“Anything that will help us tonight. Maybe get her take on Roberta.” Getting her to confess her and her father’s scheme would be great, but I’d take what I could get.

“She’s gonna figure out you know about Anna if you do that.”

“Does it really matter?”

“No,” he said slowly, as though he was thinking out loud. “I’m not sure it does at this point.”

“No lectures?” I asked in disbelief. “No threats and ultimatums?”

“You’re a grown-ass woman, not a five-year-old.”

I was momentarily stunned by his pronouncement, and then I grinned. “You’re only okay with this because I pointed out all the reasons I’d be safe.”

He chuckled. “Plus the fact that you’re not really alone. Jed’s been tailing you for a few minutes.”

“What?” I spun around in my seat to look out the back window. Sure enough, I could see Jed’s car two cars behind us. “We can’t have anyone with us, Skeeter.”

“You’re insulting me with your insinuation that my associate’s an amateur.”

“I just don’t want to screw this up.”

“She’ll never know anyone is there. Call me when you’re done.”

Neely Kate glanced over her shoulder. “That went better than expected.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

“Let’s hope our chat with Kate goes equally well.”

Muffy sat in my lap the rest of the way into town, a pretty short trip given Neely Kate’s lead foot. I continued to read the journal, getting increasingly frustrated—it was interesting, but interesting wasn’t going to keep us alive.

Neely Kate pulled into the nursery parking lot, and Muffy jumped off my lap and planted her front paws on the window, excited to see Maeve inside the building. I was just about to close the book when a name caught my eye.

Thaddeus Brooke.

“Whoa. Neely Kate. Wait.”

She had opened her car door and closed it again. “Did you change your mind about dropping off Muffy?”

“No. Dora wrote about the guy in the barn.”

“What?” She leaned over the seat back to see.

I held up the book. “Look, right here. Steyer sent a man named Thaddeus Brooke to see me today.”

“Who is Steyer?” Neely Kate asked.

“I don’t know. But this says Thaddeus Brooke threatened her if she continued to make waves.”

“Did she say how he threatened her?”

“No.”

Maeve was waiting at the door of the nursery now, and Muffy began to bark her head off.

“Let’s drop off Muffy. I’ll look at it more on the way to the restaurant,” I said, opening the door and picking up my little dog. I stuffed the book into my purse, which I slung over my shoulder. I sure wasn’t letting it out of my sight.

Muffy didn’t want any part of being carried, but I didn’t feel like putting on her leash. She practically leapt out of my arms the moment we walked through the door.

Maeve laughed when Muffy jumped up on her legs, begging for attention.

“I guess I don’t have to worry about her being upset that I’m leaving her,” I said, trying to keep the hurt out of my voice.

“She’s just used to staying with me now,” Maeve said as she squatted to rub Muffy’s head. “That and the homemade dog biscuits I make her.” Maeve stood and smiled. “She knows who her mommy is. Besides, you’ll see her tomorrow.”

But what if I didn’t? What if tonight didn’t go well?

“Maeve,” I said. “If anything happens to me—”

“You stop that right now,” she admonished. “Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“But if it were to . . .” I looked down at my dog, who had begun to sniff around.

“I would be honored to take care of Muffy. But that’s something we don’t have to worry about for a very long time.”

I gave her a smile. “Thanks.” I looked out into the parking lot, wondering how Bruce Wayne and possibly Anna had been snatched in broad daylight.

“I’m sure they’re just fine,” Maeve said softly behind me. She wrapped her arms around my front and gave me a hug. “I’m sure everything’s gonna be just fine.”

“Is this a feeling?” I asked hopefully. Maeve occasionally had feelings that were more like premonitions, and they often came true.

“No, I just have to believe everything will work out.”

I sure hoped so, but my usual optimism had been jaded by the impossible situation we were in.

Neely Kate could see me tearing up, so she tugged on Maeve’s arm and hugged her. As soon as she set Maeve free, Neely Kate grabbed my arm. “We’re going to be late for our appointment.”

Maeve kissed my cheek, and a warm smile lit up her face. “We’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

When we got to the car, I sat in front with Neely Kate, starting to get nervous about meeting Kate.

“See if you can find out more from the journal,” Neely Kate said. “You have about five minutes to search.”

I grabbed the book out of my purse and quickly got to work, skimming the text until I came across something several pages later.

“Oh. This is different than everything else. It’s much more personal. Like her diary.” I started to read out loud:

One day in September, I had just gotten off work and was heading to my car when I saw a teenage girl I knew from church. She was sitting on the hood of a beat-up car, staring at the factory like it held the secret to life. She was so intent on her staring that she jumped when I asked her if she was okay. She said no, and when I asked her if she needed any help, she said it was too late. So I said, Jenny Lynn Rivers, it’s never too late. I’m proof enough of that.

Neely Kate jerked upright. “What?”

“Jenny Lynn Rivers.” Realization washed through me. “Oh, my word. That’s your mother.” I turned to face her. “What do you know about her life before she moved away?”

“Not much. She ran from Henryetta when she was seventeen and never came back until she dumped me on my grandmother’s doorstep.”

I hesitated before asking, “And your father?”

Her face paled. “Absolutely nothing.”