“Don’t worry about Mona,” said Ryan now, as if he were reading her thoughts in this uneasy weary silence. “Mona is the least of our worries. We have a conference scheduled for Tuesday regarding Rowan’s disappearance. We will all sit down and decide what to do.”
“How can you decide what to do!” Gifford asked. “You have no evidence that Rowan is being forced to stay away from Michael. You…”
“Well, honey, we do have evidence, rather strong evidence. That’s the thing. We have to realize it. We are certain now that the last two checks cashed on Rowan’s personal account were not signed by her. That is what we have to tell Michael.”
Silence. That was the first definitive thing that had happened. And it struck Gifford as hard as if someone had socked her in the chest. She caught her breath.
“We know for sure they were forgeries,” said Ryan. “And honey, those are the last checks. Nothing, I mean nothing, has come into the bank since those were cashed in New York two weeks ago.”
“New York.”
“Yes. That’s where the trail runs out, Gifford. We’re not even sure that Rowan herself was ever in New York. Look, I’ve been on the phone three times today about all this. There is no Mardi Gras Day in the rest of the country. I came home to a machine full of messages. The doctor who spoke to Rowan by phone is on his way here from San Francisco. He has important things to say. But he doesn’t know where Rowan is. Those checks are our last bit of—”
“I follow you,” said Gifford weakly.
“Look, Pierce is picking up the doctor tomorrow morning. I’m coming up to get you. I made up my mind earlier.”
“That’s absurd. I have my car. We won’t be able to drive back together. Ryan, go to bed and sleep. I’ll be home tomorrow in time to see this doctor from San Francisco.”
“I want to come get you, Gif. I’ll hire a car, and I’ll drive your car home.”
“That’s stupid, Ryan. I’ll leave at noon. I’ve already planned it. Go meet the doctor. Go to the office. Do whatever you have to do. The point is, the family gathered and it was splendid, just the way it was supposed to be, Rowan or no Rowan. Michael was apparently a trouper. And two forged checks, well, what does that mean?”
Silence. Of course they both knew what it could mean.
“Did Mona shock anybody tonight?”
“Only her cousin David. I’d say she had a good day. Pierce is fine. He’s gone out for a dip with Clancy. The pool is steaming. Barbara’s asleep. Shelby called; sorry she didn’t come home. Lilia called too. Mandrake called. Jenn’s snuggled up with Elizabeth in the den. I’m about to collapse where I stand.”
Gifford gave a long sigh. “Mona went home to that house with those two? All alone on Mardi Gras?”
“Mona is all right, you know she is. Ancient Evelyn would call me here if anything was wrong. She was sitting beside Alicia’s bed this afternoon when I left them.”
“And so we lie to ourselves about that, as always, along with everything else.”
“Gifford.”
“Yes, Ryan?”
“I want to ask you a question. I’ve never asked you anything like this before, and I don’t think I could ask you now, if we weren’t…”
“Talking on the phone.”
“Yes. Talking on the phone.”
They had many times discussed this strange aspect of their long marriage, that their best conversations were on the phone, that somehow or other, they were patient with each other on the phone, and could avoid the battles they fought when together.
“This is the question,” said Ryan in his customary direct way. “What do you think happened on Christmas Day at that house? What happened to Rowan? Do you have any suspicion, any inkling, any vibe of any kind?”
Gifford was speechless. It was more than true that Ryan had never asked her a question like this in all their lives. Most of Ryan’s energy went to preventing Gifford from seeking answers to difficult questions. This was not only unprecedented, it was alarming. Because Gifford realized that she could not rise to the occasion. She didn’t have a witch’s answer to this question. She thought for a long moment, listening to the fire burn, and to the soft sigh of the water outside, so soft it might have been her own breath.
A number of thoughts passed vagrantly through her mind. She even almost said, “Ask Mona.” But then she caught herself,