them the girl’s picture one-by-one. No one remembered seeing her until she got to the last clerk, Henry Lawgins, who said he had waited on the parents.
“Yep, I seen her in here with her folks,” Henry said. “Don’t know who they are, though. I remember they paid cash. I doubt they’re tourists, since they bought chicken feed.”
“Can you describe her parents?” Abby managed to ask, relieved that her pounding heart didn’t make her voice shake.
“Dad was tall and muscular. Had a beard. Looked like he works out. I’m guessin’ he was mid to late forties. Mom was a lot younger, maybe thirty. Average height. Wore glasses and a dress down to her ankles. Had really long hair—plain brown—tied back in a rubber band. Oh, they also had twin boys—little, maybe two or three years old.”
This was great information! “Anything else you can remember about them?”
Henry smiled. “The little girl’s name was Ella.”
Abby’s heart sank clear down to her toes. “You heard them call her that? Are you sure?”
“Yep. I perked right up ’cause that’s my granny’s name.”
“Have you seen them in here before?”
“Not that I remember. I hope this helps you find little Ella and she gets her doll back.”
“Me, too,” Abby said, not ready to put a period to the conversation. “Did she seem like a happy kid to you?”
Henry shot her a puzzled look and shrugged. “I didn’t pay her much mind. Had my eye on the twins. I was afraid they was gonna knock over a display.”
“Do you, by any chance, remember the twins’ names?”
“Seems like one of ’em was Ronny, but I ain’t sure about that.” Henry glanced over his shoulder. “Look, miss, I probably told you more than I’m supposed to. I really need to get back to work.”
“Of course.” Abby reached in her purse and took out one of several cards she had made up. “Here’s my name and cell number. If you see these people again, would you ask them to call me?”
“Sure thing.”
Abby walked out the side door, her head reeling. The description the clerk gave of the dad fit the man she had seen come outside Murchison’s, swat Ella’s behind, and take her back inside. But a mom? Twin brothers? It was starting to feel less and less likely that Ella was Riley Jo.
Abby walked back to Mama’s car, feeling as if a meteor had fallen on her heart, leaving a deep hole and dashing her hope to pieces. She sat for a few minutes, staring at Ella’s picture. Why couldn’t she just let it go? No matter how hard she tried, the connection she felt with this child was real. And magnetic. How could she just drop it before she knew why?
Abby gripped the steering wheel and laid her head on her hands. She took a slow, deep breath and let it out. She got out of the car and headed up Main Street, determined to talk to more people who worked with the public. Maybe someone else would recognize Ella from the picture and help her to piece together a more detailed description of this family.
Abby walked into the living room and tossed her purse on the couch, the delicious aroma of Mama’s homemade pasta sauce filling her senses. Hopefully her mother’s cooking would dominate the conversation over dinner. She was not going to share her discovery with anyone in the family. She was on to something and was not letting them talk her out of it.
She went out to the kitchen, where Grandpa Buck sat, clipping coupons.
“There you are,” Grandpa said. “I haven’t seen you all afternoon.”
“I was in town.”
“Again?” Grandpa looked over the top of his glasses. “Wouldn’t have somethin’ to do with that girl you saw, would it?”
“I’m going to have a Coke. Want one?” Abby said.
“No, thanks.”
Abby took a Coke out of the fridge and sat across from her grandfather at the table. “Find any great deals?”
“Buy one, get one on four-pound bags of sugar.” Grandpa smiled. “No limit.”
“Jesse’s going to flip.”
“You didn’t answer my question, Abby.”
“No. I guess I didn’t.”
“Is there a reason for that?”
Abby shrugged.
Grandpa’s white eyebrows came together. “Since when won’t you talk to me?”
“I don’t want to be laughed at again.”
“That’s unfair, don’t you think? I’m not the one who laughed. And I was all over Hawk for doin’ it.” Grandpa reached across the table and touched her hand. “I would never laugh when you’re bein’ serious about somethin’.”
“I know. Sorry, Grandpa.” Abby took a gulp of Coke. “I went back