Silent Run

Teresa is. Nor do I know where Jessica is. That’s the bottom line."
    â€œBut they could be together. They could have kept in touch after Teresa left Chicago?"
    â€œYes, but if Jessica knew where Teresa was, she kept the information in her head, because it wasn’t written down on any of the papers in her apartment. Although she did have her purse with her when she disappeared."
    â€œReally?” Dylan said, surprised by that fact.
    â€œAs far as we can tell, yes. That’s the clue that led the police to speculate that there was no foul play involved."
    â€œWell, I think there’s only one way to answer your questions and mine. You need to come with me to LA to meet Sarah, to see if she’s Jessica. We can go right now. I’ll drive."
    Catherine’s hesitation disturbed him.
    â€œWhat? You don’t want to go?” he asked in amazement.
    â€œOf course I want to go, but I have a job. I teach an art class at the local community college on Friday afternoons, and today is the midterm exam. I can’t miss it."
    â€œWhat time is it over?"
    â€œFive o’clock."
    He didn’t want to wait until the end of the day. They were three hours north of LA, and at this rate they wouldn’t be able to meet up with Jake and Sarah until later in the evening. But he had no choice. Catherine was his best lead. “We’ll go after your class."
    Catherine stared back at him, uncertainty in her eyes.
    â€œWhat now?” he asked.
    â€œIt has occurred to me over the years that maybe Jessica had a reason to disappear, and by trying to find her I might be putting her in danger. I wonder if I did exactly that when I called the police last night.
    It might be better for me to wait here. If Jessica wants to find me, she’ll find me."
    â€œMaybe she doesn’t know where you are. You were in New York when she disappeared."
    â€œThat’s true. But if she wanted to track me down, she’d look here. I lived here for a couple of years when I was a little girl. I used to tell Jessica about the sand dunes on Pismo Beach and the beautiful waves. It was a happy place for me. I think she’d come here if she were looking for me. And my name is listed in the phone book."
    â€œPerhaps she was coming here,” Dylan suggested, his nerves tightening at the thought. It would give Sarah a reason for heading north from LA. She could have been on her way to find Catherine. “Sarah doesn’t know who she is,” he reminded Catherine. “She needs someone to tell her. If she’s Jessica, you could be the one person to bring back her memory. And it’s important, not just because her child is missing, but because someone is trying to kill Sarah."
    â€œWhat?” she asked in shock. “You didn’t say that before."
    â€œHer accident wasn’t random. Someone ran her off the road, and someone tried to smother her with a pillow in the hospital yesterday. That’s the truth.” He gazed into her eyes. “You can see I’m telling the truth, can’t you?"
    â€œYes, I can see that. But what you haven’t told me is why you’re trying to help someone you don’t like. What do you have against Sarah?"
    â€œShe wrecked my brother’s life. She took his kid and ran away seven months ago. Watching him search for his daughter...” Dylan couldn’t even finish the statement. Seeing Jake’s pain had just about killed him. He hadn’t been able to do anything to help his brother, the brother who had quite literally saved his own stupid life. But he had a chance now, and he wasn’t going to blow it. He needed Catherine to trust him, and she wasn’t a woman to trust easily. He couldn’t fake it with her. She was far too perceptive. “I don’t like Sarah, but I’m not interested in hurting her,” he said truthfully. “I just want to help my brother get his daughter back."
    â€œI never had a brother,” Catherine said. “I used to wish I did. Someone who would have protected me the way you want to protect your brother. All right. I’ll help you. I’ll go to LA with you tonight. But I’m as loyal to Jessica as you are to your brother. If I have to make a choice between them, I’ll choose her."
    â€œAnd I’ll choose him,” Dylan said.
    â€œThen we understand each other,” she said.
    â€œWe do.” And what he understood was that he didn’t