Mary fell forward, bracing her hands against the console. The car sat there, nose down. A frozen turkey rolled out of its box and lodged in the space between the two bucket seats, tail pointed at the ceiling. Sarah’s eyes were wide as she held the steering wheel in a death grip.

Neither spoke for several moments. Then in a slightly breathless voice, Sarah asked, “Are you hurt?”

“No, are you?”

“I’m okay, but I think I broke three nails clutching the steering wheel.”

Mary couldn’t keep from smiling. Sarah had always been vain about her fingernails.

“Do you think we should try to climb out of the car?” Sarah murmured.

“I don’t know.”

“One of us should.”

“I will,” Mary offered. After all, Sarah would’ve been home by now if she hadn’t come back to help.

“No, I think I should,” Sarah said. “You must be freezing.”

“I’ve warmed up—some. Listen, I’ll go get Melody.”

“It’s at least a mile to the club.”

“I know how far it is,” Mary snapped. Sarah argued about everything.

“Why can’t you just accept my help?”

“I’m in your car, aren’t I?” She resisted the urge to remind Sarah that she hadn’t actually been much help. Now they were both stuck, a hundred feet from where she’d been stranded. The charity baskets were no closer to their destination, either.

“Maybe another car will come by.”

“Don’t count on it,” Mary told her.

“Why not?”

“Think about it. We’re in the middle of an ice storm. It’s Christmas Eve. Anyone with half a brain is home in front of a warm fireplace.”

“Oh. Yes.”

“I’ll walk to the club.”

“No,” Sarah insisted.

“Why not?”

Sarah didn’t say anything for a moment. “I don’t want to stay here alone,” she finally admitted.

Mary pondered that confession and realized she wouldn’t want to wait in the car by herself, either. “Okay,” she said. “We’ll both go.”

“Tell me what you found out about the tea service,” Thom said as they headed toward the freeway on-ramp.

“The Internet was great. Your secretary’s list was a big help, too. I scanned in the photograph you gave me and got an immediate hit with the man we’re going to see this morning.”

“Hey, you did well.”

“I have a good feeling about this.” Noelle’s voice rose with excitement.

Thom didn’t entirely share her enthusiasm. “I don’t think we should put too much stock in this,” he said cautiously.

“Why not?”

“Don’t forget, my mom and dad searched for years. It’s unrealistic to think we can locate a replacement after just one day.”

“But your parents didn’t have the Internet.”