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didn’t bother to wave to Rosemary.

Chapter 9

    L UCKY SLOWLY DRIFTED up to consciousness from a heavy sleep. A horrible racket was pulling her from her dream. Groggily, she reached over to the nightstand and felt for the alarm clock. Aftertwo attempts, she was finally able to grasp the smooth, round plastic surface. She pushed the alarm button down but the ringing continued. Lucky groaned. It was the phone.
    She forced herself to sit up and turned on the bedside lamp, then fumbled in the bedcovers for the alarm clock that had slipped from her fingers. She found it and, squinting, stared at its face. Three a.m. Who could possiblybe calling her at this hour? Jack ! It must be Jack , she thought. Something must be wrong. He might need help.
    The phone stopped ringing. She sat for a moment, wondering if it had been a wrong number, wondering if she could lay down and go back to sleep. She definitely needed to get an extension for the bedroom, or at least make sure her cell phone was nearby. She fell back against the pillowsand clicked the button on the alarm clock to reset it for the morning. She closed her eyes and soon felt the fog of unconsciousness numbing her brain. The phone rang again. This time she climbed out of bed and hurried to the kitchen, grabbing it on the third ring.
    “Hello,” she croaked.
    “Lucky? It’s Miriam. Miriam Leonard.”
    Lucky wracked her brain. Why would Janie’s mother be callingher in the middle of the night?
    “I’m so sorry to call you like this. I’m just worried sick. Is Janie with you?” Lucky could hear the tinge of panic in Miriam’s voice.
    “No. She’s not. She’s not home?”
    It was obvious Miriam was upset and had been crying. “We . . . we had an argument. It was nothing really . . . stupid. Janie got very upset and she went out. She said she was just goingfor a drive, but she’s not back and I’m worried sick.”
    “Have you tried Meg’s house? She’d probably go there.” Lucky remembered Janie’s friendship with Rosemary, the receptionist at the Clinic, but she had no idea where Rosemary lived. Lucky couldn’t imagine what kind of an argument Janie could have had with her mother to cause her to stay out all night. As far as she knew, they had alwaysbeen close. Until today she had never heard a word of complaint from Janie about their relationship.
    “I did. I called Meg’s house, but no one there has seen or heard from Janie.” Her voice rose an octave. “I don’t know what to do.” Miriam was barely keeping the panic at bay.
    “I’m so sorry, Miriam. Look,” Lucky said, “why don’t I drive around and maybe I’ll spot her car.”
    “I hate todrag you out of bed.”
    Lucky didn’t want to remind Miriam she had already been dragged out of bed. The mere effort of trying to think of where Janie might have gone had brought Lucky to full consciousness. She knew she’d never be able to get back to sleep now.
    “I’m afraid to go out looking for her myself in case she’s in trouble somewhere and calls the house.”
    “You’re right. You shouldstay by the phone just in case. And if you haven’t heard from her by morning, then maybe you should call Nate.”
    “Oh dear God.” Miriam breathed. “If something’s happened to her . . .”
    Lucky quickly jumped in. “I’m sure it hasn’t. I’m sure she’s just upset about the argument.” An image of her own parents’ crushed car flashed through her mind. She could imagine the hysteria that Miriam wasstruggling with. “If she’s anywhere in town, I’ll spot her car. I’ll call you when I get back or when I know something.”
    “Thank you, Lucky. I just didn’t know who else I could call. I thought you might have a clue where she could have gone.”
    Miriam, a recent widow now, had no family that anyone knew about. Lucky felt a wave of compassion. What would it be like to be alone in the worldand have no family? No one to turn to in case of emergency?
    “I can’t imagine where