Come Home: a novel Part 27

Jill leaned toward the phone. "Abby, what's going on? Why didn't you return my calls?"

"I did, today. I left a message, but you didn't call me back."

Jill flashed on her mashed-up BlackBerry. "My phone broke."

"Jill, I'm so sorry, but you'd love Brandon. He doesn't think I should live alone in the house, either. He says I need to start over and take responsibility for myself. That's what you said, too."

"I'm just trying to understand what's going on with you. This is such an about-face. And how old is Brandon, anyway?"

"Older than me, but don't worry about it. I feel so much better now, and you helped me, too. I'll see you when I get back, and we can catch up. Please don't be mad at me."

Victoria s.n.a.t.c.hed the iPhone from the desk. "Abby, I'm mad at you. When are you gonna grow up? Dad died, then you vanish? Do me a favor, will you? Stay in L.A. Live there with Brandon. You're a selfish b.i.t.c.h!" Victoria hung up, jumped to her feet, and turned to Jill, red-faced. "You got me into this! I told you, I told you, I knew it! I should have listened to myself!"

"Honey, please, relax." Jill reached for her arm, but Victoria edged away, holding up both hands.

"Back off! And for G.o.d's sake, I'm not your 'honey'!" Victoria shook with anger, and Jill thought she might faint.

"Let me get you some water."

"No!" Victoria shot back, then exhaled, seeming to catch herself. "I'm sorry, Jill. I'm sorry. I know better. I knew better." She balled her fingers into tight knots, like a tantruming child. "I hate my sister. There, I said it. I hate my sister." She exhaled once, then again, her gaze taking in the other detectives and finally coming to rest on Detective Hightower. "Detective, I'm so sorry about all of this. I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

"It's all right." Detective Hightower's tone had gone cool again. He rose, gesturing behind him. "Sure you don't want that gla.s.s of water, or a soda? I'm buying."

"No, thank you." Victoria turned to Brian, bristling with emotion. "Time to go, don't you think? Have I caused you enough embarra.s.sment?"

Brian rose, his expression sympathetic, and he shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Vick. It's not in your control."

Jill rose, too, looking at Detective Hightower, in confusion. "I'm sorry, I guess we thought she was missing, but still."

"Still what?" Detective Hightower frowned. "I think that takes the wind out of your sails, don't you?"

"Not necessarily. It doesn't mean anything with respect to William." Jill tried to collect her thoughts. She was thrilled that Abby was safe, but what she'd learned today about William's double life only made her more sure that he had been murdered. She found herself thinking like a doctor, deciding that the new data didn't change her differential, but only confirmed it. "In other words, the fact that Abby's not missing doesn't mean William wasn't murdered."

"Oh please, Jill!" Victoria whirled around. "Do you really think even Abby thought Dad was murdered? She wanted you back in our life, and after Dad died, she saw a way to get it." Victoria still shook slightly, but the redness was finally leaving her cheeks. "It's totally weird that Dad had some kind of secret ident.i.ty, but you know what, I shouldn't be surprised, and now that I think about it, I'm not. I know he was no angel. He played fast and loose with things. He and Abby, they're two of a kind. That's why they're so close."

Jill felt pained to see the jealous twist to Victoria's lips.

"Yes, Jill. Dad paid for art school for Abby, but not law school for me. Can you believe that? He had the money, but he wouldn't give it to me. He said he likes artists, but he hates lawyers. Funny, huh?"

Jill hadn't heard any of this before.

"I don't know what Dad was up to, but he wasn't murdered. He took one too many chances, sometimes with the wrong things. Didn't he, with you? Whether he cheated or you cheated, it all comes down to the same thing. He wasn't careful with anything, including people."

Jill couldn't say no.

"Dad could charm anything and anybody, but he met his match in a pill. You can't take chances with them, or they kill you." Victoria picked up her purse from the chair, threw her phone inside, and turned to Detective Hightower. "You don't think my father was murdered, do you?"

"No, I don't." Detective Hightower closed the manila file. "I'll talk with Detectives Reed and Pitkowski, but right now, I'm standing down."

