“One more thing-don’t know if it will help. She had some regular housecleaning customers over the years. Right before she disappeared, she told me she and a friend planned to save up and open their own cleaning agency. She said nobody with money stayed home anymore and they needed housekeepers. She even had a name for the new business-Happy Homes. Like my mother could create a happy home for anyone.”

“But you don’t recall this friend’s name?”

“Sorry, no. But if I remember right, it was a woman, someone she teamed with on the bigger cleaning jobs.”

“I could use a snapshot of your mother in case I get a lead,” I said.

“I threw away most of her pictures. That sounds terrible, doesn’t it?”

“Not to me. You do what you have to do to make peace with the past. You did leave a family photo with me. I’ll scan it into my computer and use Photoshop, restore some color and get her headshot from that.”

Emma closed her eyes, sighing heavily. “This is getting so complicated. Thanks for taking me and my problems on. This isn’t exactly about finding the lost relatives of adopted people. That’s the kind of work you usually do, right^?”

“Let me explain something. Not long after my daddy died of a heart attack, and after my difficult divorce, my kind and gentle yardman was murdered on my property-while I slept away the day by my fancy swimming pool.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “How awful.”

“That man’s death was a huge wake-up call, made me realize I’d been a shallow, spoiled brat most of my life. I soon discovered that if I dug deep, a real human being resided inside, and that person could actually do a little bit of good for deserving people. I’m in this business for the long haul, for folks like you.” Again I was tempted to tell her that this case was about finding lost relatives-that I’d already found two of hers, but she was tired and, despite her protests to the contrary, probably in pain. It could wait.

9

After I drove home from Emma’s hotel, I fed the animals, nuked a frozen pizza and left the box on the kitchen counter so Kate could see I’d chosen veggie supreme over pepperoni-because she would notice. Then I undressed and slipped into one of Jeff’s shirts from the dry-cleaning pile. I needed to at least smell him if I couldn’t touch him.

Then I went to my office to Google Happy Homes and see if Christine O‘Meara somehow managed to sober up and make her dream of opening her own cleaning agency come true. Not in this area, I learned after searching the online yellow pages. I did find companies by that name throughout the rest of the country, though, and printed the list thinking I might call up a few of the out-of-staters tomorrow during business hours. Maybe Christine O’Meara had made a new life outside Texas. Satisfied I’d put in a full day and more on the case-my gosh, was it only Tuesday?-I poured myself a glass of chardonnay, curled up on the sofa along with Diva and called Jeff.

He answered after the phone rang a long time. “Hi, Abby,” he said.

“You sound out of breath. You busy?” I said.

“Can I call you back later tonight-say around eleven your time?” He was talking fast-a rare thing for him-and he sounded… what was a good word? Stressed. Yes. Stressed.

“Are you okay, Jeff?” I said.

“I’m fine. Talk to you later. Love you.”

“Love you, too. Bye.” But right before the line went dead I thought I heard a woman cry out.

I looked at the phone for a second, as if it could clue me in on what I’d heard. The cry had been guttural, unpleasant, and might still be going on up there in Seattle. What the hell?

I needed an escape from my own thoughts or I’d be obsessing all evening about this new mystery. I picked up the TV remote and turned on Animal Planet, but then I heard the back door open. I checked my watch. Eight. Kate hadn’t spent all that much time at-

“Abby? It’s me,” called a familiar but unwelcome voice that did not belong to my sister. Aunt Caroline.

I hit the power button and dropped the remote, thinking, Great. No escape to Animal Planet possible now. I stood to greet her, knowing I’d be transported against my will to Meddlesome, Egotistical, Self-Serving Relatives Planet-somewhere most people are lucky enough to visit only during the holidays. Though deep down I loved my aunt, she had kept important secrets about our past from Kate and me-facts about our adoption. She thought this was best, but Kate and I still beg to differ.

Aunt Caroline looked me up and down. “Are you and Kate having a pajama party to celebrate her foolishness?” Her tone was angry, her face-lift-afflicted mouth attempting-and not succeeding in-a frown. Instead, she was left fighting a ridiculous half-smile.

“Good to see you, too, Aunt Caroline. Come in-Oh, excuse me. You already did that without even knocking.”

“I’m in no mood for your sarcasm, Abigail. Now where is she?” She glanced past me in the direction of the front foyer and stairs, then marched across the living room, apparently ready to tear Kate out of a closet or some other hiding place.

“She’s not here,” I called after her.

Aunt Caroline faced me. “You’re lying. Terry told me she came here and I-”

“She’s working,” I said firmly. But I cringed inwardly. If she’d talked to Terry, Kate had a passel of hassles coming her way.

“Shame on you, Abigail. You’re trying to protect her from me-from me. The person who gave you girls everything when you were growing up, the person your sister should have come to for advice before she made such a stupid decision.”

“I’m not-”

“No more lies,” she said. “After Terry told me what she’d done, I called her office. Her receptionist told me she has left for the day, so she is not working.”

“I’m telling you, she’s not here.” I enunciated each word, thinking Aunt Caroline must have had one too many martinis before dinner, because she seemed to be ignoring what I was saying more than usual.

She flicked at imaginary lint on the sleeve of her jade silk warm-up. “Get her down here. Right now.”

“She’s seeing one of my clients at a downtown hotel, but go upstairs and check if it makes you feel better.” I sat back down and showed great restraint by sipping my wine rather than downing the whole glass in one gulp.

“I see. Then I’ll wait.” She sat at the opposite end of the sofa from me, folded her arms across her chest and crossed her legs.

My seventy-year-old aunt is a woman who probably insists the doctor retouch her X-rays, so, as expected, every white hair was in place, her warm-up was fresh from the dry cleaners and her nails were newly manicured. But I could tell that right now she was a mess on the inside. I hadn’t seen her this upset since Kate and I sold Daddy’s mansion in River Oaks. Daddy had been her brother and the only man who could handle her-ever. I wished he were here now. I’d even settle for his ghost.

“Can I get you a glass of wine?” I asked.

“I thought you’d never ask. Then you can tell me what on God’s green earth has gotten into Katherine.”

I took several deep breaths on my slow walk to get her drink. I should have known Kate hadn’t called Aunt Caroline and told her she’d broken it off with Terry-Terry, the most perfect man in the world for Kate, according to my aunt. As for my choice, Jeff? Though “extremely good-looking,” in Aunt Caroline’s estimation, Jeff hung around thugs and killers day and night. And I, Abby Rose, had been lured into a similarly unsavory profession. One day we would both fall victim to the consequences of “cavorting with criminals” if we continued our line of work.

On days like today, I’d like to cavort my aunt right out the door. But Kate and I are all she’s got in this world-she’s driven most everyone else away-so we’re stuck with her. Besides, Daddy wouldn’t have wanted us to abandon her. Your family is your family, intimidating personalities and all.