Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose Read Free Book Online Page B

purse could mean the difference between life and death.
    This she’d learned the hard way, her boss paying the price.
    ‘Which we will not think about right now,’ she muttered as her dad’s phone began to ring.
    ‘Hello?’ Her stepmother answered warily, which was to be expected. The number on the caller ID would be a strange one.
    ‘Ya wanna buy some encyclopedias, lady?’ Faith teased, hoping to break any ice that had formed because she hadn’t called in so long.
    ‘Faith?’ Lily shuddered out a breath that sounded like a sob. ‘Oh God. Oh God. I’m so glad you finally called. I’ve been trying to call you for hours. What number is this?’
    Panic grabbed Faith by the throat. ‘What’s wrong with Dad?’ she demanded.
    ‘Nothing. But only because I got to the phone before he could, every time it’s rung today.’ Her stepmother drew a deep breath. ‘First, are you all right?’
    ‘Yes. What’s happened, Lily?’
    ‘That’s what I want to know,’ Lily whispered fiercely. ‘What number are you calling from? Why haven’t you answered your cell phone all afternoon? Why is a detective trying to find you? I’ve been trying to reach you. For hours .’
    Guilt swamped her. ‘I got a new phone on my lunch break. I was calling to give you my number. Who was asking for me?’
    A beat of silence. ‘What happened to the old number, Faith?’ Lily asked, quietly now.
    ‘It didn’t transfer over.’ Because Faith hadn’t wanted it to. ‘Who’s been calling for me?’
    ‘A detective from Miami PD. I tried calling your home phone, but all I got was a recording saying the number was no longer in service. Your old cell kept going straight to voicemail. I must have left ten messages. I tried your hotel and the phone in your room just rang. Where are you? Why are the police looking for you? What the hell is going on here?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ Faith said truthfully. ‘What was the name of the detective?’
    ‘I have it written down . . . Vega. Detective Catalina Vega.’
    ‘Okay. I know her. Did she leave a message?’
    ‘Yeah, that you should call her. What is going on?’
    That was a good question. Best case, Vega had called to make sure she was okay. Worst case, to tell her that the man who’d made her life a living hell was headed north. That Vega had found it urgent enough to call her stepmother did not bode well.
    ‘I’m still in Ohio. Didn’t Dad get the photo I texted? The one of my mother’s grave?’
    ‘Yes, he did, and don’t you try to distract me, Faith. Who is Detective Vega and why is she . . .’ A pause, then a whispered oath. ‘Your dad’s coming. We’ll finish this later.’
    ‘Lily?’ Faith could hear her father in the background, sounding slightly slurred and short of breath. ‘Is that Faith on the phone?’
    ‘Yes, it sure is,’ Lily said brightly. ‘I’ll put her on the speaker.’
    ‘Faith? How are you, darlin’?’ Her father’s voice had been shaky ever since his stroke, but his love came through as strong as ever.
    Relief washed over her in a warm wave and her shoulders sagged in relief. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d needed to hear his voice. ‘I’m fine, Dad. How are you?’
    ‘Better now. I got your picture of your mama’s grave. Thank you, sweetheart.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Did you talk to the realtor?’
    ‘Well, not exactly. I changed my mind, Dad. I don’t know if I’ll sell the house after all.’
    There was long pause, and Faith visualized her father and Lily frowning at each other. ‘Why not, honey?’ her father asked carefully.
    ‘Because I’m thinking of living in it.’ There. She’d said it. ‘If it’s livable.’
    Another pause, even longer. ‘But . . . I don’t understand,’ her father said.
    ‘Neither do I,’ Lily added, a tad more sharply. ‘What about your job, Faith?’
    ‘I quit. Wait, hear me out,’ she said over their startled protests. ‘The crisis center lost most of its