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and slowly walked toward the hall.
    Elizabeth called Bruce and told him how deeply sorry she was to hear about David. She said they would be there by five o’clock with dinner. Before hanging up, she said, “You must be crushed to hear about your brother. You were so close.”
    When John came back into the room, he sat next to Elizabeth on the sofa.
    “It’s all set,” she said. “We’re bringing dinner. He expects us over by five.”
    “Is Bruce living with his mother?” Steven asked.
    “Yes. He was trying to save money -- wants to buy a home.”
    Elizabeth stood abruptly and said, “My God, has anyone called Abigail and the kids?”
    “Are they back in town?” Steven asked.
    “Yes. Yesterday. I’m expecting them for dinner. I’ll call her.” Elizabeth looked weary and sat back on the couch.
    “How do we tell the kids?” John asked.
    “I’ll call,” Steven said and jumped to his feet. He went into the kitchen, grabbed the phone and dialed. “I hate to tell her,” he said, as the phone rang.
    When she didn’t answer, he felt relieved and disappointed at the same time. “She’s not home, so I called her cell. I left a message on both phones.”
    “That’s odd.” Elizabeth’s forehead had lines, she looked at the floor. “They should be home by now.” She looked up. “If she’s driving, she can’t answer. Maybe they’re on their way over.”
    “When did you last hear from her?”
    “Yesterday. They were on their way to the yacht club to eat.”
    “Do you think she changed her mind?”
    “No. She was in San Diego when she called.”
    His sister’s predictability annoyed Steven. “Don’t worry. I’ll track her down.”
    Her dimples revealed to him her gratitude. Within minutes, she stood and walked into the kitchen to start working on the evening meal for the Glovers.
    “Can I get anything at the store?”
    “No, but thanks. I have what I need.”
    He saw the sadness in his mother’s eyes. He walked over, turned her around and held her. She wept.
    Elizabeth pulled away and returned to dinner preparation.
    “I love you, Mom.”
    She choked with emotion and nodded.
    He started his search for Abigail. First, he called Carry English, her best friend since childhood. She wasn’t home, so he left a message. “Mom, what hotel did they stay at?”
    “Don’t bother calling.” Her voice rose, “I told you! Abigail’s in town. She was taking the children to eat at the yacht club yesterday.”
     

Chapter Eight
    When they returned to the library to search for the mysterious object, Abigail noticed Matt’s brow lines and saw his mouth turn down. She wondered if he felt upset about being a murder suspect, or becoming a kidnapper. He glanced up and noticed her eyeing him. Her eyes darted away.
    After looking at him again, she saw a blanket of weariness come over him. He seemed almost sad, as if he was longing for something. Get a grip! Abigail, you can’t read his mind. She bent to pick up a book. “Well, I’ll be --,” she said.
    Matt turned to watch her. “Did you find something interesting?”
    She chuckled, “This book might be a treasure to me, but it’s not what you’re looking for. I know the author, that’s all. He was a personal friend of my grandfather, so it brings back memories.”
    “Are they alive?”
    “My grandparents? No, I wish they were. I miss them terribly. They were wonderful people.” She scanned the book. “My grandfather was an evangelist. At times, my grandmother traveled with him and played the piano and sang.”
    “Did you visit them much?”
    “Often, my grandmother and I would sit side by side for hours playing the piano and singing, mostly from the Psalms.”
    “Psalms. What are Psalms?”
    She let out a loud laugh. “Most of my friends are Christians, so it didn’t occur to me that you might not know what Psalms are.”
    He turned his back toward her.
    “Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to be offensive. Psalms are a poetic book from the