyons McGrath Barrett.” Kate stared at the Child Protection phone number she’d jotted on her notepad. Would she have to give an ultimatum or would Marian MacAdam call Child Protection herself?
“Yes? Are you calling about Lisa?”
Her tone wasn’t what Kate expected. She thought Marian MacAdam would be haughty, reluctant. But there was no mistaking the desperation Kate heard. She swallowed her unease. “Yes. I’m calling about the meeting we had on Friday—”
“I haven’t been able to find Lisa,” Marian MacAdam said abruptly. “She’s gone.”
“Since when?”
“Her mother hasn’t seen her since she went to school yesterday morning. She told Hope she was having supper with me, but that was a lie. She knew I was at my cottage.”
“Well, I’m sure she’s fine.” Kate forced herself to sound reassuring. “She’s probably at a friend’s.” Hadn’t Kate done the same thing when she was sixteen? Snuck out to a party, taking her younger sister and her mother’s car. But it had all gone horribly wrong after that. She pushed that from her mind. Lisa was probably cozied up with a friend cruising Facebook.
“I’ve called all her friends. No one’s seen her.”
The news report said it was a young prostitute who had been murdered. What if it wasn’t? “Did anyone see her last night?”
Marian’s voice was bleak. “None of her school friends have spoken to her for a few days, apparently.”
Kate wiped her palms on her skirt. “Have you called the police?”
“No.”
“You need to call them.”
“I want to wait until Hope calls me back. She said she’d recess court at 10:45.”
“Marian.” Kate didn’t know how to ask this, so
“I don’t have much time—” you never do when it comes to family “—court is about to begin, but I wanted to check that Lisa was with you.”
Dread crawled down Marian’s spine. “I haven’t seen her since last week.”
“Lisa told me yesterday that she was having dinner with you. I assumed she stayed over.”
How convenient. “No. I was at the cottage.”
“Did Lisa know that?”
“Yes.” Why did you lie again, Lisa? Marian silently wept for the child who had once had nothing to hide. “So she didn’t come home last night?”
“No.”
Marian’s heart began skipping beats. She forced herself to calm down. “Where do you think she is?”
“I don’t know. The school called five minutes ago to report her absence.” Hope’s voice was remarkable in its steeliness. Or maybe it wasn’t remarkable. “But as we both know, she’s gone off on her own before. She’s probably at her friend’s.”
There was a murmur on Hope’s end, someone had come into her office. Hope’s voice became staccato. “Look, I have to go. I want you to call her friends. I’ll recess court at 10:45 and call you.”
“Yes, all right—” The dial tone buzzed in Marian’s ear. Hope had hung up on her.
She put down the receiver and hurried over to her desk. Her address book was there. She hoped she had the phone numbers for all of Lisa’s friends. Her stomach clenched with anxiety. Where had Lisa gone last night? And why hadn’t Hope done anything about it until now?
This was exactly the behavior that had driven her to see Kate Lange in the first place.
She flipped open the book and began dialing.
Kate closed her office door and slid behind her desk. It was 10:25 a.m., although you couldn’t tell by looking out the window. The rain had started. Everything was gray.
She picked up the phone. Her heart pounded as she dialed Marian MacAdam’s number again. She had a feeling her client had deliberately not returned her phonecall. But Kate couldn’t wait anymore. Urgency thrummed through her. After hearing about the homicide on the radio this morning she knew she needed to act—before Lisa followed the same path as that dead prostitute.
“Hello?” Marian MacAdam said breathlessly.
“It’s Kate Lange from Lyons McGrath Barrett.” Kate stared at the Child Protection phone number she’d jotted on her notepad. Would she have to give an ultimatum or would Marian MacAdam call Child Protection herself?
“Yes? Are you calling about Lisa?”
Her tone wasn’t what Kate expected. She thought Marian MacAdam would be haughty, reluctant. But there was no mistaking the desperation Kate heard. She swallowed her unease. “Yes. I’m calling about the meeting we had on Friday—”
“I haven’t been able to find Lisa,” Marian MacAdam said abruptly. “She’s gone.”
“Since when?”
“Her mother hasn’t seen her since she went to school yesterday morning. She told Hope she was having supper with me, but that was a lie. She knew I was at my cottage.”
“Well, I’m sure she’s fine.” Kate forced herself to sound reassuring. “She’s probably at a friend’s.” Hadn’t Kate done the same thing when she was sixteen? Snuck out to a party, taking her younger sister and her mother’s car. But it had all gone horribly wrong after that. She pushed that from her mind. Lisa was probably cozied up with a friend cruising Facebook.
“I’ve called all her friends. No one’s seen her.”
The news report said it was a young prostitute who had been murdered. What if it wasn’t? “Did anyone see her last night?”
Marian’s voice was bleak. “None of her school friends have spoken to her for a few days, apparently.”
Kate wiped her palms on her skirt. “Have you called the police?”
“No.”
“You need to call them.”
“I want to wait until Hope calls me back. She said she’d recess court at 10:45.”
“Marian.” Kate didn’t know how to ask this, so
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