happened next?”
“I used the third ticket Mr. Connelly gave me to fly from London to New York City.”
“Did you try to contact Georgia after that?”
“I wrote her a letter. Mr. Connelly got hold of it somehow and found me. I thought he was going to kill me, but a neighbor came to see what all the shouting was about.”
“Did you move to a different address?”
“No, I stayed. I thought if he knew right where I was, he wouldn’t think I was up to something. Besides , I didn’t know of anyplace else to go in America. I never tried to contact Georgia again and he stayed away.”
“ How did you end up in Colorado?”
Adelaide wiped the last tear off her cheek. “Well, they were going to demolish the building I lived in, so I had to go somewhere. I used to get the Denver paper and I read about Mathew and Laura Connelly a few times, so I knew Georgia’s mother didn’t die. Then I read about Mr. Gladstone and his money, and wasn’t it sad he had only one daughter, Laura Connelly, and no grandchildren.”
“So you knew Mr. Gladstone didn’t know about Georgia.”
“That’s right. There isn’t a day goes by, I don’t think about my sweet little Georgia. I thought it was about time her grandfather knew, so I spent all I had on a bus ticket.”
Jackie’s eyes widened. “You rode a bus all the way from New York City to Denver?”
“ It took forever. I’ll never do that again.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“I was down to my last dime, got hungry, and went to a shelter. A nice man there said he could help me. Mind you, I’ve heard that song before. Only this one really did help me. He got my social security checks transferred here, and got me this place to live. It isn’t much, but it’s a roof over my head.”
“Mr. Gladstone i s very grateful you came to him,” said Jackie.
“Was, you mean. He died. Mathew Connelly killed him.”
“Why do you say that ?”
“Oh, I don’t know for certain, but I wouldn’t put it past a man like him. He is pure evil. You can see it in his eyes. No man has ever scared me the way Mathew Connelly did.”
“ I understand.” Jackie pulled a business card out of her purse. “Here’s my card. If you need anything, call me, and I’ll send someone to help you.”
“Oh, if you don’t tell him, Mr. Connelly will never think to look for me here. I’m right under his nose.”
Jackie laid the card on the table. “I want you to have it anyway. Maybe you’ll think of something else that can help us find her.”
“ I wouldn’t know anything more. I haven’t seen her since she was six. You think I could have the picture I gave Mr. Gladstone back someday?”
“I’ll send it over by courier.”
“Thank you. If you find Georgia, will you tell her how sorry I am?”
Jackie tenderly patted the back of Adelaide’s hand. “I’ll tell her.”
*
Teresa was surprised when the front doorbell chimed. Laura didn’t feel like doing anything except watch soap operas in the family room, so Teresa was busy catching up on a few chores. She set her broom in the corner of the bathroom on the first floor, and hurried to the foyer. Before she opened the door, she straightened her apron and glanced in the wall mirror to make certain she looked presentable. Just as the bell began to sound again, she opened the door.
The woman standing on the top step had blonde hair, was wearing a strapless, floral print summer dress, with bright red gloss on her full lips. “May I help you?”
“ I’m Amanda Black. I would like to see Mrs. Connelly.”
“ Let her in,” Laura said, as she walked into the room.
“Yes, Mum,” said Teresa. She opened the door wider and stood aside.
“Come in and sit. We do not often have visitors.” Laura went to the sofa, made herself comfortable, and waited for the much younger woman to join her.
Teresa closed the door and stayed just inside the foyer.
She was a little hesitant, but Amanda chose an armchair, and then carefully
“I used the third ticket Mr. Connelly gave me to fly from London to New York City.”
“Did you try to contact Georgia after that?”
“I wrote her a letter. Mr. Connelly got hold of it somehow and found me. I thought he was going to kill me, but a neighbor came to see what all the shouting was about.”
“Did you move to a different address?”
“No, I stayed. I thought if he knew right where I was, he wouldn’t think I was up to something. Besides , I didn’t know of anyplace else to go in America. I never tried to contact Georgia again and he stayed away.”
“ How did you end up in Colorado?”
Adelaide wiped the last tear off her cheek. “Well, they were going to demolish the building I lived in, so I had to go somewhere. I used to get the Denver paper and I read about Mathew and Laura Connelly a few times, so I knew Georgia’s mother didn’t die. Then I read about Mr. Gladstone and his money, and wasn’t it sad he had only one daughter, Laura Connelly, and no grandchildren.”
“So you knew Mr. Gladstone didn’t know about Georgia.”
“That’s right. There isn’t a day goes by, I don’t think about my sweet little Georgia. I thought it was about time her grandfather knew, so I spent all I had on a bus ticket.”
Jackie’s eyes widened. “You rode a bus all the way from New York City to Denver?”
“ It took forever. I’ll never do that again.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“I was down to my last dime, got hungry, and went to a shelter. A nice man there said he could help me. Mind you, I’ve heard that song before. Only this one really did help me. He got my social security checks transferred here, and got me this place to live. It isn’t much, but it’s a roof over my head.”
“Mr. Gladstone i s very grateful you came to him,” said Jackie.
“Was, you mean. He died. Mathew Connelly killed him.”
“Why do you say that ?”
“Oh, I don’t know for certain, but I wouldn’t put it past a man like him. He is pure evil. You can see it in his eyes. No man has ever scared me the way Mathew Connelly did.”
“ I understand.” Jackie pulled a business card out of her purse. “Here’s my card. If you need anything, call me, and I’ll send someone to help you.”
“Oh, if you don’t tell him, Mr. Connelly will never think to look for me here. I’m right under his nose.”
Jackie laid the card on the table. “I want you to have it anyway. Maybe you’ll think of something else that can help us find her.”
“ I wouldn’t know anything more. I haven’t seen her since she was six. You think I could have the picture I gave Mr. Gladstone back someday?”
“I’ll send it over by courier.”
“Thank you. If you find Georgia, will you tell her how sorry I am?”
Jackie tenderly patted the back of Adelaide’s hand. “I’ll tell her.”
*
Teresa was surprised when the front doorbell chimed. Laura didn’t feel like doing anything except watch soap operas in the family room, so Teresa was busy catching up on a few chores. She set her broom in the corner of the bathroom on the first floor, and hurried to the foyer. Before she opened the door, she straightened her apron and glanced in the wall mirror to make certain she looked presentable. Just as the bell began to sound again, she opened the door.
The woman standing on the top step had blonde hair, was wearing a strapless, floral print summer dress, with bright red gloss on her full lips. “May I help you?”
“ I’m Amanda Black. I would like to see Mrs. Connelly.”
“ Let her in,” Laura said, as she walked into the room.
“Yes, Mum,” said Teresa. She opened the door wider and stood aside.
“Come in and sit. We do not often have visitors.” Laura went to the sofa, made herself comfortable, and waited for the much younger woman to join her.
Teresa closed the door and stayed just inside the foyer.
She was a little hesitant, but Amanda chose an armchair, and then carefully
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