she expect?”
“She thought your mother would answer the door.”
“Was Mom there?”
“No. Neither were you.”
I leaned closer.
“Then who answered?”
“Your father.”
A chill moved through me.
Dad had always claimed he never saw Laura again after the night she disappeared.
Dolly didn’t need to say anything else.
“What did he do?”
“He told her she couldn’t come back.”
I stood immediately.
“No.”
“Emelia…”
“He wouldn’t have done that without telling Mom.”
Dolly’s expression told me otherwise.
“Did Laura try again?”
“Not at the house.”
“Why?”
“Because
