“Who else had access to the manuscripts?” Sean asked. He continued before I could respond. “Obviously Mrs. Cartwright and Mrs. Marter did. Anyone else?”

“The agent might have,” I said. “She’s unaccounted for, but why would a reputable agent do something like that? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Unless the person who did it wasn’t bright enough to consider all the angles.” Sean laughed. “That’s why a lot of criminals get caught. They’re not all that smart to begin with, and they do dumb things all the time.”

“The whole thing looks pretty silly to me.”

Sean’s cell phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen. “Kanesha. I’ll put it on speaker.” He punched a button.

Kanesha didn’t wait for the customary greeting. “So what’s this about a missing agent?”

“My father is with me,” Sean said. “I’m going to let him tell you what he knows.” He pushed the phone to the middle of the table between us.

I gave the deputy a rundown of the few facts that I knew.

“What is her name again?” Kanesha asked.

“Yancy Thigpen,” I said. “She works in New York City.”

“My client said he expected Ms. Thigpen to be present at the meeting he had with Mrs. Cartwright and Mrs. Marter earlier today. He was puzzled by her absence, and after talking with my father, I have to agree. It is odd that she wasn’t there.”

“She might be stuck out on a country road somewhere, lost and out of gas.” Kanesha sounded weary. “Cell phone reception isn’t always that good in those areas either.” She paused. “Or she could be in a hotel room in Memphis. I’ll put out the word to be on the lookout for her. I’m sure she’ll turn up before long.”

“I sincerely hope so.” Maybe my imagination was going into overdrive, but I felt uneasy about this situation. I couldn’t help thinking there was a sinister aspect to the young woman’s nonappearance.

“In the meantime, if you hear anything further, let me know.” Kanesha ended the call.

“Nothing more we can do at the moment.” Sean yawned and stuck his cell phone in his pocket. “I don’t know about you, Dad, but I’m ready for bed. I’ve got a long day ahead of me tomorrow, thanks to my new client.” He pushed back his chair and stood.

“You go on up,” I said. “I’m going back to bed as soon as I double-check that the doors are locked.”

The back door in the kitchen was secure, as was the front door. I headed down the hall to the back porch door. On impulse I went out on to the porch and looked out at the backyard. The illumination from the streetlights penetrated only dimly here, and clouds obscured the stars. I stood for a few minutes, listening to the quiet of the neighborhood around me.