“I saw the news,” Ian said, his voice rushed. “That girl . . . and she was right there in your house, spending time with Jared. To think of that. Well, Detective Poole gave me the lowdown on the whole situation. They want to see if this man, this William Rose, had anything to do with Celia.”
Jenna heard the struggle for composure and control in Ian’s voice. She wondered if it was a mistake to call. They had a suspect now, a man with a name and a face they could try to tie to Celia’s disappearance. They’d gone so long with nothing, not a hint or a lead, that she wanted to view the identification of a potential suspect as something to be celebrated, even mildly. But how could anyone think to celebrate or feel good about news like that?
“It scares the hell out of me to be so close to these things,” Jenna said. “How did this end up being my life?”
“I don’t know.” His voice sounded distant and hollow, like a corn husk rustled by an autumn wind.
Jenna rushed to fill the silence before it settled between them forever. “I got invited to do an interview on TV tomorrow night. Reena Huffman’s show. I know she tried to get you on as well, but I told her no. She’s awful, and she’s been saying such horrible things about me.”
“I don’t blame you for that. You’ve been trying to be accommodating, to be loyal to Celia, but you don’t need to go on TV with that monster.”
“Are you sure, Ian? It might help.”
“No. Forget it.”
“It’s an opportunity to spread the word about Celia and Natalie. You know there’s a chance—”
She stopped herself. The words fell out of her mouth in a rush, so she slammed on her verbal brakes before she finished the sentence.
But Ian knew what she was going to say. He finished the thought for her. “There’s a better chance for this Natalie girl than for Celia. I get it. He’s her father. He’s kept her alive this long.”
“I’m sorry, Ian.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “You don’t have to go on there. When I first heard your voice today, I thought you were calling to talk me into going on.”
“I wasn’t going to try to talk you into anything. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with me saying no. I could go on and on about Celia, as you know. I could never run out of things to say about her, especially from when we were growing up.”
Ian grew silent. Jenna heard two deep breaths through the phone.
When Ian spoke again, his voice was phlegmy. “What I want everyone to know . . . I know what’s important.” He cleared his throat, once and then twice. “I know Celia was a very good mother. I hope everyone knows that about her. You know that, right?”
“I do.”
“I have to go, Jenna. I have someone coming by.”
He was off the phone before Jenna could apologize.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Jenna was walking in the front door of her house when her cell phone rang. She answered and heard the familiar voice of Sally. “Can I bend your ear for a moment?”
“Sure. I’m just getting home.”
When she came into the living room, the phone pressed to her ear, Jared appeared from his bedroom, an anxious look on his face. He started to speak but stopped when he saw she was talking to someone else.
“I just feel like we kind of gave each other the cold shoulder today,” Sally said. “I think that conversation last night at Haley’s didn’t go the way either one of us wanted.”
Jared lingered in the room, pacing back and forth with his hands swinging at his side. He looked like a hungry dog wanting to be fed.
“You’re looking out for me,” Jenna said. “I get it.”
“I am looking out for you. I know you’ve been through a lot these last few months. It’s really intense.”
Jenna went to her bedroom and kicked off her shoes. She sat on the bed, working her toes into the thick carpet. “I can take care of myself, you know? I’ve been doing it a long time.” As she spoke, she remembered all the other times Sally offered unsolicited advice and opinions. Jenna knew she was no one to throw stones considering her own tendency to verbally fire from the hip and ask questions later. It was part of the reason she liked Sally so much—they both spoke their minds to each other, consequences be damned. But she’d spent the day thinking of Ian, thinking of the way they’d reached each other as they talked. No, she hadn’t been close to Ian over the years, but weren’t the normal rules out the window with someone from high school? Growing up together was almost like sharing the same DNA. How much talking did it take to feel that rekindled connection?
“I suspect you snuck out to see him or call him today,” Sally said. “You weren’t in the office for your break.”
“Wow, you’re really keeping tabs on me.”