Page 58 of Obsession

“Good, you’re on time,” she said, checking her watch.

“I figured you had reservations, and I didn’t want to be late,” she said.

“Come in while I grab my purse and cell phone.” She paused at the hallway. “How is your hand?”

“Healing, I hope.” She closed the front door behind her as her mother disappeared down the hall. When she returned, Emma said, “You look good.”

Why couldn’t she have inherited her mom’s height? With her looks and five-ten frame, she could have easily been a model. Maybe she’d gotten her mother’s youthful genes, though. More than once they’d been mistaken for sisters, which made her mom feel good. Emma not so much.

“Thank you. You look nice as well, but are you certain you’re not in pain?” her mom asked.

“Yes. I took something on the way.”

“Then why are you frowning?”

“Sorry. I have a lot going on.” Emma felt like she was on the witness stand, and with an imaginary brush, she swept away her thoughts and used the same brush to mentally smooth her countenance. She spied a large envelope on the kitchen table as she followed her mom to the back door. “Is this the private investigator’s report?”

“Yes. I can’t believe I almost forgot.” Her mom pushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “It’s not much of a report.”

Emma swallowed hard. “Why did you do it? Hire the detective?”

A sadness that mirrored Emma’s heart briefly flashed in her mother’s face. “That should be obvious. He’s my son, and he was missing.”

“But you thought he was guilty of killing Mary Jo.” Had she actually said that?

The color left her mother’s face. “Whatever made you think that?”

Emma’s heart hammered in her chest. She’d faced wild boars that hadn’t made her knees knock like answering her mother’squestions. She swallowed hard. “You said you weren’t surprised that Carter accused him—”

“That’s a long way from believing he killed Mary Jo, Emma.”

Her face grew hot under her mother’s scrutiny.

“Is that why you pulled away?” When Emma didn’t respond, her mother said, “Why didn’t you say something years ago?”

“That’s easier said than done. I’ve never been able to win an argument with you.”

“There would have been no argument. Given the circumstances and your brother’s past history with drugs and alcohol, I understood why Carter named Ryan as a person of interest.”

The cloud that had hung over her for ten years lifted. Her mom didn’t believe Ryan killed Mary Jo. They should have had this conversation years ago, and it was Emma’s fault they hadn’t. She’d projected her own guilt over Ryan leaving onto her mother because it was easier than admitting the hateful words she spewed at her brother may have been the catalyst that sent him running.

“If that’s settled, shall we go?” Without waiting for an answer, her mother opened the back door. “You didn’t say how you got here.”

Emma followed her out into the garage. They went from one fire to another. “A friend dropped me off and will pick me up at the restaurant after we eat.”

“You could have invited her.”

Emma thought fast. “I didn’t want to share you tonight.” That wasn’t a lie and kept her from having to say it wasn’t a “her.”

Her mother’s face softened. “That’s sweet of you. I hope we can do this more often, perhaps even include your dad.”

“Dad?” She couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice.

“Why not?” Her mom glanced at her and chuckled. “We’re only divorced, Emma. Not enemies.”

“I know that, but...” Emma needed to close her mouth before she said something else she would later wish she hadn’t. “Do you two get together often?”

“About once a month, but before you start getting ideas, your dad and I are not getting back together. It just wouldn’t work. My career is in Jackson, and he’ll never leave Natchez.”

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