could almost hear the wheels in her head turning. I knew that she was trying to figure out this new information about Cricket. She was so sure that what she’d considered as a rough veneer only masked a very frightened young woman. Now, not only had she learned something new about Cricket’s personality, but it opened up a Pandora’s box of people with real reasons to murder Cricket, and to kidnap her child. “Simone,” Mama finally said very quietly, “Cricket has a girlfriend that she hangs with. Her name is Sabrina Miley. I want to find Sabrina and talk to her tonight.”
MIDNIGHT …
TWO
T he path came to a tiny bridge that crossed a wide pond. The sun broke through the billowing white clouds; the water reflected the sky like a shiny mirror. The hum of blowflies feasting on a dead squirrel got Midnight’s attention.
After a pause, he turned, and walked along to the straggly path that led deeper into the woods. The air was cool, and dark, because the tall trees filtered out most of the sunlight. Midnight stopped and watched a pair of woodpeckers flitter past his head; he let out an impatient yelp. A chipmunk dashed by. He raced after it, but tripped over the fat root of a maple tree and fell into a thicket of brambles.
Midnight stood and shook the dead leaves from his coat. He was deep into the woods now, a quarterof a mile along the path that would take him to the old house.
The dog made a noise, a howl that got caught in his throat.
Midnight sniffed, stretched his neck, and accepted what he suspected had happened long ago. He looked down the path, an air of resolution in his eyes as he walked toward the empty house, past the back porch, toward the graves.
CHAPTER
SIX
W hen Mama answered the ringing telephone, I heard the tiredness in her voice. But then she sat straight up in her chair. “Are you all right? … What happened? … Did you see it? … Is Abe all right?” she asked.
My heart took a loop. Something else serious had gone down. “What’s the matter?” I asked.
Mama didn’t answer, but stared at me.
When she put the phone on its receiver, I was standing at her side. “Would you please tell me what’s happened?”
“James and Coal were standing in front of the courthouse.”
“Yeah?”
“James said they heard a noise and looked towardSmoak Street in time to see Abe and Rick in a highspeed chase after Timber and some other guy.
“Timber and his companion were driving a blue Ford, perhaps the very one that you encountered on the road to Cypress Creek.” Mama breathed deeply. “You did say that Morgan was in a car seat … Did she look all right to you? I mean, did she look like she was being treated okay?”
“Now, Mama.” I tried to sound more confident than I felt. “There’s no reason to think that the man who ran off with Timber was the same one that tried to scare me. But, to answer your question, Morgan wasn’t crying or anything.”
Mama didn’t say any more; she was thinking. I went down the hall to the bathroom, something that I should have done the minute I walked into the house. When I got back, Mama sat by the window staring into the garden again. I went over to her and began to massage her shoulders. I was about to tell her that I’d been thinking about spending another week with her in Otis when the key turned in the front door.
“James?” Mama called out.
“Yeah,” Daddy answered as he stopped to key in the password on the security.
“Any news?” I asked, when he joined us.
Daddy shook his head. There was a resigned look on his face. “Abe didn’t catch Timber and his buddy, if that’s what you mean. Frankly, I’m putting my money on those guys being out of state in a couple of hours.”
“Did you see a car seat in the backseat of the blue Ford that Timber and his friend were driving?” Mama asked.
“A what kind of seat?” Daddy asked, looking puzzled.
“A child’s car seat,” Mama replied.
“Honey, things happened so
MIDNIGHT …
TWO
T he path came to a tiny bridge that crossed a wide pond. The sun broke through the billowing white clouds; the water reflected the sky like a shiny mirror. The hum of blowflies feasting on a dead squirrel got Midnight’s attention.
After a pause, he turned, and walked along to the straggly path that led deeper into the woods. The air was cool, and dark, because the tall trees filtered out most of the sunlight. Midnight stopped and watched a pair of woodpeckers flitter past his head; he let out an impatient yelp. A chipmunk dashed by. He raced after it, but tripped over the fat root of a maple tree and fell into a thicket of brambles.
Midnight stood and shook the dead leaves from his coat. He was deep into the woods now, a quarterof a mile along the path that would take him to the old house.
The dog made a noise, a howl that got caught in his throat.
Midnight sniffed, stretched his neck, and accepted what he suspected had happened long ago. He looked down the path, an air of resolution in his eyes as he walked toward the empty house, past the back porch, toward the graves.
CHAPTER
SIX
W hen Mama answered the ringing telephone, I heard the tiredness in her voice. But then she sat straight up in her chair. “Are you all right? … What happened? … Did you see it? … Is Abe all right?” she asked.
My heart took a loop. Something else serious had gone down. “What’s the matter?” I asked.
Mama didn’t answer, but stared at me.
When she put the phone on its receiver, I was standing at her side. “Would you please tell me what’s happened?”
“James and Coal were standing in front of the courthouse.”
“Yeah?”
“James said they heard a noise and looked towardSmoak Street in time to see Abe and Rick in a highspeed chase after Timber and some other guy.
“Timber and his companion were driving a blue Ford, perhaps the very one that you encountered on the road to Cypress Creek.” Mama breathed deeply. “You did say that Morgan was in a car seat … Did she look all right to you? I mean, did she look like she was being treated okay?”
“Now, Mama.” I tried to sound more confident than I felt. “There’s no reason to think that the man who ran off with Timber was the same one that tried to scare me. But, to answer your question, Morgan wasn’t crying or anything.”
Mama didn’t say any more; she was thinking. I went down the hall to the bathroom, something that I should have done the minute I walked into the house. When I got back, Mama sat by the window staring into the garden again. I went over to her and began to massage her shoulders. I was about to tell her that I’d been thinking about spending another week with her in Otis when the key turned in the front door.
“James?” Mama called out.
“Yeah,” Daddy answered as he stopped to key in the password on the security.
“Any news?” I asked, when he joined us.
Daddy shook his head. There was a resigned look on his face. “Abe didn’t catch Timber and his buddy, if that’s what you mean. Frankly, I’m putting my money on those guys being out of state in a couple of hours.”
“Did you see a car seat in the backseat of the blue Ford that Timber and his friend were driving?” Mama asked.
“A what kind of seat?” Daddy asked, looking puzzled.
“A child’s car seat,” Mama replied.
“Honey, things happened so
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