Avery had not stopped by for two years. After the last time she had used, she had moved out, needing to tackle sobriety alone. She had found a sober house and focused on restarting her life. Jordan had hated it that Avery was not home, but Avery had insisted. In time, she had gotten the job at the café, saved her money, found a small room to rent, all the while staying clean.

As much as Jordan liked the idea that her sister was here, an alarm bell sounded. “Everything all right?”

Avery appeared around a corner with a dish towel in her hand. She wore loose athletic shorts, a Texas T-shirt, and her blond hair pulled up in a ponytail. “Can’t a sister visit a sister?”

“Yes, but . . .”

“Just needed a little grounding. Family time.”

To ask if this had anything to do with the Jane Doe cases risked chasing Avery off. “Fair enough. Where’s your car?”

“Lent it to a friend. He dropped me off here and said he’d bring it by in the morning.”

Sounded like a simple explanation, but Avery had lent her car out before to friends who needed a clean ride to pick up drugs. “Good to have you.”

“What are you doing home early? Has the world come to an end?”

“No. Got booted off a case, and the boss thought I needed a quiet afternoon to collect myself.”

Avery arched a brow. “Detective, did your temper show?”

“A little.”

Jordan removed her sidearm and locked it in the drawer of a handmade entrance table she had found in Fredericksburg a couple of years ago. “I come bearing food.”

Avery surveyed the bag, and her eyes filled with questions. “For you to shop there means it was a rough day. It’s crazy expensive. And you only treat yourself when times are tough.”

“I was asking questions about a missing girl at the Saloon and also Thompson’s Market and thought I’d buy dinner. The storekeeper gave it to me for free.”

“Who were you asking about?”

“Tammy Fox.”

“Seriously?”

“You know her?”

“Yeah. We went to meetings together. She’s also into art.”

“When’s the last time you saw her?” Jordan asked.

“Over a month.”

“What is she like?” Jordan asked.

“She was struggling the last time I saw her.”

“Struggling with sobriety?”

“That and making money. She left Thompson’s and took a job at the Saloon because it paid better. I didn’t think it was a good idea. Bars are too tempting on a lot of levels. She said it was only temporary, but it takes only a second to stumble.

“I can ask around, if you like. There’re people out there who won’t talk to you but will confide in me.”