Part 26 (1/2)
Jill was suddenly tired of his research jargon. ”Not everything is a controlled experiment, Sam.”
”Then choose.”
”What?”
”Choose now. I can tell you, now, that I don't want to parent Abby, in any way, shape, or form.”
”She's missing, Sam. Can't we stay in the present?”
”Can't we plan, for the future?” Sam frowned, deeply. ”Think ahead to when she comes back, or you find her. Tell me how you're going to replace the father and mother she lost. Explain how you're going to sh.o.r.e up a troubled kid who's already tried to kill herself once. Choose, now. Last chance. Pick that family, or this one.”
”Why do I have to choose?” Jill asked, agonized.
”You just did,” Sam answered, turning away.
Chapter Forty-two.
Jill felt empty and hurting, disconnected, loosed from her moorings. But she had to make herself act, given that Abby was still missing. She changed quickly into comfy jeans, a sweater, and loafers, and went downstairs. She thought she should go back to the Philly police or touch base with Victoria, but she wasn't sure which to do first.
She went to the phone in the kitchen and pressed in Megan's number. The phone rang, and she sat down at the island, tugged the laptop over, and moved the mouse to wake it up. Her email server popped on the screen, and she scanned her email again to see if Rahul's results had come in, but they still hadn't.
”Mom?” Megan said, when the call connected. ”Why are you calling from the house phone?”
”My BlackBerry's broken.”
”Is that why you didn't get back to me? I called and texted, so don't get mad.”
Jill could hear the att.i.tude in her tone. ”So what's up? You guys having fun?”
”No, working on this dumb project. Did you find Abby?”
”Not yet, but don't worry about that. Did you eat?”
”Yes, Courtney's mom made lasagna.”
”Yum.” Jill's stomach growled. ”Wish I were there.”
”Sam said I could stay over, even though it's a school night.”
”I know, but let's make this the last time, okay?” Jill knew she had said the same thing, just yesterday or so.
”What's the big deal? We're working, Mom.”
”Don't be fresh. How will you get to school?”
”Carol can take me.”
”Since when do you call her Carol? Call her Mrs. Ariz.” Jill adored Courtney's mother, Carol, and they'd been friends since the girls made the club swim team, years ago. ”Be sure to thank her for me. She's doing a lot of the driving lately.”
”She doesn't mind.”
”Why don't I take you both to school, then she can pick up, since I can't?”
”She's fine with it, Mom.”
”Okay, but what are you going to do for clothes? I can bring you some fresh ones, then take you to school.”
”Mom, no.” Megan sighed, in an exaggerated way. ”I borrowed some from Courtney, and Sam brought me some, too. He was coming home early to pack for his trip, so he brought over my stuff.”
Jill rubbed her face, sick at heart. She couldn't imagine telling Megan that their engagement was off. ”I really wish you were home.”
”I'm fine here.”
Jill sighed. ”Goodnight, then. I love you.”
”Goodnight. Love you, too.”
”Fine, and don't forget-” Jill started to say, then the line went dead. She pressed END and called information for Victoria's phone number, because it was in her BlackBerry, now defunct. She waited for the call to connect, and while it rang, she logged onto whitepages.com and plugged in Nina D'Orive, then New York.
”Jill?” Victoria answered. ”Did Abby call you?”
”No, didn't she call you?”
”Oh, no.” Victoria still sounded remote, but distinctly worried. ”Now, this is really scary.”
”I agree. I'd have called your cell, but my BlackBerry's broken.” Jill read the laptop monitor, and the website had found three Nina D'Orives. She clicked on the first one, and it showed a Nina D'Orive at 335 Winding Way, Scarsdale, but her age was listed as sixty-seven. Jill eliminated her, surprised the website even gave ages. ”What happened last night, at Central Detectives?”
”Nothing. Neither Detective Reed or Detective Pitkowski were in, so we left a message to call me.”
”Did they?”
”No.”
”We have to go back there.”
”I'll go again, but what's new? Nothing.”
”Not exactly.” Jill had decided on the train that Victoria was old enough for the truth about her father. ”I did learn a thing or two in New York that might help them.”
”Like what?”
”It's a long story, and I'd rather tell you in person.” Jill clicked on the next Nina D'Orive, who lived at 701 Young Street, Albany, and she was forty-five. It was unlikely that William would be dating somebody who lived so far upstate, so she eliminated that one, too. ”Just meet me at Central Detectives, would you?”
”Sure. I'll leave now.”