Carrie looked around her despondently. She'd had so much hope about what she'd find today. After all the years of not asking questions and not knowing the things all kids knew about their families, she'd thought she'd figured out a way to get some answers without her mother knowing about the betrayal. But there were no answers in the pages of the anthology. She didn't mean to slam the book when she closed it, but she did.

From across the room, the nice young librarian caught her eye and gave her an encouraging smile. He seemed to be saying it was too soon to give up. She looked at the pile of books and the two folders in front of her and sighed again. The librarian was right; she had to be patient. Her mother was always telling her that. She picked up the folder with her grandmother's name on it and began sifting through the clippings.

An hour later, she gave up. The magazine and newspaper articles were even less help than the anthology had been. She decided to go home early and make herself something to eat so she'd have an excuse not to have dinner at the shelter. As she picked up the two folders, a large manila envelope fell out of the one marked “Bobby Manning.” A stamp across the front of the envelope read, “Photograph, do not bend.” Carrie opened the envelope and took out a large photo wrapped in a sleeve of protective paper. On the bottom of the picture was a typed caption attached with Scotch tape. A handwritten note clipped to the top of the picture said, “Outtake for photo shoot for lead article in Fashionable Woman Today magazine. February 12, 1969. Page One. ”

Carrie pulled the picture out of its paper sleeve—and stared in disbelief. The picture wasn't another shot of Bobby Manning; this was a full-color photo of a glorious young girl with a mane of gleaming red-gold hair, and thick false lashes fringing her spectacular green eyes—eyes that Carrie knew well.

“Rose Manning has a fabulous jewelry collection, but she says she's proudest of the ring hubby Bobby gave her when they got engaged,” read the caption under the picture. And there was Carrie's mother posed in front of a white silk backdrop. She was wearing a sparkling white dress that was so short, her hair fell almost to the hem of it. Over one shoulder she'd tossed a fluffy white fur coat, and white high-heeled boots that came up to her knees completed the ensemble. She was looking at the camera with a pouty expression, and she was holding out her left hand to show off a massive diamond ring on her fourth finger. There was only one word to describe her pose—sexy.