They were staying about fifteen miles from Lewisburg, at the closest hotel they could find.
“She’s the only child of Alberta and Miller Cooperton.”
“What’s their deal?”
“He’s an engineer at the local electric company, and she’s a homemaker who’s active in her church and volunteers for a number of community organizations.”
“I wonder if she’s doing that because she has a guilty conscience.”
“Keep in mind that the Coopertons may also be victims of this crime.”
“Do you honestly believe that?”
“We don’t know how they came to have her, and until we do, we need to reserve judgment about people that Carolyn probably loves.”
“Don’t be rational. It’s annoying.”
She laughed. “One of us needs to be. And you need to be careful about how you approach her family situation with her. She may feel more loyalty to them than to you after all this time.”
“Yeah, that’s depressing but true. It occurred to me as I stared up at the ceiling all night that even once we prove she’s Jordan?—”
“Which we will.
“But even when the test comes back conclusive, it’s not going to change anything for either of us. She has her life, and I have mine, and…”
“Jesse… This’ll change everything for both of you, as it should.”
“How so? She’ll go back to her husband and kids, to her business and her life, while I go home to DC and eventually return to work like nothing has happened.”
Memphis put her coffee on the bedside table and turned to him, wincing at the movement before placing her hand on his face to compel him to look at her. “For the first time in all these years, you’ll know where your sister is. When you close your eyes at night, you won’t be wondering if she’s alive and safe or dead and buried somewhere that you’ll never find her. You’ll know where she is and who she’s with, and that will give you peace you haven’t had since you were a child.”
“You’re right, as usual. It’s just that I want to go back in time and take back all the years that were stolen from us.”
“You can never do that, but what you can do is make the most of the years you have left by spending as much time with her as you can.”
“Her husband will never go for that.”
“I spent an hour with her, and I can tell you that she’s not the kind of woman who will tolerate him telling her what to do. She’ll want to be with you as much as you want to be with her, and the two of you will make that happen.”
“You sound so certain. What if she tells me at lunch that while she realized the story I’ve told her is true, she doesn’t want me in her life?”
“She’s not going to say that.”
“What if she does?”
“Then you still go home with the peace of mind that comes from knowing she’s alive and thriving in a life that she loves with people she loves who also love her.”
He squeezed the hand she’d wrapped around his. “Thank you for the perspective.”
“Of course. I have another question.”
“What’s that?”
“The two of you are victims of a crime. What do you plan to do about that?”
“I’m going to talk to her, and then I’ll update the FBI on the latest developments. I have what I want and need. Figuring out what happened and why will be their problem.”
“Jesse Best, I think that’s the healthiest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”
