record our conversation?”
“It’s fine with me. Have a seat.” She tossed the spent tissue in a small wastebasket next to the sofa.
“We’ll wait for Mr. Ingram,” Murphy said. “We need to speak to him, too.”
Mrs. Ingram lowered her head. “He isn’t here.”
“Where is he?”
She sniffed and choked. “It’s not any of your business where he is.”
Charley glanced at Murphy, then at Mrs. Ingram. Her voice softened, “Mrs. Ingram, where is he?”
She lowered her head and tears wet her cheeks. “He’s divorcing me.”
“His daughter is missing. He should be here.” Murphy sat next to her. “I would be.”
“You don’t understand.” She wiped her nose with the end of her blue chambray shirt.
“Help us understand. How long ago did you two separate?”
“Two months.” She folded her trembling hands in her lap.
“Does Olivia know?”
“She didn’t until last week.” Mrs. Ingram wiped her eyes. “I told her Roger was away on business. Olivia’s no dummy. She confronted me a few days later.”
“She sensed your stress.” Charley took a step closer.
“Olivia is a sensitive child. She has a knack for reading others.”
“We need to talk to him. Any idea where he is?” Murphy said.
Mrs. Ingram’s expression hardened into a hateful scowl. “Fucking the girlfriend in his new apartment.”
Murphy’s shoulders stiffened as his eyebrows rose. He searched for Charley, standing to their right.
“Oh, snap,” Charley mumbled. “Is it possible he took Olivia?”
Mrs. Ingram shook her head. “No, I called his cell to tell him Olivia was missing. He told me to keep him informed. I guess I should tell you, Olivia isn’t his natural daughter.”
Charley glanced at the chair across from them. She sat on the edge of the cushion. With her elbows on her knees, she rubbed her face before crossing her arms over her thighs. “Mrs. Ingram, you’re calm. In such a dreadful situation I don’t believe I’d be able to keep my composure.”
“I’m not an excitable person, introverted. I hold everything inside.”
“Since Olivia isn’t Mr. Ingram’s daughter is this your second marriage?”
“No, teenage pregnancy. I had Olivia at seventeen. Roger and I met in college, married after graduation.”
“He adopted Olivia?” Murphy said.
“Yes, but he told me it was out of obligation.”
“You’re saying he doesn’t love Olivia?” Charley said.
Mrs. Ingram gazed over the room. “Looking back he never loved her.”
Charley tilted her head. “Was Olivia afraid of Mr. Ingram?”
“Afraid? No. Why?”
“Is it possible Olivia ran away?”
“No, she wouldn’t. She’s a scaredy cat.”
“Is it possible Olivia left with her birth father?”
“No, he’s never seen her. After I told him I was pregnant I never saw him again.”
“He’s local?” Murphy said.
“No, I’m not from here. None of us are.”
“You’re from where?”
“Jacksonville, Florida. Olivia’s biological father was in the Navy. I don’t know where he is. I haven’t seen him since I told him.”
“How old was he?” Charley said.
“He was…” Mrs. Ingram massaged the bridge of her nose. “Twenty-two?”
Charley glanced at Murphy with disapproval. “What’s his name?”
“Matthew Gunderson, he was a lieutenant. It’s been thirteen years.”
“He walked away from you and Olivia?” Charley said.
“Yes.” Ms. Ingram lowered her head. “He had little choice… he was married.”
Charley and Murphy’s eyes met.
“Is it possible Gunderson took her?” Charley said.
Mrs. Ingram shook her head.
“This complicates the situation,” Murphy said. “We’ll investigate the possibility one of them did.”
“I understand.”
“Did Olivia know about her birth father?”
“I told her last week. It’s time she knew the truth.”
“How did she respond?”
“Better than I thought. Olivia isn’t excitable. She’s the calmest kid on Earth.”
“She wasn’t angry, or
“It’s fine with me. Have a seat.” She tossed the spent tissue in a small wastebasket next to the sofa.
“We’ll wait for Mr. Ingram,” Murphy said. “We need to speak to him, too.”
Mrs. Ingram lowered her head. “He isn’t here.”
“Where is he?”
She sniffed and choked. “It’s not any of your business where he is.”
Charley glanced at Murphy, then at Mrs. Ingram. Her voice softened, “Mrs. Ingram, where is he?”
She lowered her head and tears wet her cheeks. “He’s divorcing me.”
“His daughter is missing. He should be here.” Murphy sat next to her. “I would be.”
“You don’t understand.” She wiped her nose with the end of her blue chambray shirt.
“Help us understand. How long ago did you two separate?”
“Two months.” She folded her trembling hands in her lap.
“Does Olivia know?”
“She didn’t until last week.” Mrs. Ingram wiped her eyes. “I told her Roger was away on business. Olivia’s no dummy. She confronted me a few days later.”
“She sensed your stress.” Charley took a step closer.
“Olivia is a sensitive child. She has a knack for reading others.”
“We need to talk to him. Any idea where he is?” Murphy said.
Mrs. Ingram’s expression hardened into a hateful scowl. “Fucking the girlfriend in his new apartment.”
Murphy’s shoulders stiffened as his eyebrows rose. He searched for Charley, standing to their right.
“Oh, snap,” Charley mumbled. “Is it possible he took Olivia?”
Mrs. Ingram shook her head. “No, I called his cell to tell him Olivia was missing. He told me to keep him informed. I guess I should tell you, Olivia isn’t his natural daughter.”
Charley glanced at the chair across from them. She sat on the edge of the cushion. With her elbows on her knees, she rubbed her face before crossing her arms over her thighs. “Mrs. Ingram, you’re calm. In such a dreadful situation I don’t believe I’d be able to keep my composure.”
“I’m not an excitable person, introverted. I hold everything inside.”
“Since Olivia isn’t Mr. Ingram’s daughter is this your second marriage?”
“No, teenage pregnancy. I had Olivia at seventeen. Roger and I met in college, married after graduation.”
“He adopted Olivia?” Murphy said.
“Yes, but he told me it was out of obligation.”
“You’re saying he doesn’t love Olivia?” Charley said.
Mrs. Ingram gazed over the room. “Looking back he never loved her.”
Charley tilted her head. “Was Olivia afraid of Mr. Ingram?”
“Afraid? No. Why?”
“Is it possible Olivia ran away?”
“No, she wouldn’t. She’s a scaredy cat.”
“Is it possible Olivia left with her birth father?”
“No, he’s never seen her. After I told him I was pregnant I never saw him again.”
“He’s local?” Murphy said.
“No, I’m not from here. None of us are.”
“You’re from where?”
“Jacksonville, Florida. Olivia’s biological father was in the Navy. I don’t know where he is. I haven’t seen him since I told him.”
“How old was he?” Charley said.
“He was…” Mrs. Ingram massaged the bridge of her nose. “Twenty-two?”
Charley glanced at Murphy with disapproval. “What’s his name?”
“Matthew Gunderson, he was a lieutenant. It’s been thirteen years.”
“He walked away from you and Olivia?” Charley said.
“Yes.” Ms. Ingram lowered her head. “He had little choice… he was married.”
Charley and Murphy’s eyes met.
“Is it possible Gunderson took her?” Charley said.
Mrs. Ingram shook her head.
“This complicates the situation,” Murphy said. “We’ll investigate the possibility one of them did.”
“I understand.”
“Did Olivia know about her birth father?”
“I told her last week. It’s time she knew the truth.”
“How did she respond?”
“Better than I thought. Olivia isn’t excitable. She’s the calmest kid on Earth.”
“She wasn’t angry, or
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