Page 47 of Call Back

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a friendly smile. “I’ve lived here my entire life, so I’m fascinated by Maggie’s life in New York.”

“Because of her video?” Momma asked.

His smile fell. “No. I’ve never seen her video.”

That earned him a look of grudging approval.

“How long have you had your catering business?” Brady asked.

“Long enough,” Momma said. “Why did you decide to become a cop?”

Brady blinked, obviously caught off guard by her doggedness, though I wasn’t sure why—she’d ripped into him the day he interrogated her. “I planned to be an attorney, but realized I thoroughly enjoyed investigating.”

“Is your father a cop?”

“No. He’s an insurance salesman.”

She nodded again. “What did you find out from your investigation into my husband’s disappearance?”

He was surprised by this too. “Not much. Everything seemed to lead to a dead end.”

“Do you think it was a coincidence that that dentist crawled out of the woodwork after my daughter came home?”

Brady shot me a look before turning back to her. He must have thought this conversation would go very differently.

“No,” Brady said. “I think Magnolia’s questions drew him out.”

“Do you think it’s over?” she asked.

Brady stared at her for several seconds. “Yes, Mrs. Steele, I think it is.”

His answer surprised me, but not my mother. If he thought everything was settled, why was he so worried about my safety?

“You care about my daughter?”

“Yes. I do.”

“Then leave this in the past where it belongs. Just let it be, and it will all go away.”

Brady nodded as he grabbed my hand. “I’m glad to hear we’re on the same page.”

They might be on the same page, but I was in a different book.

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