“A week ago I might not have,” she said. “But this whole thing with Emma has me second-guessing everything. How the hell does a five-year-old just disappear?”

“We share your frustration,” said Rena. “We’re continuing to follow every lead, which has brought us back to your door.”

“Okay.”

“On Thursday, when we were here, you said that one of the reasons a teacher might leave the room is to make or receive a phone call. Specifically, you said that you thought Kara was buying a new house because you thought she was talking to her banker or her lawyer.”

Claire said nothing.

“Did Kara tell you that she was buying a new house?” A.L. asked.

“No.”

“Perhaps refinancing a house?” A.L. followed up.

“No.”

Rena leaned forward in her chair. “Did those conversations occur in the classroom?”

“No.”

Claire was clearly uncomfortable and that was making the back of A.L.’s neck itch. “We need a little help here, Claire. Why did you think she was talking to her banker or her lawyer?”

“I’m reluctant to say,” Claire said.

Now his neck was not only itchy, it felt hot. But he told himself not to push, that Claire would come to the right decision on her own. Rena settled back against her chair, as if she, too, was prepared to wait as long as it took.

“I really like Kara and I know she didn’t have anything to do with Emma’s disappearance. She was in the classroom when it happened. And then I taught with her all day. And I would have known if something was wrong. But there wasn’t. She was fine. We were all fine until we heard the news.”

A.L. and Rena said nothing. It was so quiet in the little house that they could hear the pump in the fish tank in the corner of the room.

“Twice when her phone rang, I saw the name of the caller flash across the screen before she answered it. I recognized the name.”

“Who was it?” A.L. asked.

“Steven Hanzel. He’s a loan officer at the Baywood Bank.”

Neither Rena nor A.L. indicated that they already knew the man. “How is it that you know Mr. Hanzel?” Rena asked.

“His kids come to the learning center. And his ex-wife goes to the same place I do for yoga. She’s told me a few things about...their marriage. Both before and after the divorce.”

“So not great things,” Rena said. “But yet, you chose to believe that any reason Steven Hanzel was calling Kara had to be business-related and not personal?”

A.L. was grateful that Rena had asked the hard question. He wasn’t sure how he’d have phrased it and she’d done a good job.