Fat…Overeaters Anonymous. All made sense. Marge was hoping for that tiny off-chance that maybe Marie stashed the baby with a friend before she did her kamikaze over the cliff. If Marie was the one who actually took the baby.

“Well, Lita, you’ve been a big help.”

“I have?”

“Yeah, giving me your insight into your daughter.” Marge stood. “Can I talk to you again if I need to?”

“’Course.” Lita finished her ice cream off by scraping the bowl with her spoon and started on Marge’s bowl. “You can come anytime. Just bring some ice cream with you…or pudding. The four-packs. Get chocolate or butterscotch.” The old lady flashed a toothless grin. “Or both.”

“You got it, Lita.”

Marge turned to walk away.

“Oh, Detective.”

“Yes?”

“One thing.”

“What?”

“About Sondra Roberts. That was her official nametag name. Most of us here called her Tandy.”

20

Leek had gone on break by the time Marge completed the interview. In his place at the front desk was a middle-aged black woman in a white uniform. Her name was Sarah, and she had worked at the home for four years.

“Sondra Roberts…” the woman said to herself. “You mean Tandy, don’t you? Sure I remember Tandy. A nice girl, but kind of sad.” Sarah shook her head. “She was very heavy and shy. She also had a terrible crush on Leek. Needless to say, the feeling wasn’t reciprocated.”

“That’s what Lita Bellson told me.”

“Lita told you that?” Sarah laughed. “Gracious, they are observant—see and hear it all.”

“I heard Tandy quit because of problems with her license.”

“Really?”

“You heard different?”

“I thought it was just cutbacks. They let go of a dozen people at once. Had us all a little worried. Excuse me.” Sarah picked up the phone. “Golden Valley…yes, Mrs. Louden, how are you?”

Marge waited until Sarah was done with the phone call, then said, “I’d like to talk to someone in the personnel department. Can you ring anyone up for me?”

“Certainly.” Sarah punched in numbers on the intercom system. “Grace will come get you in a moment.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Detective.”

“Do you like working here, Sarah?”

“It’s one of the best.”

“Seems like an upbeat place.”

“Compared to others, Detective, it’s Disneyland.”

“Other nurses feel the same way?”

“I think so.”

“How about Leek?”

“He doesn’t complain.”

“Lita told me he had independent wealth.”

Sarah let out a deep chuckle. “Detective, if you had independent wealth, would you be working at a place like this…even if it was one of the best?”

Marge smiled. “Wonder where Lita came up with that one?”

“Lita’s prone to fantasy, Detective. Not just Lita, most of them. And why not! At their age, they don’t like their lives, they just make up new ones. Like kids telling stories. Ah, here’s Grace. Grace, Detective Dunn.”