Crooked Little Lies by Barbara Taylor Sissel

Author:Barbara Taylor Sissel [Sissel, Barbara Taylor]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2015-07-31T23:00:00+00:00

16

How well do you know her?” Sheriff Audi watched Lauren follow Jeff down Prescott.

“We only met today. She reminds me of my mother,” Annie added after a beat. She was still disconcerted by the resemblance, the way it had seemed to loosen her tongue, making her confide things about herself and her life that she’d ordinarily never admit to anyone, least of all a stranger.

“They do favor each other,” the sheriff said.

Annie looked at him. “You knew my mom?”

“She came to see me a few times. She was concerned about your brother and asked if we would keep an eye out for him.”

Annie wasn’t surprised. Her mother had solicited help with Bo from so many people, including Annie, and in the end, they’d all failed him.

“Sometimes even when you do the best you can, it’s not good enough.”

Annie looked at Sheriff Audi and wondered if he was reading her mind. Or maybe he was thinking of his own failures. “What about the dog Lauren saw in the car with Bo?” she asked. “Couldn’t the vets around town be contacted to see if any of them recognize the description? They might even know the woman or the car.”

“Might be worth a shot,” the sheriff said, but without conviction.

If pressed, he’d talk about his limited resources. He would say as much as he might wish it, Lincoln County didn’t have the big-city manpower of, say, Harris or Dallas or Tarrant County. He would reassure Annie he was doing his best. How many times had she heard him spout the party line on the local news and never paid attention because it hadn’t concerned her.

But there was nothing to prevent her from contacting the local vets with a description of the dog, was there?

“Doesn’t seem like her memory is too good.” The sheriff was looking out at the street, in the direction that Lauren had disappeared.

“She told me she fell and sustained a bad head injury. She still feels kind of disabled, I think.” Even as Annie said this, it didn’t jibe. Lauren had seemed so pragmatic and steady, so down to earth—so like Annie’s memory of her mom. But the Lauren who had dropped to her knees to grope through the contents of her purse for keys to a vehicle she hadn’t known she’d driven had been tenuous and frightened. Unbalanced. The word appeared in Annie’s mind. Like Bo could be, Annie thought, but not in the same way.

The sheriff said he knew about the accident. “It’s a crazy business she and her husband are in, taking down those old buildings. Anything can happen.” He started for the door.

Annie caught his elbow. “What about the dog?”

“I don’t know as I’d put a lot of stock in anything Mrs. Wilder said, Annie, you know?”

“But she described the woman to a T. It’s the same description Cooper gave.”

“He didn’t report seeing a dog.”

“No, but maybe he forgot, too, or the dog could have been lying down.”

“I’ll look into it, okay?”

“Fine,” Annie said, and she smiled as if she believed him, as if she didn’t recognize the dismissal in his eyes.

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