Return To Stony Ridge. Dani Sinclair

of the women were sporting obvious injuries. Ian’s mother appeared to have the most physical damage. Her right arm was in a cast and a sling, and bruises mottled her face. Teri suspected there were more bruises hidden by her clothing.

      She fought the burning rage and bitter helplessness that churned in her stomach when she looked at these women. Life was so unfair. But as the last person entered the dining room, she looked around with a sinking feeling.

      “Where’s Corey? I thought R.J. said only Valerie disappeared.”

      The women exchanged uneasy glances. It was the taciturn and rather eerie-looking Mrs. Norwhich who answered as she carried over a tureen of soup and placed it on the table.

      “Wyatt had him placed in foster care yesterday.”

      Chapter Four

      “Corey’s gone? Who has him?”

      The skeletal woman speared her with beady eyes. “You’d have to ask Wyatt.” Turning, she ghosted back to the counter.

      No one else met her eyes. If any of them knew the answer, they weren’t going to tell her and she couldn’t help wondering if R.J. had known Corey wasn’t here. While he hadn’t mentioned it, she hadn’t put any special emphasis on Corey either. In fact, quite the opposite. She’d wanted him to think Valerie had been her priority.

      Earlier, she’d asked to see the room Valerie had used. Mrs. Norwhich had given her a tight, suspicious look before shaking her tightly permed head.

      “Room’s locked. You’ll have to ask Wyatt’s permission to go inside.”

      Teri had no intention of talking with the chief of police if she could avoid it, so Ian was her only hope. While he also eyed her with suspicion, the boy was the most approachable person she’d met so far. Besides, she had a feeling he saw more than any of the adults sitting at the table. Somehow, she had to get him alone and convince him to talk to her.

      Tension hovered like an uninvited guest over the meal. The women ate quickly or picked at their food. Even the children were subdued.

      The groundskeeper joined the group late. Will Leftcowitz was a lean, tall man in his sixties. While pleasant and friendly enough, he said very little and looked at Teri with enough speculation to make her nervous. He ate quickly, excusing himself from the table the moment he finished.

      Teri tasted nothing of the meal and didn’t participate in what seemed to be the only safe topic of conversation, the coming birth of Alexis Crossley’s baby. Even that subject seemed to make everyone uneasy with Teri in their midst. Valerie’s disappearance must have left them feeling more vulnerable than ever. Teri saw no way to turn the conversation to what she really wanted to know.

      Who had Corey?

      She was relieved when the meal finished and the dishes were carried to the kitchen sink. Mrs. Norwhich waved them out, bustling peremptorily about the room. One of the women announced she was going to the library in search of something to read. The youngest of the group scurried for the back staircase without a word to anyone. Timid and plump, only her eyes spoke of inward scars.