Page 34 of The Girl in the River

“Good thinking.” Ellie followed Emily through the screen door. As they entered, she saw a brown mutt curled on the sofa, and Pixie and Norah at the kitchen table with crayons and paper. Norah was singing as she drew, but Pixie sat quietly, fingers curled tightly around a purple crayon.

“Mommy, look,” Norah chirped as they approached. “I drawed Snickers, the new baby goat doing goat training.”

“Great job,” Emily said with a warm smile. “I like the flowers you hung around his neck.”

Pixie looked up, her eyes big with fear when she spotted Ellie, making her wonder if she should have stayed outside with Derrick. “Hi, honey,” Ellie said.

Pixie opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, tearing Ellie’s heart in two.

Emily slid into a chair beside the little girl and pointed to her drawing. Where Norah’s had been bright, with the sunshine gleaming down on the yard where the goat was climbing a rock, Pixie’s drawing was dark, with grays and blacks and lightning zigzagging around the treetops. She had drawn giant raindrops on the windows.

Or perhaps they were tear drops, Ellie thought.

“Pixie, Ms. Ellie is still looking for your mother,” Emily said softly. “I need to ask you something though.”

Pixie’s fingers curled around the crayon so tightly that it snapped. She gasped softly and looked up at Emily.

“Don’t worry about the crayon,” Emily said softly. “We have buckets of them.”

Norah covered her mouth and whispered to Pixie, “It’s okay. I breaks ’em all the time. My mama says don’t sweat it.”

Norah was trying to be sweet, but at the mention of her mother, Pixie’s little face wilted again.

Emily brushed Pixie’s blond bangs to the side. “Listen, honey. Do you know a woman named Jo-Jo?”

Pixie’s nose crinkled with a frown then she shook her head.

“She might have been one of your mommy’s friends,” Emily prompted. “Or maybe she’s part of your family like your grandmother.”

Pixie’s lower lip quivered. “We don’t gots any family. It’s just me and Mommy… and Mark… Mommy said he was gonna ’dopt me and be my daddy.”

Ellie’s heart splintered. Why hadn’t Mia included Mark’s name in the letter?

Emily waited a beat. “How about a man named Seth? Seth Pennington? Does that ring a bell?”

Pixie shook her head back and forth, her hair swinging over her shoulders.

If Pixie didn’t know these people, why would Mia ask Ellie to take her to them?

FORTY-THREE

A few minutes later, Ellie gave Pixie a quick hug. “I have to go, sweetie. But I’ll be back.” Hopefully with good news. If this couple had a connection to Mia, they might have answers.

Emily walked her to the door. “What do you think is going on?”

“I don’t know. But it looks like Mia was afraid something would happen to her. You said she gave this to you three months ago?”

Emily nodded.

Ellie contemplated the timing. Something must have spooked her. “Just watch Pixie. Maybe Mia revealed some information without Pixie even realizing it.”

“I understand. I’ll try some art therapy with her.” Emily gave her a small smile. “And don’t worry. She’ll be safe here with us.”

Ellie nodded, another thought occurring to her. “Thanks. If Mia was scared and escaped Tori’s killer, she may have gone to the Penningtons and is waiting for me to bring Pixie to her.”

“Then go find them,” Emily murmured. “I hate to see that child suffering.”

“So do I.” Ellie squeezed Emily’s arm. “Thanks for your help. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

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