Chapter 6: The Search

Mason searched my room out loud, because I had asked him to.

"Top drawer," he said, from the middle of the carpet. "Socks. Three pairs. One has a hole."

"Two," I said. "One was a gift."

"Two pairs with holes."

The whole household stood in the doorway.

Constance had her hand on her own pearls, which were not missing.

Godfrey stood behind her, looking at the ceiling.

Lydia held the empty velvet case against her chest.

"I just want to find them," she whispered. "They were Grandma's."

[Emotional pressure detected. Expected response: anger, then a defense that sounds guilty.]

"Of course," I said. "Mason, please keep going."

"Second drawer," Mason said. His ears had gone pink. "Underthings."

"Say what kind."

He closed his eyes briefly. "Cotton."

"Thank you."

"No necklace," he said, and shut the drawer with one finger.

Constance's voice was very gentle. "Emme, dear. The bag."

I took the green tote off the hook and held it out.

"Please," I said. "Everyone sees."

Constance put on her reading glasses and took it from me.

She set it on the dresser and opened it with two fingers.

The first thing out was a roll of receipts.

"Thirty-one receipts," Constance said, reading the top one. "Tissues. Four cents."

Somebody coughed.

The second thing was a peanut butter sandwich, wrapped in a napkin.

"I made that last night," I said. "I was hungry. That's the whole story."

Constance's face stayed perfectly polite, and she put the sandwich back, very slowly.

The third thing was a small laminated card.

It was folded once down the middle, and it had gone soft at the corner.

Constance unfolded it.

It was the funeral card for my mother, Marcy Tanner.

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