“Was Crissy on any medication, Suze?” I asked. If anyone knew what Crissy was taking these days, it was her. “Any recent injuries she needed painkillers for?”

Suze shook her head. “Not that I know of.”

“I don’t get it,” I said. “All those years without using, and now this? Crissy never had a problem with opioids, did she?”

Before Felicia or Suze could answer, Robbie said, “Drugs are drugs. In a negative emotional state, if they’re desperate enough, an addict will take whatever they can get. The woman just lost her father for the second time. If anything was going to steer her off course, it’s this.”

I met his sad gaze, and held it. “I’m sure you’re right,” I said. “Hey, is your mother at home?”

“Sure. She’s watching Erynn so we can be here.” Robbie reached for his wife’s hand.

“I’m going to Swanton,” I said. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Seriously?” said Doug. “Now?”

Every neck twisted in my direction. They would think me heartless if I left, an ice queen of an investigator who sees cases in terms of losses and wins with no regard for human life. Already, I felt their expectations collapsing. Too late now. “Loming’s in custody, but he hasn’t been charged. It’s going to take some effort to build a case against him after all these years. If Crissy did this because of the stress caused by Brett’s death and this case, I can’t just sit here doing nothing. I want to help the local police in whatever way I can.”

“You won’t get anywhere with my mother.” Robbie’s tone was apologetic. “She knows less about the night Brett went missing than anyone.”

“You might be right, but I have to try.” I shook my head. “I just can’t believe Crissy would do this.”

“Ah,” my dad said, “but she did, poppet.”

Felicia and I locked eyes, and hers began to fill with tears.

Maybe, I thought.

Then again, maybe not.

THIRTY-FIVE

You’re really racking up the miles,” Tim said with undisguised awe when I called him from the hospital parking lot. “Isn’t your car on a lease?”

“Just listen,” I said, and explained what I needed him to do. He didn’t say a word about last night, or cross-examine me about my missed evaluation, and for that I was grateful.

Erynn was napping when I arrived at Cheryl Copely’s house. I’d interrupted her lunch, but she didn’t seem to mind the company, so I sat with her while she ate a spinach salad and the vestiges of Erynn’s neon orange boxed mac and cheese.

“I’m sorry about your cousin,” she said. Suze had filled her in on what had happened when she’d asked Cheryl to babysit. I explained it was too soon to tell how Crissy would fare. While her stomach had been pumped, there was always the risk of long-term side effects. Upon hearing that, Cheryl lowered her eyes, and I knew she was thinking about Crissy’s boys, just a few years older than Erynn.