Page 26 of In Her Memory

Helen replied, “I normally wouldn’t, but my arthritis has been acting up something terrible, and those leaves needed blowing. Besides, she had an honest face.” She glanced at Jenna, her expression softening. “Actually, she looked a lot like you, now that I see you up close. Are you related?”

“She’s my twin sister,” Jenna replied.

Helen’s eyes widened. “She seemed so... capable. Troubled, maybe, but not lost.”

“What exactly did she do while she was here?” Spelling asked.

“Cleared out all the leaves in the front and back yard.” Helen gestured toward the window. “Then she ate a sandwich I offered her. That was about all.”

“Did she talk much?” Jenna asked, finding her voice again. “Did she mention anything about where she was heading?”

Helen considered the question. “Not really. She asked if I knew anybody else who might need some work. That’s when I suggested she try the Hendersons down on Maple Street—they’re elderly and always need help with their property. And the Wilsons on Pine might need someone too.”

“Did she seem interested in these suggestions?” Jenna asked.

“Yes, she wrote down the addresses on a notepad I gave her.”

“Mrs. Bowerman,” Spelling said, “did Emma say anything about leaving town?”

“Not specifically, no. But she seemed in a hurry to earn enough money for something. Said she needed to ‘keep moving.’ Those were her words.”

Jenna leaned forward. “Is there anything else you can remember? Anything at all, no matter how small it might seem?”

Helen thought for a moment. “Well, when I paid her—thirty dollars for the work—she thanked me, said she needed to make the money stretch.”

“Thank you for your help, Mrs. Bowerman,” Spelling said, standing. “You’ve been very informative.”

Helen rose as well. “I hope you find her,” she said to Jenna, genuine concern in her voice.

Outside, they walked back to Esterhaus’s patrol car.

“The Hendersons on Maple Street would be our next stop,” Esterhaus said, unlocking the vehicle. “It’s two or three blocks from here.”

As they climbed into the car, Jenna found herself scanning the streets, the sidewalks, the spaces between houses—searching for any glimpse of a familiar face. Somewhere in this town, Piper might still be moving through her day, unaware that her sister was so close. Or perhaps she knew exactly how close Jenna was, and that was why she seemed to be in such a hurry to leave.

Esterhaus started the engine, and they pulled away from Helen’s house. Hope fluttered in Jenna’s chest, fragile yet persistent.

“We’ll find her,” Spelling said quietly from the back seat, as if reading her thoughts.

Jenna nodded, her gaze fixed on the streets ahead. She wouldn’t let Piper slip away again. Whatever darkness had lured or chased her sister from home—Jenna would stand and face it with her.

CHAPTER TEN

Emma Kirby jerked awake as the freight car shuddered beneath her, steel wheels grinding against the tracks. Darkness clung to the corners of the space, broken only by thin shafts of daylight that sliced through the partially open door.

Her muscles protested as she pushed herself upright, each movement a reminder of last night’s desperate bicycle ride from Trentville. The thin blanket she’d wrapped around herself had slipped away during her fitful sleep, leaving her exposed to the cool draft that whispered through the car.

“You’re awake. Good.”

The voice came from the shadows. Emma’s eyes adjusted to find Loyalynne sitting there, her porcelain face catching a streak of sunlight that made her glass eyes shine with unnatural clarity. The doll’s gingham dress—once vibrant blue, now faded to a whisper of its former color—spread around her like a pool of still water.

It took a moment for Emma to understand what she was doing here. Then she remembered how Loyalynne had directed her to run toward the slow-moving train and jump aboard a freight car after leaving Clarksboro. She also remembered hearing a voice in her sleep right now—that voice she’d heard before in an earlier dream, a man calling for her, saying he was looking for her.

Your sister needs you. I need you. Please come home.

“How long was I asleep?” Emma asked, her voice raw from thirst. She reached for her backpack, searching for her water bottle.

“A while,” Loyalynne replied with the precision she always displayed. “We’ve passed one stop already.”