Mom grabbed my hand. “Do you think this has something to do with Maria?”
“Maria’s been gone for a while, Mama, I can’t imagine how it would.”
This was partly a lie. Maria had been dead almost six months, so I hoped to god it didn’t have something to do with her past drug life, but I didn’t actually know.
“But what about her car?”
“Her Volvo S60? What about it?”
“You know that was her sober anniversary gift to herself and how hard she worked to get it.”
“Yes, so?” I said, obviously not understanding what she was trying to tell me.
“Her car went missing from her parking space a week after she died. I thought at first, the bank had taken it, but when I called, they didn’t know anything about it, and Luca said it never came through impound. He’s got a BOLO out on the VIN, but no luck yet.”
“What does any of that have to do with Felix, Mom?”
“What if the people who took Ria’s car also took Felix?”
My blood ran cold. She might be onto something, but I did not want my mom to worry more than she already was, however, so, I played dumb. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Even if someone took Ria’s car, it doesn’t mean it has anything to do with Felix.”
Mom started fussing. Wiping down my counters and straightening décor that was already straight, so I knew an epic meltdown was eminent. “Is Daddy at home?”
“No,” Mom said.
“Why don’t you go home in case Fox ends up there?” I suggested. “It would be horrible if he came to you and no one was home.”
“That’s a good idea.”
I nodded.
“Will you be okay?” she asked, and I pulled her in for a hug.
“Yes, absolutely. I’ll man the phone from here.”
“Okay, sweetheart, call me if you hear anything and I’ll do the same.”
“I will,” I promised, and walked her to the door, locking up and heading to my bedroom as soon as she drove away. My phone buzzed and I saw it was my bestie, Viviana, calling, so I answered. “Hey, Vivi.”
“Did you find him?”
I’d texted her in the middle of all the chaos. “Not yet. Luca’s issued an Amber Alert, so we’re in waiting hell.”
“I can move my afternoon patients tomorrow if you need me.”
Viviana was an optometrist and she’d just opened her own practice a year ago.
“Thanks, honey, but, honestly, there’s nothing you can do. When we find him, I’m gonna need alcohol, so let’s plan on tequila and dinner when that happens.”
“Okay, babes, that sounds good to me. Keep me posted.”
“I will, Vivi, thanks.”
We hung up and I slid my phone back into my pocket. Walking into my closet, I moved my long dresses aside and dragged the crate sitting on the floor out into my room, kneeling in front of it and staring at it for several seconds before opening the lid. “Okay, Ria, let’s see what you left me.”
Rifling through the baby clothes, paperwork, and journals my sister packed away, I found the letter I’d promised to mail, yet still hadn’t. I wished I could say it was because life had gotten busy and I’d forgotten, but the truth was, I knew who the letter was for, and what it would mean for me.
And it meant I’d lose Felix.
