Mariah Stewart - Cry Mercy

When Emme didn't immediately respond, Ava added, “Besides, I need a little moral support. I've never grilled a congressman before.”

“All right. I see your point. And I understand why you'd rather have someone with you, so yes, I'll be there. I should be able to get there by four if I leave now.”

“Super. Thanks, Miss Caldwell. I really appreciate it.”

Emme hung up the phone. She would have to leave within the next fifteen minutes. She slipped her feet back into the sandals she'd earlier kicked off and grabbed her bag and went directly to the kitchen.

“Trula,” she called, as she came through the swinging door from the back hallway.

“She ran to the store,” Susanna told her. “Are you joining me for lunch?”

“No, I have to run out for a few hours and I won't get back till later tonight. I was hoping to ask Trula if she'd pick up Chloe for me at school at five and let her hang out here until I get back.”

“One of us will get Chloe, and I'm sure Trula will be delighted to spend some time with her.”

Emme grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl Trula left on the counter for them and calculated how long she thought she'd be. If she left now and made good time, she could be there by four. She wouldn't stay more than an hour at the congressman's house-he made it pretty plain that he only has so much to say and when he's done, the conversation is over. She doubted he'd have much to say to Ava, so an hour would be generous. Traffic permitting, she shouldn't be too late. “I think I should be back between eight and nine. Chloe can curl up on one of the sofas in the family room if she gets sleepy.”

“That one never gets sleepy when she's around Trula, haven't you noticed that? The two of them are like peas and carrots, as Forrest Gump would say.”

“Tell Trula I'll give her a call when I'm on my way home.”

“Sure. Don't worry about Chloe. We'll take good care of her,” Susanna assured her.

“Thanks. I'll see you later, Suse.” Emme hurried out the back door and headed for her car. Nick's Firebird was parked right next to hers and she paused, thinking maybe she should leave a note for him. They'd talked about dinner tonight, and she didn't want him to think she was standing him up. She'd been looking forward to spending some time with him, but she knew he'd understand. She'd call him from the car and explain. Maybe he'd even wait for her.

She got into her car and took off. The last thing she felt like doing was driving to Ballard again, but if something happened to Ava while she was at Gardner's house, she'd never forgive herself. Besides, if Gardner had been lying to her, she wanted to know. Her instincts had told her he'd been truthful, but if she was losing her touch, she wanted to be the first to know about it.

Mallory rubbed her eyes and searched the pile of applications for her misplaced reading glasses. Had she had them on earlier when she went down to the kitchen? She couldn't remember. But they weren't on the desk and they weren't in her bag, and they had to be somewhere. Besides, it gave her an excuse to go down to the kitchen and see what was cooking. Literally. She'd bet on vegetable soup and lemon squares but she could be wrong.

“Oh, look who's here.” Mallory smiled when she saw Chloe on a chair at the sink. “Are you helping Trula, Chloe?”

“Uh-huh. I'm helping Trula clean up. But I'm not Chloe.”

“You aren't?”

Chloe shook her head, no.

“You look just like Chloe Caldwell, but if you're someone else, who are you?” Mallory asked.

“My name is Nancy Drew,” Chloe said without turning around.

“Nancy Drew is the name of a famous girl detective.” Mallory tried not to smile.

“I know. Like my mommy.”

“I think Nancy Drew was a little older than you, though.” Mallory helped herself to a lemon square and sat at the table.

“Trula told me. She's going to read one of the books for me ′cause I can't read yet.”

“Well, they're certainly fun books. I read them all when I was younger. Maybe not quite as young as four, though.”

“Chloe has very sophisticated tastes.” Trula winked at Mal.

“Nancy does,” Chloe corrected her. “Nancy has… what you said.”

“Oh, to be four again. It must be fun to just change your name whenever you feel like it.” Mal looked beyond the little girl to Trula.

“You don't have to be four,” Chloe told her. “Grown-ups can change their names, too. My mommy changed her name.”

“You mean, from Emily to Emme? That's sort of shortening her name, like a nickname.” Mallory licked confectioners' sugar from her fingers.

“No, her name wasn't Emily. It was Ann.” Chloe held up her soapy hands and squished them together.

“Ann Caldwell?” Mallory tried to remember if the application had shown Emily or Ann as a middle name.

“No, Ann Nolan.”

“Ann Nolan?” Mallory looked across the room at Trula, who'd turned to stare at Chloe.

“Uh-huh. She changed it before we left California. She liked Emme Caldwell better and she said that sometimes you can change your name if you want to, if you find one you like better. I change mine all the time.” She turned and grinned at Mallory. “So you could have a new name too, if you wanted.”

“I think I'll go upstairs and… think about that.” Mallory was still looking at Trula. “I'll be in my office… looking up names, Trula.”

Trula nodded but appeared too confused to speak.

Mallory couldn't get to her computer quickly enough. She entered Ann Nolan into Magellan Express and waited for the information to be retrieved. She watched in horror as pictures of Silver Hill, California, police officer Ann Nolan came onto her screen. The woman she knew-the woman they all knew-as Emme Caldwell was identified in caption after caption as Ann Nolan.

She read every article, then sat with her head in her hands. Who was this woman really? What was she hiding? Why had she lied?

And what were they going to do about it?

Well, you boys look like you had a fun day,” Trula said as Robert, Kevin, and Nick filed through the back door.

“We had a great day.” Robert kissed her on the cheek as he passed by, causing her eyebrows to rise. “I found my car, Trula. The car I've been coveting for years.”

“Well, that's nice.” Trula turned back to the sink where she'd been cutting the stems off some flowers she'd just brought in.

“Hi, Mal,” Robert said as Mallory came into the room.

“Hi. Um… Robert, could I have a word with you?” Mallory asked.

“Sure. What's up?” He went to the refrigerator and opened the door. To Nick and Kevin he said, “Iced tea, guys?”

“Yes, thanks.” Kevin got out glasses. “Nick?”

“No, thanks,” Nick said. All he really wanted was to see Emme.

“Privately.” Mallory stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest.

“What's going on, Mal? Problem?” Robert persisted.

“It's business, Robert.”

“Sorry, Mal,” Robert said as he poured tea into two glasses. “I'm just so stoked about this car. I'll be with you in a minute.” He turned to Trula. “You know, Prince Charles has a car like this one, only he had his converted to running on bioethanol fuel. He has it specially made from surplus wine.”

“Is that true?” Trula asked, and Robert assured her it was.

“I don't see Emme's car.” Nick looked out the back window, feeling a bit awkward. There was obviously something going on that Mallory didn't want to discuss in front of him. “Did she go somewhere?”

“Actually, you just missed her,” Trula told him. “She left about forty minutes ago.”

“Do you know how long she'll be?” he asked. “I was hoping to say hi while I was here.”