Page 69 of Hometown Girl

“Snooping.”

“Is this the little girl’s room?”

“Yeah, look.” She handed her the photograph.

Molly studied it with sad eyes. “She was beautiful. Who’s the boy?”

Beth shrugged. “Not sure.” Had the photo been special to Jess? Had she carefully placed these items in the box for safekeeping?

“They look so innocent.” Molly plopped down on the bed and took the rock from the little box. “It’s a heart.” She held it up.

“I saw.”

“She would’ve been around our age.”

Beth remembered thinking the same thing all those years ago when the girl had disappeared. She’d known every other kid in town except Jess Pendergast. No one had known her. She’d been homeschooled and spent all her time on the farm. When the Whitakers visited Fairwind, she would see the little girl running around in the yard, often on the perimeter, keeping her distance from all the visitors. Did they felt like intruders to Jess? Was she a fan of seclusion, or did she enjoy the company? Did she take to the shadows and make up stories about the families that descended on her home?

In all the time they’d visited Fairwind, many weekends for several years, Beth had never spoken to Jess. She regretted that now.

“I could ask Bishop.” Molly carefully put the rock back in the box.

“Ask him what?” Beth asked.

“If he’d let us see the case file.”

Beth took the box from her sister. “I don’t even think that’s legal.”

“Couldn’t hurt to ask.”

“To what end?” Beth turned the friendship bracelet between her fingers.

Molly sat down on the bed. “To figure out what happened to her.”

“Molly, the case went cold. If the police and detectives and her own father couldn’t figure it out, what chance do we have twenty years later?”

“No one ever found her, Beth. What if she’s still alive? Can you imagine your only child being taken right out from under your nose and never knowing by who or why?”

Beth shook her head. “No. I can’t. But this is a job for someone else. Someone who doesn’t have an entire farm to restore.”

“I just want to look at the case. I want to know what happened on our property all those years ago. Tell me you’re not curious.”

“Molly. Let it go.” But one look at Molly, and Beth knew her sister had already decided exactly what she was going to do. Beth sighed. “I’m not going to be able to change your mind on this, am I?”

“Nope. I’ll check the public record, but Bishop might have access to the case that we don’t.”

“This is a bad idea.”

“Your position has been duly noted.” Molly started for the door. “Oh, and Beth?”

Beth glanced up.

“We got a dog.”

Chapter Nineteen

Monday morning, the beginning of their fourth week of work, Beth sat in her car in the parking lot of Willow Grove Community Bank, replaying the meeting she’d just had with Linda Dorset, the loan officer she’d been working with for years.

A loan officer who knew her personally as well as professionally—Whitaker Mowers did a lot of business with the bank. Why, then, had Linda chosen now as the time to get stingy?

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