Diana’s hands were clasped around her cell phone, as if she expected it to keep her afloat in these rough waters. She took a breath and started to talk. “Amelia sent me a text saying she wouldn’t be coming home for a few days because she needed to help a friend. She said her friend was in trouble and . . .” Tears welled in her eyes again; Diana handed her cell to Kerri. “Read the texts for yourself. I’ll just bawl again if I repeat all of it out loud.”

As Kerri read, her sister kept talking. “We all know Amelia is famous for going to the aid of anyone or thing who crosses her path. But . . .” Diana shrugged. “This feels different. Usually she tells me about these things. I had a feeling she was keeping something from me. I had been nudging her about my concerns, and then today she sent those.” She shook her head. “Now she’s not responding at all. Maybe I said too much. I even thought about going by the firm to see her, but I was afraid it would look as if I’m checking up on her. I don’t want to do anything to make her look bad.”

When she finally paused for a breath, Kerri passed her sister’s cell phone back to her. Admittedly, the messages were troubling. Diana had begged her daughter for more information and for her to come home, and she had refused; then she had stopped replying at all.

Kerri chose her words carefully. “Amelia’s eighteen. She could be feeling the need for more independence. I recognize this is out of character for her, but it may not be as bad as it seems.”

Diana and Tori exchanged a look.

Well, hell. Kerri held up her hands stop-sign fashion. “All right, now tell me the rest.” She looked to her daughter. “The part you feel bad about not telling me already.”

“When Aunt Diana called”—Tori balled her hands together in her lap—“and started asking questions, I realized I couldn’t keep Amelia’s secret any longer.”

Kerri held her tongue, waited for her daughter to continue.

“Sunday night while Aunt Diana was in the tub,” Tori explained, “this guy kept calling Amelia. She wouldn’t answer, but then he drove up outside. She finally went out to talk to him. She told me to watch and that if I got worried about whatever was happening to call 911.”

Kerri bit back the oh my God she wanted to launch at her daughter.

“He didn’t touch her or anything, but I could see they were arguing, and he stuck his face right in hers. I got scared and used Amelia’s cell to call 911. But then Amelia came inside, and everything was okay. Still, that guy hung around until the police drove up. When he’d driven away, Amelia went out there and told the officers that everything was okay.”

Kerri waited a full five seconds before she spoke. “Did Amelia tell you what this man wanted?”

Tori shook her head no. “She said he was trying to find a friend of hers, and she was afraid her friend was in trouble, so she didn’t want to tell him anything.” A lone tear rolled down her cheek. “She made me promise not to tell.”

“Did she say who the guy was?” Kerri pressed, barely restraining the need to hold her daughter and promise her that all would be well.

Tori shook her head. “She said she couldn’t tell me.”

Diana swiped at her own tears. “I took a long hot bath, had a couple of glasses of wine. With the music on I had no idea any of this was happening. I should have been paying attention.”

“Hey,” Falco said to her, “we all need a break now and then.” He shifted his attention to Tori. “What did this guy look like?”

“It was dark, so I didn’t get a real good look at him. He was tall, kind of”—she moved her shoulders up and down—“muscled up. Like he worked out. His hair was really short, and he was dressed like your old partner.” Tori looked to her mom. “You know, like a detective.”

Kerri and Falco shared a look. They’d both obviously just thought of the man they’d spoken to at Pop’s diner—Neal Ramsey. The same man who worked for Bellemont to help Sela Abbott—and for an unnamed client to spy on Ben Abbott. A new kind of worry gnawed at Kerri. She asked her daughter, “What color was his hair?”

“I couldn’t really tell, but it wasn’t dark. It was lighter, maybe blond.”

Falco pulled out his cell and opened a screen. “Was it this guy?”

Tori studied the image on the phone for a bit; then she shrugged and handed it back to Falco. “I can’t be positive, but it looks like him. You know, he had that tough-guy detective look.”

Definitely sounded like Ramsey.

“Do you know who he is?” Diana asked, her eyes wide with worry.

“Maybe,” Kerri said. “If it’s who we believe it is, he’s a private investigator who works for a local attorney.”

