“We’re not going to ignore everybody else. But the dogs haven’t picked up Emma’s scent anywhere else.”

“As irritated as I am that she lied to us, I can’t get past the fact that if she really was responsible for Emma’s disappearance and Emma was in her backyard, why didn’t she simply just tell us that Emma had been there once? I don’t know, make up something like she took the kids for a field trip and had to stop at home to check something and Emma got off the bus and wandered around the yard.”

A.L. shrugged. “I don’t know. Who knows why people say what they do?”

“Maybe she was just telling us the truth,” Rena said.

“But still, you’re going to Dover.”

“I have to. Too many ties to that area to ignore it. Maybe I’ll get lucky and run into Coyote Frogg.”

“Any day you can stumble over a meth addict is a good day,” A.L. said. “Keep in touch.”

“Before I go, I just have to ask. How did your conversation with Jacqui go?”

“How do you think it went?”

“I don’t know. I had this wild daydream that she threw herself at your feet and tearfully told you that ever since Tess came into the picture, she’s realized how much she loves you and that she must have you back.”

“That didn’t happen.”

“That’s it. That’s all I’m going to get. That didn’t happen.”

A.L. sighed. “I talked. She listened or pretended to listen. I’m never sure which.”

“What are you going to tell Tess?”

“Nothing. She asked me to handle it and I’ve done the best I can. What happens next is anybody’s guess.”

“I think you’re pretending that you’re not concerned but that is totally not true.”

“You have somewhere to go, right?” he asked.

“Send Tess some flowers. Everybody loves flowers.”

“Goodbye,” he said. Then he turned his attention to his computer.

Flowers, huh? Once he knew that Rena was out the door, he tapped a few keys, brought up the website of the Petal Poof, the little store on the main street. It was a step back in time looking at their information. Months ago, one of their employees, Jane Picus, had been a victim of the serial killer who had almost killed Tess.

He’d liked the people at Petal Poof. Thought they had nice flowers.

It was Saturday so they’d be open, just not yet. Probably at nine.

He walked back to the break room and filled his cup with what looked like industrial-strength coffee. He didn’t mind. The more caffeine, the better. When he got back to his desk, he reached for the list that Rena had been working on. He saw the two names of parents that she’d yet to reach.