Lydia turned in her chair. “Miles, what is it?”
He held the hat in his hands and stared at it. “Now I remember.”
He waved the hat around. “Her hair wasn’t white. She was wearing a white hat just like this one. The one Miss Caldwell wore for silly hat day.”
“Just like that one?” All the color had drained from Lydia’s face as she spoke in a monotone.
River wondered what had caused the sudden drop in mood. What had Lydia realized?
When Miles mentioned the hat, River thought he was adding to what might be a true story, but Lydia’s reaction told him something else was going on.
River turned so he could look directly at Miles. “So, if her hair wasn’t white, what color was it?”
Miles sucked on his finger and then pointed it at River while he stood on one foot. “I remember. It was kind of brown but not brown-brown.” He riffled through the crayon box, holding up a ginger-colored crayon. “Like this.” Miles proceeded to put hair on his circle and then drew the hat.
So maybe the woman’s hair was strawberry-blond. Growing more agitated, Lydia laced her fingers together.
Miles pointed at his chest. “I’m telling a true story.”
“Yes, you are. Miles, thank you.” River nodded toward Miles’s mother. “Thank you for letting us talk to your boy.”
“Can I go be with the others in the library now? I’m going to find a book about cars.”
“Sure,” said River.
Miles put the hat down on the table by Lydia. He handed River the picture he’d drawn. “You can keep this.”
“Thank you, Miles,” said River.
After petting Frankie a few more times, he took his mother’s hand and left the room.
Lydia picked up the hat and stared at the wall.
He scooted his chair closer to her. “Lydia, something Miles said shocked you. What is it?”
“This hat that I wore for silly hat day…” She turned so she could look directly at him. “My mother-in-law has one exactly like it. We bought it when we took Elsie to a craft fair.” She let out a sharp breath. “River, what if Elsie’s grandparents are involved in all this?”
ELEVEN
Lydia felt lightheaded as she rose from the chair. She could not fathom that her in-laws might have taken Elsie. How was it possible? Had they been in Grand Junction with Sloane’s sister the day Elsie disappeared, like they’d said, or was that a lie? “I need to leave here.” She was having a hard time getting a deep breath.
Frankie pressed close to Lydia and wagged her tail. She reached down to pet the yellow Lab. River escorted her through the building and opened the passenger’s-side door for her. There were no children outside. Something about empty playgrounds always made Lydia sad.
Once they were settled in the patrol car, River spoke in a soft voice. “Lydia, I have to ask you some questions. Matching hats is not a slam dunk as far as evidence goes.”
“I understand. I don’t want it to be true,” she said.
“So, you bought the hat at a craft fair. I assume that means it wasn’t something that was mass produced?”
“The seller only had two handmade white hats. I bought the one with pink trim and Sheryl got the one with green trim.”
“Do you think Sloane could put them up to taking Elsie?”
Feeling even more agitated, she massaged her temples. “They love their granddaughter. I let them visit her any time they want. They come to her school events. Why would they do something like this?”
“That’s what makes me wonder if your ex-husband is behind this. Maybe he put them up to it.”
“Maybe.” She fiddled with her necklace, becoming more agitated as she spoke.How could this be?“They have a blind spot where their son is concerned. They might comply with a plan he cooked up.” She shook her head. “Honestly though Norm is the one with the stronger personality. He’s a high achiever, and he expected the same of his son. I often thought the pressure of those expectations was one of the things that led to Sloane’s drinking.”
