The Real Allie Newman. Janice Carter

the trees as he watched the van stop in front of a two-story limestone farmhouse with a couple of sheds out back. A big golden retriever bounded out the front door as soon as it was opened; good to know about the dog, Joel thought, in case he had to return here at night, which was unlikely.

      The Newman girl—Allie, short for Alyse, his notes had stated—got out to help the woman called Susan into the house. Joel remembered her saying she’d go back to the store to close up and decided to give her fifteen minutes. If she didn’t reappear by then, he’d have to do it here and he didn’t really want to, not with the other woman present. He checked his watch and leaned against the soft leather of the seat’s headrest.

      The Cadillac was a great car and he loved driving it. The monotony of his journey all the way from Michigan had been greatly diminished by the luxury of the car and its terrific sound system. Too bad it wasn’t his, he thought, sighing at the realization that he would never own a car like this one as long as he was making child-support payments. Hey, buddy, are you saying you’d rather have a car than your kid? No? So quit complaining.

      He didn’t have to wait fifteen minutes. She was out the door in less than ten, revving up the van like a Harley-Davidson and reversing down the drive with scarcely a backward glance. Maybe a tad too accustomed to lack of traffic in the area, Joel figured, making a mental note of that last fact. He had just gotten the Caddie back onto the road when she passed him. He drove another fifty feet before making a sharp U-turn and followed her dust into town.

      She didn’t bother parking in the lot this time, finding a spot on the west side of Princess across from the store. Luckily he noticed a car pulling out just ahead of him, also on the west side, and was angling into the space when she jumped from the van to dash across the street.

      Joel switched off the engine and waited. The sign on the door of the health-food store had posted a closing time of six, and it was about forty-five minutes to that now. If his lucky streak continued, the other woman would leave first. Then he’d have the Newman girl to himself. He got out of the car and leaned against it, ready to dodge the traffic when the moment was right.

      Unexpectedly he felt a twinge of guilt about what he was about to do. Chastising himself, he was reminded that Allie Newman wasn’t the first pretty girl whose dreams he’d shattered. Or whose life he’d changed irrevocably. And likely she wouldn’t be the last. Joel couldn’t figure out why he felt so down about the whole thing all of a sudden. Perhaps he was getting too old for this business. Certainly he’d lost his taste for the thrill of the hunt.

      On the dot of six the front door opened and closed again behind the woman who had come into the store when Joel was talking to Allie, waving a goodbye as she left. Joel was across the street and inside the store, flipping the Open sign over to read Closed before Allie had a chance to lock up.

      She was standing behind the counter totaling what looked like the day’s receipts, and her head shot up at the sound of the door. Her big hazel eyes widened in recognition. And something else, he thought. Puzzlement? Or fear?

      “Uh, we’re closed,” she said. “Sorry. Can you come back in the morning?”

      Joel didn’t say anything, just turned to bolt the door behind him.

      “I said we’re closed,” she repeated, her voice a bit higher now.

      Definitely fear. But well-contained, Joel thought, noticing the way she kept her hand poised above the cash register while her other hand fumbled under the counter for something. Not a gun, he decided, considering this was Canada. But maybe a police-alert button or something.

      “Please, don’t worry. I’m not here to hurt you.” Liar, his conscience reprimanded. “I meant to ask you something before and didn’t get a chance to because that other woman came in. It’s personal. My name is Joel Kennedy and I’m a private investigator.”

      That stayed the other hand. She was more relaxed, though still wary. “I wonder if I could talk to Mr. Newman—would that be your father?”

      “My father’s dead.”

      She announced this without a flinch. Joel sensed the part she didn’t verbalize was, So buzz off.

      “Oh, I’m sorry. When, uh…?”

      “Almost a year ago. Heart attack,” she said, looking down at the magazine on the counter.

      “And your mother?” Joel asked, knowing the answer.

      She took a deep breath before raising her head. Her eyes were darker than ever, her cheeks bright red. “Look, I think you should leave. As I’ve said, my father’s dead and Susan isn’t here to answer any questions.”

      “Is Susan your mother?”

      “My stepmother. Since you seem so keen to find out, my real mother left my father and ran away with another man when I was three. Now, was there something else I can help you with?”

      Joel could tell from her tone that she just wanted to get rid of him. He ignored the sarcasm in her voice, keeping his eyes on hers for a long moment before saying the words he’d come all the way from Michigan to say. “Actually, it wasn’t your mother who ran away. It was your father.” He paused. “And he took you with him.”

      CHAPTER TWO

      FOR A MOMENT Allie was swept back into the Cataraqui River, the roaring in her ears just as it had been that day. The man’s lips were moving, but whatever he was saying was obliterated by a thunderous noise. Her mind flashed to Harry Maguire shouting at her over the boom of rushing water. But now, all she could do was stand absolutely still, frozen by the implication of what she’d just heard.

      “I don’t understand,” she said, her voice foreign to her ears.

      “It’s a long story,” he began. “Perhaps we could go somewhere?”

      Allie thought of Susan, waiting at the farmhouse, anticipating a cozy evening together. That would be impossible now, Allie realized.

      “I’ve got to call Susan and let her know I won’t be coming tonight. She’s expecting me.”

      “Fair enough. I can wait.”

      Allie looked from his face to the receipts now squeezed into a ball in her hand. She tossed them onto the counter. “I’ll be right back,” she said, and marched to the office at the back of the store.

      Fortunately Susan wasn’t the prying type. She accepted Allie’s explanation that something had come up with her usual grace. Allie promised to call her first thing in the morning, grabbed her backpack and returned to the front of the store. She’d had a crazy hope while she was on the phone that the guy might have taken his wild story and disappeared. No such luck.

      He was standing in front of the naturopathic medicines. “You take any of this stuff?” he asked.

      “Not really. But you didn’t come here to learn about holistic medicine, did you?”

      He stifled a grin. “Where would you like to talk?”

      “There’s a coffee shop down the street,” she said, and led the way out of the store, stopping to lock it behind them.

      “I was thinking of someplace more private,” he said as they started down the street.

      Allie cocked her head, looking up at him. “Such as?”

      “The park by the water. Or my hotel room. I’m staying at the Ramada down by the marina.”

      Your hotel. Yeah, right. “The park,” Allie said. “But first I want to pick up a coffee, if that’s okay.”

      He nodded. “I could use one, too.”

      They reached the coffee shop and went in to order. When the coffee came, he swiftly handed the clerk a large bill to pay for both, and Allie muttered a grudging thank-you as she headed for the door. He seemed to get the message she wasn’t interested in small talk and remained silent for the rest of the walk down Princess