Jill wasn't sure they could put it to bed so fast. "Just like that? So quickly? You're sure?"

"Dr. Farrow, I listened to you, as did two other detectives. We've given this matter more than enough of our time and resources." Detective Hightower touched his mustache. "Tonight was a fiasco. A murder investigation isn't a spigot you turn off and on."

"But you were convinced until Abby's call."

"Incorrect." Detective Hightower gathered the photo of William with the man in the polo shirt and slid it into the manila file. "I said I was going to follow up with Missing Persons. What you learned in New York isn't sufficient evidence to overturn a coroner's finding, or convert this case to a homicide. But I'll leave it to Detective Reed. He caught this case, and he's stuck with it." Detective Hightower handed her William's car registration. "Please, take this back. I made a note that I saw it."

"Thanks." Jill put the registration in her purse, and Brian moved toward the door, with Victoria behind.

"Good-bye, Jill," she said. "I wish you the best."

Brian nodded at Detective Hightower and Jill. "Thanks again for your time, Detective. Nice meeting you, Dr. Farrow. Sorry I was so rough on you, before. Occupational hazard."

"Good-bye, take care, both of you." Jill watched them go, torn between pressing the matter and letting it lie, stuck between here and there. Suddenly she didn't know where she belonged, because she didn't belong anywhere.

Detective Hightower cleared his throat, in a pointed way. "Dr. Farrow, I've done all I can do."

"How will I know if they follow up with the girlfriend?"

"Call them. Not me." Detective Hightower softened again. "But, please, don't go chasing any more cars, and for what's it's worth, I don't think you're being followed. That SUV could've been anything."

"Like what?"

"He coulda been a guy waiting for a woman who's not his wife. He doesn't want to get caught by you, you could be one of her friends."

Jill tried to believe him, listening hard.

"You know, I've learned a few things, in twenty-two years on the job. People do strange things, every day. You meet them at different times in their lives, under the influence of whatever. Most of the time, people are straight-up nuts."

Jill nodded. "I guess."

"They're not criminals, they're idiots. Like your ex. The man's an idiot, I can tell you that, if he lost you."

Jill thought of Sam, bittersweet. "Thanks. I do appreciate all you've done."

"You're welcome." Detective Hightower extended a hand, and Jill shook it. "While I'm on a roll, you want some advice? Don't get caught between those two sisters. My wife has a younger sister, and I know how it goes. The baby of the family stays a baby. Period."

Jill wondered if he was right. She was an only child, with an only child.

"Now, go home."

"I will, thanks." Jill's heart went heavy in her chest. She turned and left, then realized suddenly where she could go.

Chapter Forty-four.

Jill told Katie the whole story, and she listened while she made a diorama. Magic Markers, construction paper, and overpriced modeling clay cluttered the kitchen table, and a s...o...b..x sat on its side. Jill missed a lot of things about elementary school, but making dioramas wasn't one of them.

"I don't know what to think, anymore." Jill rested her chin in her hand, behind a mug of cooling decaf. "Why did William have a secret ident.i.ty, and who the h.e.l.l is the blonde with the Sephora bag?"

"She has no kids, this we know."

"How?"

"The eyelash curler. Really?"

Jill smiled. "I'm trying to talk about a murder."

"I bet she's young, like, an egg." Katie kneaded brown clay with her hands. "William was dating an egg."

"Still, Katie, not the point."

"Yes it is. You're the one missing the point." Katie held up the clay, which looked like a Tootsie Roll with pink spots. "How'm I doing?"

"What is it?"

"I told you, I'm making Winn-Dixie from the book Because of Winn-Dixie. It's a dog, named after the store."

"Oh." Jill was so distracted, she didn't remember Katie telling her.

"This is the body, but I can't get him skinny enough. Story of my life."

"What are the pink spots?"

"Bald patches, remember? Winn-Dixie had bald patches."

Jill didn't remember, and she was thinking of Megan, whom she should have called to tell her about Abby. She checked the clock-10:45. Megan should still be up. "Mind if I use your phone to call Megan? I can't believe I didn't when I first came in."

