about your other daughter, Opal,” Gemma told them.
The older woman pulled herself up to her full height, her face growing stiff, her eyes cold. “Opal is dead. They called just a few hours ago to tell us.”
“Yes, ma’am, and we’re so sorry for your loss,” Gemma told her, reaching into her purse. “I found something of hers and I wanted to give it to you.” She held the small box out to Mrs. Sparrow.
When the older woman made no move to take it, Natalie reached for it. She took it carefully from Gemma as if she was afraid to touch her.
“Are...were you Opal’s friends?”
“Not really,” Gemma told her.
Natalie opened the box and peered inside. Her eyes grew wide and she handed it to her mother. Mrs. Sparrow finally reached into the box and took out the ring, holding it in the palm of her hand.
“We thought it might be a family heirloom or something and...”
Both women were shaking their heads.
“I’ve never seen this before,” Opal’s mother said and then looked at Natalie. “Have you?”
Natalie shook her head in response and they placed the ring back into the box.
At that moment, the man who had been working out by the barn opened the screen door and stepped onto the shaded porch. He wore a white t-shirt soaked through with sweat but the angry look on his face made Gemma take a step backwards.
“This is my husband. Opal’s father,” Mrs. Sparrow said.
“You cops?”
“No, sir. My name is Gemma Stone and this is Holly Blake,” Gemma said, realizing they hadn’t introduced themselves earlier. “We found this ring that we thought belonged to Opal. We wanted to return it to you.”
He didn’t even bother looking at it, in fact, never took his eyes off of Gemma and Holly. “Where did you find it?”
Gemma wasn’t about to tell them their daughter was in the trunk of her car. “Near her...”
“I told them we’d never seen it before,” Mrs. Sparrow said cutting Gemma off.
“Then we don’t want it,” he said. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to make some arrangements for our daughter.”
“Yes, sir,” Holly said. “We’re sorry to take up your time and, again, we’re sorry for your loss.”
Gemma longed to stay, to talk to Natalie maybe learn something more about Opal. “Do you have a picture of her?” she asked quickly. “I’d like to see what she looked like.”
Natalie glanced quickly at her parents but it was clear, as far as they were concerned, the conversation was over. They turned and went inside the house together, and the screen door slamming shut behind them sounded like a gunshot.
“I have her graduation picture,” Natalie said quietly. “Just a minute.”
She left them standing on the porch.
Mr. Sparrow’s voice reached them when Natalie went inside. Gemma couldn’t make out his words but she knew he was hurting and that she and Holly were merely intruders on his family’s grief. Thankfully, Natalie returned in just moments with a large photograph in a frame and a smaller one. She offered them both to Gemma.
“She was my big sister,” Natalie said. “But she was always in trouble of one kind or another. Boys. Sneaking out at night. Drinking. Running away.”
“Drugs?” Holly asked.
“No, she never got involved in drugs.”
Gemma took the large photo and gazed into the face of a pretty young woman with honey colored hair curling around a heart shaped face. She had the same blue eyes as her sister but they were hard and cold, defiant even at this young age, as if she’d already suffered through several lifetimes.
“Right out of high school, she left for Richmond. We didn’t hear from her until she got arrested for prostitution. Mama paid her bail and she came home for a while. But things got bad again. She and Dad had a big fight and...” Natalie finished with a shrug.
“Did your parents file a missing person report?” Holly asked
Natalie shook her head. “Mama wanted to but Daddy wouldn’t let her. He put all of
The older woman pulled herself up to her full height, her face growing stiff, her eyes cold. “Opal is dead. They called just a few hours ago to tell us.”
“Yes, ma’am, and we’re so sorry for your loss,” Gemma told her, reaching into her purse. “I found something of hers and I wanted to give it to you.” She held the small box out to Mrs. Sparrow.
When the older woman made no move to take it, Natalie reached for it. She took it carefully from Gemma as if she was afraid to touch her.
“Are...were you Opal’s friends?”
“Not really,” Gemma told her.
Natalie opened the box and peered inside. Her eyes grew wide and she handed it to her mother. Mrs. Sparrow finally reached into the box and took out the ring, holding it in the palm of her hand.
“We thought it might be a family heirloom or something and...”
Both women were shaking their heads.
“I’ve never seen this before,” Opal’s mother said and then looked at Natalie. “Have you?”
Natalie shook her head in response and they placed the ring back into the box.
At that moment, the man who had been working out by the barn opened the screen door and stepped onto the shaded porch. He wore a white t-shirt soaked through with sweat but the angry look on his face made Gemma take a step backwards.
“This is my husband. Opal’s father,” Mrs. Sparrow said.
“You cops?”
“No, sir. My name is Gemma Stone and this is Holly Blake,” Gemma said, realizing they hadn’t introduced themselves earlier. “We found this ring that we thought belonged to Opal. We wanted to return it to you.”
He didn’t even bother looking at it, in fact, never took his eyes off of Gemma and Holly. “Where did you find it?”
Gemma wasn’t about to tell them their daughter was in the trunk of her car. “Near her...”
“I told them we’d never seen it before,” Mrs. Sparrow said cutting Gemma off.
“Then we don’t want it,” he said. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to make some arrangements for our daughter.”
“Yes, sir,” Holly said. “We’re sorry to take up your time and, again, we’re sorry for your loss.”
Gemma longed to stay, to talk to Natalie maybe learn something more about Opal. “Do you have a picture of her?” she asked quickly. “I’d like to see what she looked like.”
Natalie glanced quickly at her parents but it was clear, as far as they were concerned, the conversation was over. They turned and went inside the house together, and the screen door slamming shut behind them sounded like a gunshot.
“I have her graduation picture,” Natalie said quietly. “Just a minute.”
She left them standing on the porch.
Mr. Sparrow’s voice reached them when Natalie went inside. Gemma couldn’t make out his words but she knew he was hurting and that she and Holly were merely intruders on his family’s grief. Thankfully, Natalie returned in just moments with a large photograph in a frame and a smaller one. She offered them both to Gemma.
“She was my big sister,” Natalie said. “But she was always in trouble of one kind or another. Boys. Sneaking out at night. Drinking. Running away.”
“Drugs?” Holly asked.
“No, she never got involved in drugs.”
Gemma took the large photo and gazed into the face of a pretty young woman with honey colored hair curling around a heart shaped face. She had the same blue eyes as her sister but they were hard and cold, defiant even at this young age, as if she’d already suffered through several lifetimes.
“Right out of high school, she left for Richmond. We didn’t hear from her until she got arrested for prostitution. Mama paid her bail and she came home for a while. But things got bad again. She and Dad had a big fight and...” Natalie finished with a shrug.
“Did your parents file a missing person report?” Holly asked
Natalie shook her head. “Mama wanted to but Daddy wouldn’t let her. He put all of
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