Read Online Yesterday's Gone (Two Daughters Book 1) by Janice Kay Johnson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janice Kay Johnson
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pictures.”
“I’d like that,” she lied.
“You think we’ll need to have the press conference right away,” Karen said suddenly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t use my head. I don’t believe anybody close to us would go to the press, but everyone I called has probably told everyone
they’ve
talked to since. I should have kept it quiet until you were ready.”
Bailey couldn’t help making a face. “Are you ever ready for something like this?”
“No. Oh, my. A press conference. Everyone will be staring at
us
.” She sounded appalled. “What should we
wear
?”
Bailey laughed, the familiar, feminine wail providing comic relief. “I have absolutely no idea. I’ve seen this kind of press conference on TV without ever paying the slightest attention to what people were wearing. I’m not sure anybody cares.”
Her mother’s back straightened. “
I
care.”
“So do I,” Bailey admitted, then thought—
wait. Did I just think of her as my
mother
?
Yes.
“I suppose we should talk to Seth—I mean, Detective Chandler. He said he’d arrange everything.”
“Should we call him?” Karen sounded dithery.
“I agreed to meet him later today,” Bailey said. “I’ll call you after I do, okay? Um, I should get your phone number.”
Adding so many new numbers to her contacts list made this all seem real.
Jarred, she thought,
Another new reality.
She added the Lawsons’ home phone, Kirk’s cell phone, and Eve’s cell phone.
“She doesn’t have a home phone,” Karen said, sounding mildly disapproving.
“I don’t, either. Most people our age don’t.”
Her phone rang, startling her. Seth. She answered. “Is something wrong?”
“Not wrong.” He hesitated. “I just had an inquiry from a journalist at our local paper asking if there was any truth to the rumor that Hope Lawson had been found alive and well.”
Bailey closed her eyes. “We were just talking about that. Karen called everyone in the family as well as some friends. And of course they may have spread the word, too.”
“Cat’s out of the bag. I think we need to accelerate our timing. I’ve talked to the sheriff and our PR people. We want to do it this afternoon.”
He gave her details. There was apparently a small auditorium of sorts in the new public safety building that held the courthouse as well as the Stimson city police department. The sheriff’s department was borrowing it. Someone was already calling news outlets.
“I think we’ll have a full house, Bailey.”
“Oh, God.”
“It might be good if we can get Eve there, too. Otherwise, someone will think to corner her later for a quote. Best to get it over with in one gulp.”
She pictured herself slithering down some monster’s maw. Lovely thought.
“Um... Karen wants to know what we should wear.”
There was a prolonged moment of silence. “Something nice?” He sounded out of his element. “No big prints or gaudy colors. Probably not too dressy.”
“No sequins. Check.”
“Business casual.”
“Gotcha.” Sort of. Even as her heart raced, she mentally sorted through the clothes she’d brought with her.
“After you change, I think you’re going to want to check out of the Quality Inn. If you feel ready to stay with the Lawsons—”
“No,” she said too quickly.
Another silence. “All right.” He said it so gently. “We’ll talk about it when I see you. Lunch?”
She glanced guiltily at her plate. She really hadn’t done justice to this breakfast, and Karen must have worked so hard on it.
Pathetic though it was, she’d have begged if she’d had to. She swallowed. “Yes, please.”
“I’ll get takeout. We can park somewhere.”
“That...sounds good.” Her gaze slid sideways again to the amount of food left on her plate. Maybe by then she’d have conquered this roiling in her belly and be hungry.
Letting him go, she then had to detail the plans to the Lawsons, watching Karen’s eyes widen again.
“Eve? Oh, my.”
“I hope
“I’d like that,” she lied.
“You think we’ll need to have the press conference right away,” Karen said suddenly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t use my head. I don’t believe anybody close to us would go to the press, but everyone I called has probably told everyone
they’ve
talked to since. I should have kept it quiet until you were ready.”
Bailey couldn’t help making a face. “Are you ever ready for something like this?”
“No. Oh, my. A press conference. Everyone will be staring at
us
.” She sounded appalled. “What should we
wear
?”
Bailey laughed, the familiar, feminine wail providing comic relief. “I have absolutely no idea. I’ve seen this kind of press conference on TV without ever paying the slightest attention to what people were wearing. I’m not sure anybody cares.”
Her mother’s back straightened. “
I
care.”
“So do I,” Bailey admitted, then thought—
wait. Did I just think of her as my
mother
?
Yes.
“I suppose we should talk to Seth—I mean, Detective Chandler. He said he’d arrange everything.”
“Should we call him?” Karen sounded dithery.
“I agreed to meet him later today,” Bailey said. “I’ll call you after I do, okay? Um, I should get your phone number.”
Adding so many new numbers to her contacts list made this all seem real.
Jarred, she thought,
Another new reality.
She added the Lawsons’ home phone, Kirk’s cell phone, and Eve’s cell phone.
“She doesn’t have a home phone,” Karen said, sounding mildly disapproving.
“I don’t, either. Most people our age don’t.”
Her phone rang, startling her. Seth. She answered. “Is something wrong?”
“Not wrong.” He hesitated. “I just had an inquiry from a journalist at our local paper asking if there was any truth to the rumor that Hope Lawson had been found alive and well.”
Bailey closed her eyes. “We were just talking about that. Karen called everyone in the family as well as some friends. And of course they may have spread the word, too.”
“Cat’s out of the bag. I think we need to accelerate our timing. I’ve talked to the sheriff and our PR people. We want to do it this afternoon.”
He gave her details. There was apparently a small auditorium of sorts in the new public safety building that held the courthouse as well as the Stimson city police department. The sheriff’s department was borrowing it. Someone was already calling news outlets.
“I think we’ll have a full house, Bailey.”
“Oh, God.”
“It might be good if we can get Eve there, too. Otherwise, someone will think to corner her later for a quote. Best to get it over with in one gulp.”
She pictured herself slithering down some monster’s maw. Lovely thought.
“Um... Karen wants to know what we should wear.”
There was a prolonged moment of silence. “Something nice?” He sounded out of his element. “No big prints or gaudy colors. Probably not too dressy.”
“No sequins. Check.”
“Business casual.”
“Gotcha.” Sort of. Even as her heart raced, she mentally sorted through the clothes she’d brought with her.
“After you change, I think you’re going to want to check out of the Quality Inn. If you feel ready to stay with the Lawsons—”
“No,” she said too quickly.
Another silence. “All right.” He said it so gently. “We’ll talk about it when I see you. Lunch?”
She glanced guiltily at her plate. She really hadn’t done justice to this breakfast, and Karen must have worked so hard on it.
Pathetic though it was, she’d have begged if she’d had to. She swallowed. “Yes, please.”
“I’ll get takeout. We can park somewhere.”
“That...sounds good.” Her gaze slid sideways again to the amount of food left on her plate. Maybe by then she’d have conquered this roiling in her belly and be hungry.
Letting him go, she then had to detail the plans to the Lawsons, watching Karen’s eyes widen again.
“Eve? Oh, my.”
“I hope
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