let me handle it.”
“Abby’s freaking me out. Why won’t she let them go?”
“She just wants her father and sister back,” Kate said. “She hasn’t accepted the finality of the situation.”
“Well, she’d better. She looks like an idiot.”
“To whom?” Kate said. “She’s just telling people she wants to return a lost doll.”
“There are plenty of folks who know Abby’s history and are smart enough to see through that. What’re you going to say to her?”
“Let me worry about that. I would appreciate it if you’d just leave it alone.”
“All right, Mama.” Hawk kissed her cheek. “I’m heading out to take that couple from Illinois on a jeep ride.”
“Be safe,” Kate said.
“I’ll be home for dinner.”
Kate walked across the street, fighting back the tears that threatened to spoil her professional demeanor. She sat on the porch steps of the log house and keyed in Abby’s cell number. Halo came out from under the porch and nestled next to her. The phone rang four times.
“Hello, Mama.”
“Where are you, Abby?”
“I’m at Tutty’s with Jay. His boss is letting me sample the barbecue. It’s incredible.”
“I’d like you to come home. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Like what? I was going to hang out with Jay until he starts his shift at four.”
“Just come home. We’ll talk then.”
“Can’t you give me a hint?” Abby said.
“Come to the house, not the office.” Kate glanced at her watch. “I’ll see you in an hour.”
“All right. I’m going to get off now. It’s noisy. I can’t hear you very well.”
“One hour, Abby.”
Abby went in the front door and tossed her purse on the couch. “Mama?”
“I’m in the kitchen.”
Abby went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “You want something to drink?”
“I’m fine.” Mama sounded stuffed up, her eyes red-rimmed.
Abby grabbed a bottle of spring water and sat at the table, facing her mother. “What’s wrong?”
“Why are you going around town asking about the little girl whose picture you took?”
“You told me not to bring it up again.”
“I’m bringing it up. Answer me, please.”
“I want to know who she is, that’s all.”
“Abby, that’s not all. You’ve been claiming to have a doll that belongs to her.”
“It’s Riley Jo’s doll.”
“So it’s a lie.”
Abby took a sip of water. “Not if I’m going on the premise she might actually be Riley Jo.”
“But she’s not. Her name’s Ella.”
Abby didn’t flinch. How did her mother know that? “According to the clerk at Murchison’s, the man and woman she was with called her Ella. But what if those people aren’t her parents?”
“Your sister isn’t coming back, Abby. Neither is your father. You’ve got to accept that. You’re not living with reality, and I’m afraid it’s going to hurt you.”
“No, you’re afraid I’m going to embarrass you again.”
Mama’s eyes welled with tears. “I’ve got a call in to Dixie. We need to nip this in the bud.”
Abby felt hot all over. “Do you really think you can counsel away my hope? I don’t get what you’re afraid of. If it turns out I’m wrong about Ella, so what? But if I’m right, it would be amazing.”
“This behavior is over the top,” Mama said.
“Because I want to find out who she is?”
“You can’t pester people in town.”
“Not one person I’ve talked to seems to mind. I’m just getting the word out there that I want to return her doll, and I’m leaving my name and cell number. If someone knows who she is, they might tell her parents, and they’ll call me.”
“Then what?”
“I’ll tell them that Ella reminds me so much of my baby sister who disappeared. I’ll ask if I can meet her. That just seeing her up close would help me to let my sister go.”
“No parent in their right mind would put their child in a situation like that, Abby. For all they know, you’re a troubled
“Abby’s freaking me out. Why won’t she let them go?”
“She just wants her father and sister back,” Kate said. “She hasn’t accepted the finality of the situation.”
“Well, she’d better. She looks like an idiot.”
“To whom?” Kate said. “She’s just telling people she wants to return a lost doll.”
“There are plenty of folks who know Abby’s history and are smart enough to see through that. What’re you going to say to her?”
“Let me worry about that. I would appreciate it if you’d just leave it alone.”
“All right, Mama.” Hawk kissed her cheek. “I’m heading out to take that couple from Illinois on a jeep ride.”
“Be safe,” Kate said.
“I’ll be home for dinner.”
Kate walked across the street, fighting back the tears that threatened to spoil her professional demeanor. She sat on the porch steps of the log house and keyed in Abby’s cell number. Halo came out from under the porch and nestled next to her. The phone rang four times.
“Hello, Mama.”
“Where are you, Abby?”
“I’m at Tutty’s with Jay. His boss is letting me sample the barbecue. It’s incredible.”
“I’d like you to come home. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Like what? I was going to hang out with Jay until he starts his shift at four.”
“Just come home. We’ll talk then.”
“Can’t you give me a hint?” Abby said.
“Come to the house, not the office.” Kate glanced at her watch. “I’ll see you in an hour.”
“All right. I’m going to get off now. It’s noisy. I can’t hear you very well.”
“One hour, Abby.”
Abby went in the front door and tossed her purse on the couch. “Mama?”
“I’m in the kitchen.”
Abby went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “You want something to drink?”
“I’m fine.” Mama sounded stuffed up, her eyes red-rimmed.
Abby grabbed a bottle of spring water and sat at the table, facing her mother. “What’s wrong?”
“Why are you going around town asking about the little girl whose picture you took?”
“You told me not to bring it up again.”
“I’m bringing it up. Answer me, please.”
“I want to know who she is, that’s all.”
“Abby, that’s not all. You’ve been claiming to have a doll that belongs to her.”
“It’s Riley Jo’s doll.”
“So it’s a lie.”
Abby took a sip of water. “Not if I’m going on the premise she might actually be Riley Jo.”
“But she’s not. Her name’s Ella.”
Abby didn’t flinch. How did her mother know that? “According to the clerk at Murchison’s, the man and woman she was with called her Ella. But what if those people aren’t her parents?”
“Your sister isn’t coming back, Abby. Neither is your father. You’ve got to accept that. You’re not living with reality, and I’m afraid it’s going to hurt you.”
“No, you’re afraid I’m going to embarrass you again.”
Mama’s eyes welled with tears. “I’ve got a call in to Dixie. We need to nip this in the bud.”
Abby felt hot all over. “Do you really think you can counsel away my hope? I don’t get what you’re afraid of. If it turns out I’m wrong about Ella, so what? But if I’m right, it would be amazing.”
“This behavior is over the top,” Mama said.
“Because I want to find out who she is?”
“You can’t pester people in town.”
“Not one person I’ve talked to seems to mind. I’m just getting the word out there that I want to return her doll, and I’m leaving my name and cell number. If someone knows who she is, they might tell her parents, and they’ll call me.”
“Then what?”
“I’ll tell them that Ella reminds me so much of my baby sister who disappeared. I’ll ask if I can meet her. That just seeing her up close would help me to let my sister go.”
“No parent in their right mind would put their child in a situation like that, Abby. For all they know, you’re a troubled
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