"Tell her I said hi, and don't beat yourself up. No teenager hopes her mom will call." Katie stuck brown legs on the dog body. "I don't know how they expect a second-grader to read a book and make a diorama, in three days. Why not ask him to juggle or take the SATs?"

Jill went over to the phone, picked up the receiver, and pressed in Megan's cell number. The call rang a few times, then went to voicemail, so she left a message. "Hey honey, just wanted you to know that we found Abby and all is well. Hope you're having fun. Love you. Call anytime, I'm at Katie's. Bye." Jill hung up. "Now what point did I miss?"

"Sam. Sam is the point. You love that guy, and you're about to lose him. Call him. Say you were wrong and you're sorry."

"But I wasn't wrong." Jill felt her gut wrench. "Abby behaved badly, but she'll be back, and I was right about the principle."

"Oh, okay, like that matters." Katie rolled her eyes, kneading the clay. "Abby was jerking you around, and her sister has her number. I'm with that detective. Call Sam and say, come home. You can use the phone in the living room, if you want privacy."

Jill put a hand on the receiver, but didn't pick it up. "I don't know."

Katie lifted an eyebrow. "You're really not going to call him?"

"I don't know what to say. He doesn't want Abby in our lives, and I don't like him telling me who I can love and who I can't." Jill felt her gut wrench. "I love Sam, I do. But I love Abby, too, and she's not in L.A. forever. She's just latched on to another, older guy."

"But Sam loves you, and he's worried about you. Call him and tell him the cops don't think you're being followed, at least." Katie frowned, her tired eyes pleading. "Tell him Abby's safe, too. He probably even cares about her. He's a caring guy."

Jill flashed on what Victoria had said, about William. He wasn't careful with anything, even people. "You're right. Sam is caring."

"So call him."

"All right." Jill pressed in Sam's cell number, and the phone rang. He didn't pick up, so she waited for voicemail to leave a message: "Hi babe, I just wanted to let you know that Abby turned up in L.A., and the cops don't think I'm being followed, so don't worry."

Katie was motioning to her. "Say you're sorry," she mouthed.

Jill said into the phone, "I'm sorry, and call me when you can. Try me at Katie's or later at home. Love you, bye." She hung up.

"Good girl!" Katie beamed. "Even if you didn't mean it, you sounded convincing, and that's all that matters."

Jill smiled, her mood lighter, which is what girlfriends were for. "Do you think the detective was right, that the baby of the family stays a baby?"

"Absolutely. Jamie is my baby, and I do more of his homework than the others. And don't think he didn't read Because of Winn-Dixie. He did, all of it. I'm the one who watched the DVD."

Jill's thoughts turned to Nina D'Orive. "Wonder how I can find out what his girlfriend does at Pharmcen? I know a Pharmcen rep and I could find him and call him, but it's a big company."

"Try Facebook."

"Right." Jill rallied. "Mind if I use your computer?"

"Go ahead, I'm already logged in."

"You use Facebook that much?" Jill went over to Katie's laptop, which was on the countertop, nestled among a stack of bills, catalogs, and school notices.

"Of course, don't you read your feed?" Katie flattened the dog body, but a leg dropped off. "I'm the Queen of Farmville."

Jill logged onto Facebook, went to the Search function, typed in Nina D'Orive, and there was only one result. "Got her. Good thing she has such an unusual name."

"What's her profile picture look like? I bet she's skinny. A skinny, skinny egg."

Jill clicked Nina's profile picture, which was a Welsh corgi puppy. "No, it's a really cute puppy."

"So she's either eleven years old or Barbie herself."

Jill clicked to Nina's wall, but the privacy settings must have been on the maximum. "d.a.m.n, I can't see her page. I'm not her friend."

"No, you're definitely not." Katie stuck the clay leg back on. "You're the psycho ex who's stalking her."

"Can I friend her, as you?"

"Sure, but why would she accept it?"

"I can send her a direct message with the friend request, right?" Jill thought a minute. "I'll say I work in a doctor's office. If she's a drug rep, she'll say yes."

"You can't do that, you're logged in as me." Katie walked over with Winn-Dixie. "My profile says I'm an at-home mom."