“I was wondering if you’re getting closer to catching Loften.”

“We’ve got a lot of people working on it.”

“Any idea where he might be?”

“He could be anywhere, but we believe he’s trying to get out of Florida.”

“I see. Well, okay.”

“Is that it, Lisa? Was there anything else?”

She hesitated. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

A moment passed between them. “No, I’m just a little anxious. Sorry to bother you.”

“No need to apologize. We’ll call you with any updates. Okay?”

“Okay, thanks.”

She dropped her phone in her lap and thrust her face into her hands, feeling helpless and fighting tears.

Joy. I could talk to Joy.

She seized her phone and began texting her sister in Cleveland when she remembered that Joy had told her that she was going to a movie tonight with friends from her book club.

Lisa abandoned the text.

She went to the kitchen for a glass of wine to calm her nerves. At the window she glanced outside. The evening light shimmered on the pool as she looked across the backyard to the Dillards’ house. The lights were on. Someone was moving around inside.

I could talk to Roland.

Lisa texted him.

When she didn’t get a response for a few minutes, Lisa called him and it rang through to his voice mail.

But they’re home. I saw someone moving around inside.

With Jeff out there looking for Vida, Lisa felt a measure of urgency, enough to fuel her need to see Dillard. She collected her phone, rearmed her home-security system, locked up and left.

A few minutes later, she walked up to the Dillards’ door and rang the bell. She waited. No one responded.

She rang the bell again and waited.

Nothing.

What’s going on?

Lisa drew her face to the nearest window. The lights were on. She couldn’t see anyone. She turned away, but before she left, she was struck by the thought that something could be wrong.

Navigating the tall shrubs in the flower bed at the front of the house, she came to another window, the one that opened to Nell’s tranquil room. Carefully, Lisa inched her way to the edge of the window, peered inside and caught her breath.

Nell was in her chair, rocking back and forth, rhythmically as if she were in some kind of trance. Her face was lifted to the ceiling, her eyes closed. Her arms were wrapped around a huge black Bible as she rocked away.

On the table next to her was a handgun.

This is no time to disturb her, Lisa thought, swallowing and backing away, nearly screaming when a palm frond slapped against her face. Brushing it away, she started for home in the darkness, trying to make sense of what she’d seen, while wondering why the Dillards’ security lights and alarm hadn’t gone off.

Lisa hurried to her house, all of her fears pursuing her.