“There’s a lot of stuff going on right now. I think Amanda just needed time to clear her head. She learned a lot of things pretty quickly, even some things about me she didn’t really know.”

“Are you the one who’s been giving money to that family? The girl who was hurt in the accident? They’re saying that on the news.”

“That’s part of it, okay? Yes, I have been doing that. And Amanda didn’t know about it.”

“Oh, my. I bet she’s angry. She can get her back up with the best of them when she’s pushed. But where is she now?”

“Karen, can you do me a favor? If Amanda calls or texts or comes by, will you have her call me right away? The police need to talk to her.”

“The police?” Her voice rose an octave. Louder and higher than the TV. “Ryan, Amanda didn’t do anything. She didn’t do anything at all, did she?”

“Are you sure she didn’t say where she was going today? Think hard. Even just the smallest hint about what she might have been doing.”

“She didn’t tell us anything, Ryan,” Karen said. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe she’s just clearing her head. I’d like to think that. Wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, I would. I’m trying to.”

But in the back of my mind, I thought of the threatening messages sent to Jennifer by someone. Amanda leaving the house without telling any of us where she was going.

“A couple of days ago, Karen, Amanda asked you to come over to the house to watch Henry while she went out. Do you remember that?”

“Sure. Of course.”

“Did she say where she was going that afternoon?”

“Let’s see. . . . She said she had an errand to run. She was gone about an hour. Maybe a little more. I thought maybe she went to the store, but she didn’t have any bags when she came back.”

“How did she seem?”

“Oh, frazzled. Like most young moms are. I think Henry was being difficult. You know, I wouldn’t have cared if she just wanted to go out and have a glass of wine with a friend. That would be okay with me. Maybe she did, although she didn’t seem any more relaxed when she came back than when she left. But she didn’t tell me anything.”

“I see. . . .”

From time to time, I lost sight of how smart my mother-in-law really was. While she could seem distracted and fuzzy as she grew older, she also managed to surprise me with pointed insights when I least expected them. That day looking for Amanda was no different. The most important things failed to get past her.

“That’s the day that girl was murdered, wasn’t it?” Karen said. “The day she asked me to come over to watch Henry.”

“Yes, it was.”