“Tell Banks,” Cal said firmly when he let them out at their front door.

She sighed. “I don’t know how. I’ve kept it a secret for so long now that he’ll never trust me again if I tell him.”

“He’s going to know when we start shadowing Morris and looking for witnesses in the disappearance of your grandfather, Clancey,” he replied. “Our department’s cold case unit is going to assist him. You can’t hide it any longer.”

“I guess not. Okay. I’ll tell him.”

“His old flame’s back in town, I hear,” he remarked.

She nodded. She forced a smile. “She’s really nice. Her name’s Grace. I like her.”

He studied her for a minute and just shrugged. “Have a good night.”

“You, too. Thanks again, for everything.”

“Call me when you’re in the apartment and give me the address.”

“I’ll do that,” she lied.

He drove off. Clancey went inside with Tad, feeling empty as she looked around at bare tables and a lonely corner where the guitar had rested.

“It will be okay,” Tad said, hugging her. “We’ll be all right.”

“Of course we will,” she replied, with thorns stabbing her in the throat as she fought tears. It was hard to be the oldest person in her family. For the time being. Morris was older.

She sighed. “We have to go to the shelter. Make sure you’ve got all your books, everything else you need for school. Clothes and stuff.”

“I’ve already packed them in my duffel bag.”

“I’ve done the same. We’ll make one last look around and I’ll call the cab.”

He looked up at her sadly. “It’s been my home my whole life,” he said.

She hugged him close. “We’ll get another house when Morris is taken care of,” she promised.

“Okay.”

She locked up the door and put the key under the mat, where it had been kept when Morris was living at home. She and Tad would have no reason to come back here, maybe not for a long time.

She’d phoned the Martins and told them that she and Tad would be missing church for a couple of weeks, and she was sorry. She didn’t explain why. They told her not to worry—they could watch services on television temporarily. Mrs. Martin asked if there was anything they could do for her. She almost cried at that kind question. She said no and told them to call her if they needed anything. Then she and Tad got into the cab and had it take them to the nearby homeless shelter.