River’s End

sell himself.”
    “I’m not forgetting,” Noah murmured. But he was wondering.
    He decided to swing by and see his mother. He planned on heading to Washington the following day. This time he’d fly up, then rent a car. He didn’t want to waste time on the road.
    Celia was sitting on their little side deck, going through the mail and sipping a tall glass of herbal sun tea. She lifted her cheek for Noah to kiss, then wagged a form letter at him. “Have you seen this? They’re threatening to cut the funding for the preservation of the northern elephant seal.”
    “Must’ve missed that one.”
    “It’s disgraceful. Congress votes itself a raise, spends millions of taxpayer dollars on studies to study studies of studies, but they’ll sit back and let another of the species on our planet become extinct.”
    “Go get ‘em. Mom.”
    She huffed, put the letter aside and opened another. “Your father’s at the youth center.”
    “I know, I was just there. I thought I’d come by and see you before I headed to Washington tomorrow.”
    “I’m glad you did. Why don’t you stay for dinner? I’ve got a new recipe for artichoke bottoms I want to try out.”
    “Gee, that sounds . . . tempting, but I have to pack.”
    “Liar,” she said with a laugh. “How long will you be gone?’
    “Depends.”
    “Is the book giving you trouble?”
    “Some, nothing major.”
    “What then?”
    “I’ve got a little hang-up going.” He picked up her tea, sipped. Winced. She refused to add even a grain of sugar. “A personal-level hang-up. On Olivia MacBride.”
    “Really?” Celia drew out the word, giving it several syllables, and grinned like a contented cat. “Isn’t that nice?”
    “I don’t know how nice it is or why you’d be so pleased about it. You haven’t seen her since she was a kid.”
    “I’ve read her letters to your father. She appears to me a smart, sensible young woman, which is a far cry from your usual choice, particularly that creature Caryn. She still hasn’t turned up, by the way.”
    “Fine. Let her stay in whatever hole she dug for herself.”
    “I suppose I have to agree. And to backtrack, I like hearing you say you’re interested in someone. You never tell me you’re interested in a woman. Just that you’re seeing one.”
    “I’ve been interested in Liv for years.”
    “Really? How? She was, what, twelve, when you last saw her.”
    “Eighteen. I went up to see her six years ago, when she was in college.”
    Surprised, Celia stopped opening mail. “You went to see her? You never mentioned it.”
    “No, mostly because I wasn’t too happy with the way it worked out.” He blew out a breath. “Okay, condensed version. I wanted to write the book, even then. I went to see her to talk her into cooperating. Then I saw her, and . . . Man, it just blasted through me. I couldn’t think, with all the stuff going on inside me just looking at her, I didn’t think.”
    “Noah.” Celia closed a hand over his. “I had no idea you’d ever felt that way, with anyone.”
    “I’ve felt that way with her, and I ruined it. When she found out why I was there, it hurt her. She wouldn’t listen to apologies or explanations. She just closed the door.”
    “Has she opened it again?”
    “I think she’s pulled back a couple of the locks.”
    “You weren’t honest with her before, and it ended badly. That should tell you something.”
    “It does. But first I have to wear her down.” Because he felt better having just said it all out loud, he smiled. “She’s a hell of a lot tougher than she was at eighteen.”
    “You’ll think more of her if she makes you work.” She patted his hand, then went back to the mail. “I know you, Noah. When you want something, you go after it. Maybe not all at once, but you keep at it until you have it.”
    “Well, it feels like I’ve been going after Olivia MacBride most of my life. Meanwhile. . . Mom? What is it?” She’d gone deadly pale, had him leaping up fearing a heart attack.
    “Noah. Oh God.” She gripped the hand he’d pressed to her face. “Look. Look.”
    He pulled the paper out of her hand, ignoring it while he struggled to keep them both calm. “Take it easy. Just sit still. Catch your breath. I’ll call the doctor.”
    “No, for God’s sake, look!” She took his wrist, yanked the paper he held back down.
    He saw it then. The photocopy was fuzzy, poorly reproduced, but he recognized the work of the police photographer