“We have dinner, sit around their pool. Lena taught me to bake. Michael and Brady built a tiered garden thing. They’ve been running it around the fence, and they’re making changes to the sprinkler system. Hacking it, they say. That’s why Brady came over last night, like I said. They got the sprinklers on the first raised bed so they looked like a fountain.”

Grace gave up on her fist and squawked again.

The detective made a noncommittal hmm. “And when was the last time you saw Mrs. Voss?”

I reached down and guided Grace’s fingers toward her mouth, but she arched away and let out another cry. She wasn’t going to put up with this much longer, and I wasn’t sure I could either. “Lena? Wednesday. She was going to see her aunt in Texarkana. She’s supposed to be back next week.”

“Have you heard from her since she left?”

“She texted me a couple of times.” I reached for my phone, but Alondra put her hand on my arm, and I stopped, as I remembered I didn’t have it anyway. Was she worried that something on my phone could be used against Michael? “I think the last time was yesterday morning.”

Detective Clark addressed Alondra. “We’ll need to see those texts.”

“We’ll review your request after the interview.” Alondra’s voice was cool.

“Who told you about Lena’s trip?” Detective Clark shuffled some papers, as if she had all the answers written down and I was getting everything wrong. Then another thought sent shards of ice into my heart. Was Lena okay? Maybe Brady had sent those texts. If I weren’t in this room, I’d call her. I desperately wanted to hear her voice.

“Lena told me. She’s okay, right? Have you talked to her?” Grace’s cries were coming faster now, scraping me to the bone. I bent down and unsnapped her from the carrier, lifting her to my shoulder, where she nestled into my neck.

“Had she mentioned this aunt before?”

“Yes, she had. Her aunt practically raised her.”

Detective Clark made some notes on the papers in front of her. Then she said, “Can you think of anywhere else Lena might have gone? Any places that were special to her? Any friends or other family she might have visited?”