“What do you know about him? They think you know something about why he disappeared,” she said, finally admitting what the juvenile officer had implied. It was ridiculous, of course. It had to be. Isaac Wells had disappeared over a month ago, vanished without a trace. Whether it was foul play or by his own intention, no one knew what had happened to the elderly man. It was the biggest mystery Bittersweet had seen in years. Though Tiffany believed without a doubt that her son was innocent of any wrongdoing, she wanted to hear it from Stephen himself.

“I don’t know nothin’.”

“That’s what I said, but now someone, and I don’t know who, has come forward and said that he . . . well, or she, for that matter, saw you out at the Wells place on the day that Isaac disappeared.”

Stephen blanched and Tiffany’s heart seemed to fall through the floor. “Someone saw me?”

“That’s what she said.”

“Then they’re lyin’. I wasn’t near the place.”

“You’re sure?”

“Don’t you believe me?” he cried, licking his lips nervously, his eyes round with an unnamed fear.

She ached to trust him. “Of course I do, but—”

“But what?” Stephen interrupted.

“But it’s your word against this other person’s.”

“Whose?”

She turned her palms to the ceiling and wished her love was as blind as it had been a few seconds before. “I don’t know, really,” she said. “But you’ve had a fascination with that ranch for a long time.”

“Yeah. I liked old Isaac’s cars. That’s all. Come on, Mom, you don’t really think I had something to do with him up and leaving—or maybe even being killed?” Stephen asked, clearly astounded by her apparent lack of trust.

“Of course not. But I know you were there before.”

“For cryin’ out loud, Mom, I drove his old Chevy once. Yeah, I admit it, I did. But that’s all. It wasn’t like I was going to steal it or anything. I would never do anything like that.” His face was as pale as death. He swallowed so hard, his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I . . . mean, I didn’t—Oh, gosh, what’re you saying?”

“I know you didn’t hurt Mr. Wells, Stephen,” she said, instantly filled with remorse. “Oh, honey, I know you didn’t have anything to do with him disappearing, believe me.” She took hold of his arm only to have it ripped from her overly protective fingers. “But . . .” He was staring at her with the eyes she’d loved from the minute he was born and her heart hurt that she would have to broach such an awful topic. “Look, Stephen, I trust you and I love you, but I do want to know what you were doing there that day—the time you were caught by Mr. Wells. Then I want to know why you lied about it.”