“So if she does decide to forward her mail, what happens next?” Sophie asked.

“I’ve already written a letter.” I took a sip of my martini. “And if you’re willing, I’ll give it to you when you drop me off tonight. Once I’m sure Wendy’s mail isn’t coming to the town house, you can mail the letter in Delray. The envelope is all typed up, and your house is the return address. If, for some reason, she actually gets it, she’ll think I was visiting you.”

I didn’t tell them I had struggled with what to say, and in the end, had simply scrawled, “Call me, please.”

“Of course I’ll mail it,” Sophie said. “Think it will work?”

Teo detailed the problems. “It’s a long shot. We’re counting on Wendy to have her mail forwarded, and then counting on the post office to do their job correctly. We’re also counting on Jonah not to answer any strange calls in the next few weeks, in case Wendy tries to get hold of him.”

Three possibilities that could spoil everything.

“Is she going to believe the remailing service made a mistake and returned Jonah’s package?” Sophie asked, nailing the fourth. “Isn’t that unlikely?”

“Everybody makes mistakes,” I said. I hoped we hadn’t made one tonight.

The seafood chowder arrived, but not before Ike clapped Teo on the back. “I don’t know this Jonah guy, but you sure convinced me he was sitting right here.”

The two men grinned at each other. Sophie winked at me, and I made a conscious effort to put my sister behind me for the rest of dinner and enjoy our beautiful evening together.

In the shadows of the restaurant parking lot, Teo kissed me good-night. “I’m going to be out of town for a little while, working with a police department in the Panhandle. You’ll let me know if this works?”

“You know I will. If it doesn’t? I’m still going to find her.”

“I know, but if this works, please don’t go alone. It’s not safe. Think about it.”

And that was the problem. He was right. I shouldn’t go alone, but I knew I couldn’t go with him and still expect Wendy to tell me anything. The dilemma was all too familiar.

“I’ll do nothing but think about it,” I said. “Trust me.” I kissed him again before I got into Ike’s car. Back at the town house, Sophie stopped in just long enough to get the letter that might give us Wendy’s address.

Finally I was alone with Mom. We sat together in the great room, her back as straight as a fireplace poker.

“Don’t bother trying to make it sound better. Just tell me what this Milton Kearns told you.”

So I did. By the time she left, she knew the bad news from Costa Rica, if not every detail. But I’d also reminded her that so far, we only heard one side of the story. As I had expected, she’d stood up for Wendy and pointed out Ex’s poor reliability. I respected her for spreading her wings over her baby chick and fighting off predators. But I also respected her for the last thing she said before she left.