"What's with the evasiveness?"

She smiled. "I'm not being evasive. I told you it needed to be cleaned."

"You and Dad didn't break up, did you?"

"There's time left today."

I froze, then smiled. She was teasing me.

"Stop worrying so much, LucyD."

Easy for her to say. "It'll take me some time to get used to."

"Understandable. But remember, it might not last. I don't want you to get your hopes up."

"Can you say 'dysfunctional'?"

She laughed.

My cell phone rang. I pulled it from my pocket.

It was Jemima and her voice sounded strained as she said, "Christa is absolutely refusing to do a reading, Lucy."

The kettle whistled, and I filled my cup. I watched in horror as Mum took celery, carrots, and an apple from the fridge and pulled a juicer from a cabinet. She wouldn't....

"I don't know what to tell you," Jemima said. "I'm sorry. I'd really like to be of more help. I hate to admit it, but I miss that stupid dog more than I thought."

... She would. Mum dropped the celery and carrots in first. I couldn't watch. I took my mug over to the kitchen table. Grendel flicked an ear at me as a hello before turning his attention back to Thoreau.

Jemima sounded sincere, which took me by surprise. I didn't want to say anything about Mac-or Rufus at this point. Not until I knew more.

Mum whistled in between the mechanical pulses of the juicer.

"And Christa didn't mention why?" I thought for sure she'd want to help.

"No. It's strange, too. She loves Rufus and was heartbroken when she heard he had run away. She's never had any issues with your gift before now. Unless Rick has gotten to her."

There was an underlying bitterness when Jemima said her husband's name that I found interesting in light of what Sean had uncovered last night.

The juicer silenced and Mum walked over to the back door and gave a sharp whistle. Thoreau froze, cocked his head. Mum whistled again. Thoreau suddenly took off for the door, practically flying across the yard. His little paws sent snow shooting behind him as he bounded over the threshold and into Mum's arms.

I blinked. I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. It was exactly the way Rufus had acted the night he took off. Except I hadn't heard a whistle....

Then I remembered the small silver dog whistle hanging in Mac's apartment and knew immediately it had been used the night Rufus took off. That's why Rufus acted so excited-he'd missed his master. That whistle meant he'd see him soon. But how did Mac know where Rufus was? And how was Mac getting around? Did he have a car?

I leaned back. Like a slap upside the head, everything suddenly made perfect sense.

But just to confirm, I said, "Can I ask you a favor, Jemima?"

"What kind of favor?"

Mum glanced at me as she dried off Thoreau's paws. Jemima? she mouthed.

I nodded.

She whistled low as she set Thoreau down.

"Can you go down to Mac's apartment and tell me if Rufus's dog whistle is still hanging on the wall?"

She didn't ask why, for which I was grateful. Grendel hopped down from the window, went over to Thoreau, and jumped on him. Subtlety wasn't one of Grendel's strengths. They tumbled across the floor.

"It's not," Jemima said. "It's in Christa's room-I saw it in there this morning when I woke her for school. Why?"

There went my gratitude. I thought fast. "I just thought it might help in the search for Rufus," I lied. "I was going to walk through the woods today and thought he might be able to hear the whistle better than my voice."

Tell me I'm not a good liar. Ha!

"I didn't think of that, but I bet Christa had the same idea."

I rather doubted that. I bet it was in her room because she'd used it the night Rufus went missing. Mac had an accomplice. It was why Christa didn't want to do a reading with me. Because she knew I'd be able to find Rufus ... and that he'd be with Mac.

"I can drop it off at your house," Jemima offered. "I'm on my way out. Or I can leave it with Esme."

Esme. Esmeralda. What to do, what to say?

"Lucy? You still there?"

"I'm here," I said. I was weighing what to tell her. "Can I ask you something personal?"

"That depends."

My call-waiting beeped. I let it go through to voice mail.

I wished I could see Jemima's face, gauge her reactions. "How much do you know about Esme?"

"Esme? The housekeeper?"

"Yes."

