"Come on in, Camille," Laura invited the girl when she knocked on her door that afternoon.
Camille turned and waved at her father before entering the house. She wanted a car but Matt insisted that without one Joe would expect her to rely on him even more. "Any word yet?" she asked her hostess as she followed Laura into the living room.
"No," Laura replied with a strained smile, turning to face the girl. "Please, sit down," she instructed. "Would you care for a soda or a snack?"
"No, thank you," Camille answered with a small shake of her head. "But what about you? I could fix you something to eat?" she offered. "I do want to help."
"You are helping just by being here," Laura assured the anxious young woman. "Please? Sit down and tell me a little about yourself."
"What would you like to know?" inquired Camille, sitting down on the chair next to the phone.
"Everything," Laura answered. "That is, if you are interested in a relationship with my son?" she amended.
Camille smiled. "I think so," she replied. "He is definitely the most considerate guy I have ever been out with and the more I talk to him, the more I like him."
"He seems quite taken with you as well," Laura stated. "I like your hair, by the way," she continued, looking at the soft curls around Camille's face.
"Thank you," Camille responded happily. "I tried to get it done at Shauna's Salon but every time I went in for my appointment, the girl would apologize and say she had overbooked. The last time I kind of lost my cool," she confessed. "I mean, it was the third time in two weeks! I let her know exactly what I thought of her apologies and I ended up going to some place in the mall that took walk-ins."
"Shauna's Salon?" Laura repeated with a nod. "I bet it was Andrea Ashley," she said. "She is notorious for that. Don't feel bad. I've lost my temper with her a time or two as well."
"You go there?" Camille inquired.
"I used to," Laura confessed. "But I got tired of Andrea and switched to another salon." She was glad she had mentioned Camille's hair. What Frank's friend had overheard had a good reason for happening.
"Let's see," Camille began. "My full name is Camille Rosalie Lane and..."
"That's pretty," Laura interrupted her.
"Rosalie was my grandmother's name," Camille informed Laura. "I never got to meet her," she continued. "She died before I was born."
"I'm sorry," Laura said.
"That's okay," Camille told her. "My dad's mom is still alive. We go visit her a few times a year."
"Where does she live?"
"New Mexico," Camille answered. "She loves the heat."
"Do you have any relatives close by?" Laura asked.
"No," Camille answered. "It's just Dad and me." She paused for a moment before changing the subject. "Could I ask you a personal question?"
"Of course," Laura answered a bit curiously.
"Is Joe really over Iola?" Camille asked, surprising Laura. Camille doubted Mrs. Hardy knew Iola had been pregnant with Joe's child when she died but she would be able to tell if he had truly moved on.
Laura frowned. How was she supposed to answer that one, she wondered? "I'm sorry," Camille apologized, misunderstanding Laura's hesitation in answering. "I shouldn't have asked."
"No, it's not that," Laura hastily assured the girl. "It's just...I'm not sure."
"We're here," O'Neil said, waking Joe up with a gentle shove to his shoulder.
Joe opened his eyes and groggily sat up as straight as he could. He heard O'Neil fumble with his keys and soon Joe was released and hauled to a standing position. Before Joe could balance himself, he felt the handcuffs wrap his wrists again. O'Neil opened the door of the van and jumped out. "Come on, Joe," he said.
Joe moved forward and hopped out of the van with the assist of O'Neil's hand gripping his elbow tightly. "Where is here?" Joe asked, seeing nothing but grass.
"We're just shy of Amarillo," O'Neil told Joe. "I came out here once on spring break my sophomore year in college," he informed Joe, leading him around to the front of the van where Joe could see a quaint little cottage sitting alone in a field. "We will stay here for a few days only. That's all I have brought supplies for. Then, we will finish our trip and you will be safely in your new home by the end of next week at the latest."
"How do you know no one is here?" Joe asked. "If it has been so long since you were here last?"
"I was here with the owner," O'Neil answered. "He died recently and his estate is still in arrears. This is one of the lesser profitable pieces so it should be awhile before the lawyers get out here. He had no family, you see, so we won't have to worry about greedy relatives either."
"Oh, joy," Joe replied dourly.
O'Neil smothered a laugh at Joe's disposition and escorted him to the cottage. "I put our stuff inside while you were still sleeping," O'Neil informed Joe.
"I'm supposed to say thank you or something?" Joe demanded, eyeing the cottage critically. There was a small kitchenette to the left and to the right there was a large sofa that looked like it opened into bed. There was a small fireplace against the back wall and one window facing the front of the cabin. Two doors were visible and Joe turned a questioning look at O'Neil.
"Closet on the left and bathroom on the right," O'Neil informed him. "No electricity, I'm afraid, but we can manage."
"Sleeping arrangements?" Joe demanded.
"You get the sofa," O'Neil answered. "I have a sleeping bag."
Joe sighed, wondering if this nightmare could get any worse.
"I'm going to let you freshen up and then we will eat," O'Neil told Joe. "After that, I am going to have to leave you for a little while so I can ditch the van and get us another set of wheels."
Joe's heart sank. The van they had been traveling in was the only lead his family might have been able to trace. If O'Neil got rid of it, how would they ever find him?
Matt entered the living room at the Lane's, a satisfied smile on his face. "What are you so happy about?" Judge Lane demanded.
"I've located Joe and O'Neil," answered Matt.