They crossed the parking lot to Edge’s new black pickup, and both of them climbed in. Following Siri’s directions, he drove south on I-25. The seventy-mile trip took them to the address Zoe had given him in the 2600 block of East Yampa, an older area of small, wood-frame houses, many of them in rough condition.

The paint was peeling on Mrs. Beekman’s dilapidated dwelling, the asphalt roof tiles missing in several places. A broken-down sofa sat on the covered front porch, springs protruding and stuffing coming out. A junk car on blocks rested in front of a detached garage that leaned precariously sideways.

“Doesn’t look like Rollie comes around very often,” Skye said.

“If he does, he’s not much of a handyman.”

Edge drove past the house, turned at the corner, and continued down the alley. It was overgrown with weeds, the fences along the lane falling down in places. He circled back to East Yampa, stopped at the end of the block and turned off the engine.

Skye reached for the door handle, but Edge caught her arm. “Let’s watch for a while, see who comes and goes.”

But half an hour later, only the mailman had approached the shabby white house. An older, heavyset woman in baggy jeans and a printed blouse had opened the door and taken the mail. She nodded her thanks, and the mailman walked away.

“You think Rollie stays in touch with his mother?” Skye asked.

“According to Zoe, he’s an only child. From his mug shot, he looks more like a transient than a mama’s boy, but you never know. At the moment, she’s all we’ve got.” He flicked her a glance. “Be better if she doesn’t know who we are.”

Skye nodded. They waited another half hour. When no one else appeared, they got out of the truck and walked down the block to the front door. Edge knocked, then stepped back out of the way to let Skye do the talking.

The door swung open, but the screen stayed in place. “May I help you?”

“Mrs. Beekman?” Skye asked.

“Yes . . . ?”

Skye smiled. “I’m Carol, and this is Mark. We’re friends of Rollie’s. He asked us to stop by and say hello while we were in town, make sure you’re okay.”

The woman’s plump lips spread into a wide, bright smile. “Well, that’s very nice of you. Rollie is always so thoughtful. Tell him I’m fine. I got the money he sent. It wasn’t expected, but it’s always appreciated.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him,” Skye said.

Edge moved out of the shadows. “Rollie asked us to find out if there’s anything you need, but the two of you probably stay in touch.”