She had no big revelations to make on the subject of Vince Leone at any rate. She had to sort through her feelings about what had transpired between them the night before. She didn’t regret it, she knew that. Strange as it sounded to her own ears, it felt right and good to share herself with a man she barely knew, who would probably be gone in a week. It was going to take a while to make sense of that.

“I’m worried about Tommy,” she said, going back to her original topic of concern. “I want to talk to him, but how am I supposed to accomplish that?”

“You can’t go to their house,” Franny said. “That creature will pull you into her cave, suck all the blood from your body, and pick her teeth with your bones.”

“I know. But am I just supposed to wait until Monday? He looked so hurt last night. It broke my heart. Who knows what his mother put in his head? She said I made him think his father might be a serial killer.”

“Did you?”

“No! Vince asked me to ask Tommy if his father was home the night Karly Vickers went missing. That was all I did.”

Franny’s eyes got big. “Does Vince think Peter Crane is a k-i-l-l-e-r?”

“You do realize most adults can spell, don’t you?” Anne said. “Spelling doesn’t prevent eavesdropping.”

“But they have to work harder at it,” Franny said loudly, squinting at the old ladies.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do, Franny.”

“Call Vince. He might not have an answer, but you can always screw his brains out.”

“Don’t try to distract me just yet,” Anne said, too familiar with his MO. “I have a real problem here.”

“But I don’t know how to help you, sweetheart,” he confessed. “I don’t want you involved in this mess at all.”

“Mr. Franny!”

One of Franny’s kindergartners came charging over to the table. A bright-eyed, adorable moppet with a head of curly brown hair.

Franny went instantly into kindergarten-teacher mode, making a face of wild surprise and slapping his hands against his cheeks. “Oh my gosh! It’s CASEY! How are you today? Are you having breakfast?”

“I already did. I had pancakes!” As evidenced by the syrup smeared on the face and fingers that grabbed hold of Franny’s hands.

“I’m having pancakes too!” Franny said.

The parents stopped by and exchanged pleasantries. As they left, Franny turned back to Anne, made a wacky face, and said, “Poop-in-the-sandbox kid. I’m going to go disinfect myself. And when I come back you’re going to get your mind off this for an hour, young lady. Drink up!”

Chapter 58

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