Kate kept crying. All she could think about was what Arthur had told them.
Cheryl was going to have a baby and she thought she was going to be married and get a good job at a TV station and live happily ever after. “But her life was taken away from her,” Kate said.
“And her mother’s.”
“And thebaby’s.” Kate’s tears strengthened and she clasped Jack about the waist.
“Now he’d be—” Jack broke off when the doorbell rang. “Ignore it,” he muttered and clasped Kate tighter.
She pulled away and wiped her eyes. “It might be important.”
With a grimace, he headed to the front door, Kate a step behind him. He looked out the glass panel, then turned to her in anger. “It’shim.”
“Mr. Niederman?”
Jack’s eyes darkened.
She understood. It was Alastair.
“Don’t ask him to stay. Don’t tell him anything. Don’t go out with him. You might slip up and tell him something.”
“Jack,” Kate said with a smile, “go screw yourself.” Turning, she hurried toward her bedroom.
“Where are you going?” He was practically hissing. “Don’t leave me alone with him.”
“Man up andtalkto him,” she said over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her.
With the speed of light, Kate repaired her face and pulled on a cute cotton sleeveless blouse and midthigh shorts. Tasteful, not too revealing, but she hoped sexy.
As she stepped back from the mirror, she said, “What do you think, Cheryl?” For a moment she paused and blinked back more tears. How involved her life had become with those two women! She opened the door.
Sara had come out of her room and she was with Jack and Alastair in the kitchen. Alastair had a glass of cola and Kate would bet that Jack hadn’t poured it for him.
Jack was still chopping things and he gave Kate a look as though he was being greatly imposed upon.
“Hi,” Alastair said to Kate. His eyes swiftly moved up and down her in an approving way.
Kate smiled demurely. “It’s lovely to see you again.”
Jack rolled his eyes at her formality. Ignoring him, she went forward and exchanged double-cheek kisses with Alastair.
“Alastair brought something from high school to show you,” Sara said.
“Honor-roll certificate?” Jack had been moving about the kitchen quite well, but now he made a big display of using his crutches.
“I didn’t mean to just show up,” Alastair said to Kate, “but I did send you some text messages.”
“Sorry, but I didn’t look at my phone. Today has been, uh, very busy.”
“Bet your mother is frantic with worry,” Jack said. “You should call her.”
“She’ll live,” Sara said. “Alastair, please, let’s sit down and you can show us what you brought. Jack doesn’t need us to use a grill.”
Jack mumbled something but they couldn’t hear what it was. He stayed in the kitchen while Sara, Kate and Alastair went a few feet away and sat down on the sofa.
Immediately, Alastair’s eyes went to the wall. On both sides of the big TV, they’d taped photos enlarged from the high-school yearbook, and the names of people they had talked to or wanted to interview. In large letters was printed Cheryl’s Birthday.
“I see you’ve made some progress in your investigation,” Alastair said.
