The Sweetest Thing by Barbara Freethy

Author:Barbara Freethy
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Barbara Freethy
Published: 2011-09-13T20:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Nancy didn't come to work that day. Instead she called in sick with a cold. Faith offered sympathy and hung up before Nancy could quiz her on the wedding. Despite her intention to end the pretense, she didn't want to do it over the phone or while Nancy was ill.

Instead, she took out her anger and frustration and bewilderment on every piece of rough dough she could find. She must have looked angry, because Pam and Leslie kept their distance most of the day. Jessie dropped in before lunch, but after a few minutes, left with a quick "See ya later."

By late afternoon, Faith was simply too tired to fight with herself or anyone else. She'd slept little the night before, reliving every moment with Alex, and she'd spent the entire day thinking about her conversation with Ben.

To hell with the both of them, she decided. In fact, she would have sworn off men entirely if Julian hadn't come into the bakery just before four with one last plea for help. If he hadn't looked so weary, so hopeless, she might have turned on him, too, but she couldn't do it.

Instead she sat down with a cup of coffee and asked him what he'd discovered.

Julian pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her. There was an address written down, but nothing else.

"What's this?" she asked.

"I spoke with the pastor at the church in Monterey. He called me back late last night. Unfortunately, Harry Conrad left their church in 1982."

"Oh, dear."

"But after Harry left their church, he went to a church in San Jose. I talked to a woman at that church this morning, who confirmed that Harry was the pastor there, but he died two years ago."

"And Suzannah?"

"She knew Suzannah had moved out of the area, but she wasn't sure where. She did, however, have an address for Harry's brother, Russell."

"That's great," Faith said, excitement stirring in her veins. It was unbelievable that they'd traced fifty years in just a few days. "Did you get a phone number?"

"The woman didn't even know if the address was still good. I checked the phone book, and there were lots of Conrads listed in San Jose, but none with the first name of Russell. I can't believe we've come so far only to be blocked now."

Faith patted him on the hand. "Don't despair. This is good news. San Jose is only an hour away."

"Do you really think this is good news?" Julian sent an uneasy look toward the door. "It's getting windier, Miss Faith. I don't like it."

Faith had to admit that the breeze had definitely picked up, but it was spring, and this corridor of downtown San Francisco was always a bit windy. "Let's not worry about the wind for now. I guess the best thing to do is to drive down to San Jose and see if anyone at this address knows Suzannah."

"Do you think it's worth the trip?"

"Definitely. This is our first real lead. I'm just glad Harry's brother lived in San Jose and not halfway across the country.

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