My Lost Daughter by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg Page B

to worry about as long as Chris was with her. Then she realized why Shana might be falling apart. The poor girl was alone with no one to protect her. Lily would have to find a way to change that, and she would have to do it immediately, even if it meant destroying her career.

SIX
    FRIDAY, JANUARY 15
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
    As soon as Lily’s plane landed in San Francisco at eight o’clock, she called Shana’s cell phone and got her voice mail again. “It’s me,” she said, excited. “I should be there in about forty-five minutes to an hour. Call me back as soon as you get this. I’ll—”
    Before she could say anything else, a recorded voice said her message was being deleted. Shana’s mailbox must still be full, which made her concern intensify. Shana lived and breathed by her cell phone. Lily didn’t even know how to make a cell phone delete messages before a person stopped speaking. Of course, there was one way, and it was hurtful, especially since Lily hadn’t done anything to cause her daughter to be angry with her. Shana must be screening her calls and manually deleting her mother’s messages the moment she saw her number appear.
    Lily decided her daughter was having a flashback all right, but it had nothing to do with her being raped. She was reverting back to the spoiled brat she’d been when her father was alive, believing the world revolved around her and ignoring anyone who wouldn’t give her what she wanted.
    Was this all just a ploy to get Lily to cough up more money?Shana had been living beyond her means for almost a year now, and not by a small sum. Last month alone, Lily had given her an extra thousand. She hadn’t realized she had given Shana so much until her accountant had prepared her taxes. Like John, Lily had developed a habit of never saying no to her daughter. She couldn’t stand it when Shana was upset or unhappy.
    Then Lily remembered Shana telling her that a girl in her apartment complex had been raped and the suspect was still outstanding. With Shana’s history, something like that could cause her to unravel. She went to the Dollar Rent A Car counter, walking off with the keys to a Dodge Caliber. She’d never heard of it, but it drove fairly well. Shana had a Mustang convertible but she hadn’t offered to pick her up.
    Lily didn’t really mind because she enjoyed the scenery. She was particularly fond of driving through this area at night. She loved the way the lights streamed through the towering trees. Palo Alto was similar to an urban forest, surrounded by majestic, ancient redwoods. She hadn’t been up here since last year. She chastised herself for not coming more often, but her new position had become all-consuming.
    Shana’s apartment was located in a three-story structure built out of wood and stone. Lily climbed the stairs to the third floor. Knowing the apartment didn’t have a doorbell, she knocked. When no one answered, she pounded on the door with her fists. “Shana, are you in there? It’s me, Mom.”
    She leaned against the door and listened, detecting faint noises inside the apartment. She didn’t care what people thought, she had to see if her daughter was all right. As she kicked the door as hard as she could, a young girl walked by, giving her a suspicious glance. At last, she heard Shana’s voice.
    â€œKnock it off. I’m coming, for God’s sake.” She cracked the door and peered out at Lily, then closed it again to undo the chain. Wearing an oversized Stanford sweatshirt and baggy black sweatpants, Shana acted surprised. “Mom,” she said. “I thought you said you were coming Friday.”
    â€œToday is Friday.” She handed Shana her overnight bag. The drive to L.A. had taken her almost two hours, and the plane she flew on was so small, her knees were practically on her chest. Everything combined had caused her back to crash.