"Not much. Rick hired her about six months ago. She's a little lazy, but we haven't had any big issues. Are you looking to steal her away?"

She laughed. I didn't.

"You may want to look into her background," I finally said.

"Why?" Her voice was taut, on guard. "What do you know about her? Is she dangerous or something?"

I scrunched my nose. Why was I getting involved in this? I knew now Rick had nothing to do with Mac's disappearance. Whatever Rick was doing with Esme wasn't any of my business. And maybe it was all completely innocent. A woman down on her luck who needed a job; an ex-husband willing to help her out. Except Rick didn't strike me as the charitable type. He struck me as a manipulative, selfish bastard.

Softly I said, "I know her real name is Esmeralda."

I heard a sharp intake of breath. It was obvious Jemima was familiar with the name. "I have to go," she said, and hung up on me.

I dialed into my voice mail and cringed as I watched my mother sip putrid-colored juice. Her lips pursed every time the liquid touched them.

The voice-mail message was from Marisol. "Aloha, Lucy!"

I listened to the rest of the message, smiling. Marisol had done a great job getting all the information we needed from Em. Now to put the rest of the plan into action.

I jumped up and poured my tea into a to-go container.

"Where are you off to?" Mum asked. "Going to talk to Mac?"

I wasn't sure. "Maybe."

"You look like you're on a mission."

"I am." A mission to get Em and Aiden together once and for all. "Can I leave the critters with you a little while longer?"

"Of course." She kissed my cheek. "Dovie's coming by later, so they'll get lots of attention."

I hadn't really had a chance to talk to Dovie since Rufus went missing-she would be relieved to know he was okay. "You can go ahead and tell her about Rufus and Mac."

"As if I could keep that kind of information to myself."

"Well, beyond Dovie, try. I'm not sure how to go about letting the world know he's alive. Or even if I should. He's a grown man who can do what he wants with his life."

"It's an unusual situation, to say the least, but Dovie will be glad to hear the news."

I grabbed my coat and my bag and headed for the door. "By the way, how did her date go the other night?"

"Fizzled. Surprisingly, Dr. Hot to Trot wants to settle down with a good woman by his side. Dovie was out of there before he could say 'retirement community.' "

I smiled, but it was just another instance of Dovie's commitment issues. Cursed by association, she had told me. I was beginning to believe it. I pulled open the door. "Tell her I said hi."

"Oh, LucyD?"

"Yeah?"

She poured the rest of her juice into the kitchen sink. "I don't suppose you know what happened to the cheesecake that was in the fridge?"

30.

A bell jingled as I pulled open the door at I'll Take Seconds.

"You're back," Madeline said. She set her book down and stood up. "Did you find the man?"

"Not yet," I said uneasily. "But the information you gave us was extremely helpful."

"I'm glad to hear that. Is there something else I can help you with?"

"Actually, yes." I looked around. "There was a Hawaiian shirt in here yesterday ... there it is." Picking it up, I smiled. It was perfect.

I laid it on the counter and pulled out my wallet. I'd already made a stop at the Triple A office. Everything was coming together nicely.

The bell jangled. I glanced over my shoulder and my eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Preston carried a Filene's Basement bag. She spotted my credit card. "Are you shopping?"

"A present for Aiden."

"Big spender."

"It's the thought, right?" I signed the credit slip.

"I hope you think of me at Saks. No offense," she said to Madeline. "You do still owe me some boots, Lucy."

"I thought Maureen Rourke took care of you."

Preston swiped her bangs out of her eyes. "You're not getting out of buying me boots that easily."

Madeline handed me a receipt and a bag. "Thank you," I said to her.

Preston narrowed her eyes on me.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"There's something about you that's different."

"I noticed, too," Madeline said, nodding in agreement.

Preston looked at her. "Is it the hair, do you think?"

I touched my head. It was the same curly honey blond do I've had my whole life.

Her nose wrinkled. "I don't think so."

"It's not the makeup." Preston scrutinized my face.

"You two are going to give me a complex."