If there was one thing Josie could say about her mother, she was punctual, preferably ten minutes early to any function. Josie preferred to walk in on time so she could avoid the inevitable small talk that came with early arrival.
After they parked, her mother chattered all the way through the parking lot and down the stairs to the large fellowship area and kitchen. At least fifty women were sitting in metal folding chairs around a dozen tables, smiling and talking amicably. Josie spotted two empty chairs, side by side near the middle of the room, so she and her mother wove their way through and took a seat, smiling at the women across from them.
Her mother put her hand out to the woman sitting on her left and introduced herself as Josie nodded and smiled to the vaguely familiar-looking woman on her right. Then she glanced across the table to find Melissa Chang looking awkwardly away, like she was searching for someone in the crowd. Josie had tangled with her about a year ago when the twenty-something-year-old woman had called the police to report a tree down in the middle of the road. Josie had driven right over and found a limb that she easily dragged off to the side of the road. Melissa still hadn’t left her car, and Josie had asked her why she hadn’t moved it herself.
Melissa had looked at Josie, obviously shocked by the question. “I’m wearing my work clothes! That’s why we have city employees. My taxpayer dollars pay your salary so you can take care of these issues. I did my civic duty.”
“Your taxpayer dollars pay employees to take care of things that other citizens can’t take care of. Your civic duty would have been to get out of the car and move the tree branch yourself.”
The altercation ended in a summons to Mayor Moss’s office and an official reprimand in her employee file. Now here the woman sat in front of her, looking everywhere but directly across the table in Josie’s direction. This was exactly the reason she hated public functions.
Fortunately, Caroline Moss was introduced a few minutes later. In a form-fitting little black dress that showed her curves without being inappropriate for a church setting, she graciously accepted the room’s applause. Tasteful gold jewelry glinted off her neck and ears and wrists, and her blond hair fell softly around her shoulders as she thanked the “fine women of Arroyo County” for coming.
Caroline talked for the next thirty minutes about the “good works” taking place in Artemis and Arroyo County, much of which was being conducted by women “just like you,” she said to a rousing round of applause. Josie smiled and clapped and wished she could text Marta to see how the doctor’s visit was going with Isabella.
“She’s not much of a speaker, is she?” her mom whispered into her ear.
Josie turned and glared at her mom. “Wait till we’re in the car.”
“I’m just saying. She needs some humor or something. I’m about ready to nod off.”
Josie wondered if this was her future: sitting through interminable mother-daughter banquets with a mother who’d lost her filter.
Caroline then introduced half a dozen speakers, each of whom conducted charitable works through her umbrella group, Arroyo County Missions and Outreach. Supper was finally served and another round of speakers took the podium, this time people who had received funding of some kind from the group. By the time Josie had eaten her chocolate cake, she’d decided on a plan to keep the evening from being a total washout.
*
When Marta arrived at the trauma center at six o’clock, Dr. Brazen had already been meeting with Isabella for over thirty minutes. When he was done, the nurse led them to the staff lounge for a quiet place to discuss the case.
“How is she?” Marta asked.
“She’s come a long way in two days, given she has no family or friends here.”
“I realize you’re limited on what information you can provide me in terms of her recovery. But we’re desperate to get information on the two men that transported her. A woman was murdered and we discovered three other women are missing. And every day that passes makes it more difficult to catch the killer.”
He nodded once, his face in a deep frown. “What do you need from me?”
“Your professional opinion and your presence.” Marta held up the photograph lineup Otto had given her, which included photos of Josh Mooney and Ryan Needleman. “We believe we have photos of the two men that drove the women from Guatemala. We believe at least one of the men raped the woman who was killed, and possibly Isabella. We haven’t asked her that question yet, but it’s important information for us to move forward with the case.”
“Would you like to ask the questions with me present in the room?”
Marta sighed with relief. “I would. I feel very uncomfortable asking these hard questions, considering her state of mind.”