yours."
"Junior?" Immy unhooked the chain and threw the door open with a grin . Yes, he looked like her father. Even resembled what Uncle Dewey would look like cleaned up, she thought. "Mother, I found Junior."
The man stepped into the living room when Immy stood aside. "No , no t Junior. My name's Theo Nichols."
Immy's smile faded. "Oh. I thought you might be my missing cousin."
"No, no, I am your missing cousin. But my name's changed."
"Imogene," said Hortense, coming in from the kitchen. "Show our guest to a seat." She turned to the man who used to be Junior. "Would you care for a libation?"
Theo looked confused, but took a seat on the green plaid couch.
Immy leaned close to him and whispered, "Would you like something to drink?"
"Iced tea, perhaps?" offered Hortense. "Or perhaps a malted brew?"
Immy mouthed the word "beer" to Theo.
"Tea is fine," he said. " Unsweet , please."
Hortense gave him a deep nod and Immy knew it was because she approved of his manners.
Theo waited to speak until Immy and her mother were settle d in with their own tea glasses , Immy on the other end of the couch and Hortense in the recliner. Drew had stood shyly in the kitchen doorway ever since he'd entered the house. Now she came to sit cross-legged beside the recliner and star e at the newcomer. Her chestnut curls and green eyes made her a miniature ringer for Theo. He was definitely family. Immy sometimes thought Drew took after the trucker that fathered her, but here was proof to the contrary.
"How on earth did you find us?" asked Immy. "I've been trying to figure out how to locate you, but I didn't know your name or anything." She wondered if she could return the book she'd just bought, since she didn't need to find any more missing persons , and she had a course book on the subject anyway .
"It's a long story. My parents divorced when I was a child, and Mom and I moved to Fort Worth . When she got remarried, my new Dad , Hal Nichols, adopted me and they changed my name. I wanted to keep my first name, but I was a minor and couldn't overrule them. Then my stepdad left us after five years. "
"I guess you could change it back," said Immy.
"Nah, I don't really want to any more. I missed my d ad , my real dad, something fierce for a long time. Mom wouldn't tell me much about what he was doing, but I think she knew. She died of cancer last year and a few months before she died, she told me that he was in prison in Wymee Falls. I found a database that lists prisoners and kept track of him ."
Immy got the name of the database from him in case she might need it, as a detective, someday. She wrote it on the envelope from the water bill and tucked it into her purse.
"Have you seen your dad?" asked Immy.
"No, I don't know where he is." Theo took his first sip of the tea. "Do you?"
"Relate to us how you managed to determine our location," said Hortense.
He set the glass down quickly . "I knew my dad had been at Allblue and was released , so I looked for Duckworthys in the area. " He waved his hands in rhythm to his words. " You're the only ones. Do you know where he is?"
I mmy and her mother exchanged a glance . "Yesss," said Immy, not wanting to tell him.
"He's not in Allblue again , is he?" Theo balled his fists and tensed for the answer.
"No," said Immy. "He's just in jail in Saltlick. At least he was Friday when I saw him."
Theo sat up straight. "So maybe I can see him tonight."
"I'm not sure. Tabitha will probably be gone by now." It was nearly six-thirty. "It might be better to wait till morning."
Theo's shoulders slumped. "Why is he in jail?"
"That was a misunderstanding. He's in for trespassing, but it was in my house."
"Here?" Theo looked around.
"No, my house in Wymee Falls. Look, I'll call Ralph , this cop I know, and tell him you want to see Dewey." Immy went into the kitchen to call.
"Immy," Ralph said before she could get started on her request. "Can't talk. Big wreck on the bypass. Semi turned over. Call me
"Junior?" Immy unhooked the chain and threw the door open with a grin . Yes, he looked like her father. Even resembled what Uncle Dewey would look like cleaned up, she thought. "Mother, I found Junior."
The man stepped into the living room when Immy stood aside. "No , no t Junior. My name's Theo Nichols."
Immy's smile faded. "Oh. I thought you might be my missing cousin."
"No, no, I am your missing cousin. But my name's changed."
"Imogene," said Hortense, coming in from the kitchen. "Show our guest to a seat." She turned to the man who used to be Junior. "Would you care for a libation?"
Theo looked confused, but took a seat on the green plaid couch.
Immy leaned close to him and whispered, "Would you like something to drink?"
"Iced tea, perhaps?" offered Hortense. "Or perhaps a malted brew?"
Immy mouthed the word "beer" to Theo.
"Tea is fine," he said. " Unsweet , please."
Hortense gave him a deep nod and Immy knew it was because she approved of his manners.
Theo waited to speak until Immy and her mother were settle d in with their own tea glasses , Immy on the other end of the couch and Hortense in the recliner. Drew had stood shyly in the kitchen doorway ever since he'd entered the house. Now she came to sit cross-legged beside the recliner and star e at the newcomer. Her chestnut curls and green eyes made her a miniature ringer for Theo. He was definitely family. Immy sometimes thought Drew took after the trucker that fathered her, but here was proof to the contrary.
"How on earth did you find us?" asked Immy. "I've been trying to figure out how to locate you, but I didn't know your name or anything." She wondered if she could return the book she'd just bought, since she didn't need to find any more missing persons , and she had a course book on the subject anyway .
"It's a long story. My parents divorced when I was a child, and Mom and I moved to Fort Worth . When she got remarried, my new Dad , Hal Nichols, adopted me and they changed my name. I wanted to keep my first name, but I was a minor and couldn't overrule them. Then my stepdad left us after five years. "
"I guess you could change it back," said Immy.
"Nah, I don't really want to any more. I missed my d ad , my real dad, something fierce for a long time. Mom wouldn't tell me much about what he was doing, but I think she knew. She died of cancer last year and a few months before she died, she told me that he was in prison in Wymee Falls. I found a database that lists prisoners and kept track of him ."
Immy got the name of the database from him in case she might need it, as a detective, someday. She wrote it on the envelope from the water bill and tucked it into her purse.
"Have you seen your dad?" asked Immy.
"No, I don't know where he is." Theo took his first sip of the tea. "Do you?"
"Relate to us how you managed to determine our location," said Hortense.
He set the glass down quickly . "I knew my dad had been at Allblue and was released , so I looked for Duckworthys in the area. " He waved his hands in rhythm to his words. " You're the only ones. Do you know where he is?"
I mmy and her mother exchanged a glance . "Yesss," said Immy, not wanting to tell him.
"He's not in Allblue again , is he?" Theo balled his fists and tensed for the answer.
"No," said Immy. "He's just in jail in Saltlick. At least he was Friday when I saw him."
Theo sat up straight. "So maybe I can see him tonight."
"I'm not sure. Tabitha will probably be gone by now." It was nearly six-thirty. "It might be better to wait till morning."
Theo's shoulders slumped. "Why is he in jail?"
"That was a misunderstanding. He's in for trespassing, but it was in my house."
"Here?" Theo looked around.
"No, my house in Wymee Falls. Look, I'll call Ralph , this cop I know, and tell him you want to see Dewey." Immy went into the kitchen to call.
"Immy," Ralph said before she could get started on her request. "Can't talk. Big wreck on the bypass. Semi turned over. Call me
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