Riley looked at her and Olive had this idea then that her aunt had X-ray eyes, could see just where the necklace was. It seemed to give a warm pulse against her skin, a pulse that her aunt might be able to somehow detect. But that was impossible.

“Mike also says you went to see Dicky Barns because you heard your mom might have been going to his spirit circles?”

“Yeah, I went to the hotel and it was way creepy. I heard Mama might have gone there, but Dicky said she never came to any of his séances or whatever they are. That the only time he ever saw her was at the store when Mama was working.”

Riley looked at Olive across the table. “You believe him?”

Olive thought about what she’d heard Dicky say on the phone, her plans to go back there on Sunday. She couldn’t tell Riley. No way would Riley let her go.

“Yeah, I believe him,” Olive said, shrugging. “And being in there, talking to Dicky, I’ve gotta say I can’t imagine Mama ever being part of that place. She and Daddy always made fun of Dicky. I think she was looking for the treasure, and trying to find out about Hattie, but no way was she going to Dicky Barns and his ghost club for clues.”

Riley nodded. “Yeah, I agree. Your mom doesn’t think much of Dicky. I can’t really imagine her going there either.”

Olive picked up her fork and went back to her pancakes.

“Have you shown the necklace to anyone else?” Riley asked.

“No.”

“So your dad doesn’t know you found it?”

“Uh-uh,” Olive said around a mouthful of pancakes. She swallowed, had a glug of coffee. “Mike thought I should show him—Mike also thought maybe I should take it to the police. Like it might be a clue or something. But like I said, he tends to get all panicky and overexaggerate stuff.”

Riley was quiet a minute.

“Do you think I should bring it to the police?” Olive asked, setting her fork down again. “Just to see what they think? I mean, it’s not like my dad ever filed a missing person’s report or anything like that.”

“I think…” Riley paused a second. “I think that we should wait. See what we can figure out on our own first. Bringing the police in, having them asking questions, bringing up all the boyfriend stuff—think what that would do to your dad.”

“Riley, what if Mama didn’t run off with some guy? What if something else happened to her?”

“Sweetie,” Riley said, giving Olive that familiar look of pity she so hated. “I think there’s still a good chance that your mom really did run off with a boyfriend. Sometimes the simplest, most obvious explanation is the right one.”