Why would he be talking to Amelia? Kerri wondered again if Bellemont knew his oh-so-trustworthy investigator was moonlighting—maybe against him. Kerri had a feeling Ramsey was not at all the dedicated employee Bellemont believed him to be.

“Could he have something to do with Amelia not coming home?” A new kind of fear claimed Diana’s face.

“I don’t know,” Kerri admitted, “but we’ll find out. For now, you keep trying to get Amelia to respond, and Falco and I will go see some of her friends.” Whatever Amelia was doing and whomever she was with might not have anything to do with Ramsey or Sela Abbott. Before Kerri went there, she wanted to be sure this wasn’t some post–high school drama playing out.

“It’s possible she might be staying with one of her friends from school for a couple of days,” Kerri offered. “Does she still have that boyfriend? He may have heard from her. Sometimes kids will tell their friends things they won’t tell their parents.”

Tori stared at her hands as Kerri said this. No surprise there. Most kids felt that need eventually. Her daughter wouldn’t be any different. And this thing with Amelia was likely the same—normal teenage stuff.

Kerri recognized a bit of denial might be at play here.

Only one way to find out. To do that, she had to stay focused and keep her personal feelings in check. Not always easy to do.

Diana chewed at her nails, something Kerri hadn’t seen her do since grade school. “Katie Jo Spencer is her best friend. They’ve been friends since kindergarten. Her boyfriend is Thad Gaines, but that relationship is a little fragile right now. She’s leaving for school; he’s not. They have different visions for their futures. I don’t think she would go to him.”

“Text me cell numbers and addresses, and we’ll talk with them.” Kerri pushed to her feet. She would feel better when she had this sorted out. “Tori, why don’t you stay here until I get home tonight? With the twins away at camp, I’m sure Diana could use the company.”

Tori nodded. “Sure.”

Diana stood. “Kerri, I know you don’t have time for this. I’ve already called Katie Jo, and she said she and Amelia have hardly seen each other since school was out. She’s busy with a summer job and readying to go off to college too. I don’t think she would lie to me.”

“Did Katie Jo know anything about this friend who’s in trouble?”

“She said she’s completely out of the loop. Had no idea or suggestions of who Amelia might be hanging out with.” Diana’s arms went around her waist. “It’s like I don’t even know what my daughter’s doing or who her friends are anymore.” She shook her head. “I’ve always trusted her. Maybe I should have gotten that tracking software on her cell ages ago like all those other mothers.”

Kerri produced what she hoped was a decent smile. “Let us talk to Gaines, see what he has to say. We’ll go from there. Meanwhile, you keep nudging Amelia to tell you where she is. The more information we have, the easier our job will be. Bottom line, she’s a smart girl. She’ll do the right thing. I’ll call as soon as I’ve spoken to Gaines.”

Diana reached for her. “Thanks, sis.”

Kerri hugged her hard. “Hang in there.” Then she hugged Tori. “Love you.”

Tori nodded. “Love you too.”

“Nice to meet you, Diana,” Falco said when he and Kerri would have turned to go.

Kerri squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Shit. “By the way, this is my partner, Luke Falco.”

Diana pressed her palms to her cheeks and shook her head. “I’m so sorry.” She extended her hand toward Falco.

He gave her hand a quick shake. “Really, you don’t have to be sorry. It isn’t so bad working with your sister.”

Diana laughed, a pathetically unfunny sound. “No.” She exhaled a big breath. “I meant I’m sorry for ignoring you.”

“No problem. I’m used to it.”

“Let’s go, Falco,” Kerri ordered.

Falco gave Diana and Tori a little salute.

Outside, Kerri checked her cell and called out the street and house number for Thad Gaines. She and Falco would nudge the kid for whatever he did or didn’t know first.

When they had loaded up and pulled out of the drive, Falco asked, “Have you considered that Amelia works for the firm where Lewis York is a senior partner? The same Lewis York that Bellemont says is a fixer for the Thompsons?”

“I have.” From the moment Bellemont had dumped that load of information, Amelia’s employment there had been hanging around the fringes of Kerri’s thoughts. “She worked for the firm one afternoon a week after school all spring, and she’s done nothing but rave about how impressed she is with all they do.”

Falco slowed for a turn. “They would never let an intern see the ugly side of the operation. She would only see the pretty parts.”