Josh waves. “Hi, Ms. . . . hi.”
“Where’s your mom?” The woman’s gaze shifts to Olivia. “Where’s Jenna?”
“Who?” Olivia asks.
“Jenna Mason.”
Josh runs to Olivia and grabs her arm. “Jenna . . . Mason. That’s . . . that’s . . . Mom.”
“Jenna Mason?” Olivia tilts her head. She’s heard that name before. “The animator?”
“Mm-hmm.” The neighbor eyes her warily. “And you are?”
“If Jenna’s who I think she is, I’m her sister.”
“I have no idea where they were going. Jenna didn’t tell me,” Glenny Ross says over a bowl of macadamia nut ice cream in her kitchen. Glenny invited her and Josh inside for the treat when Olivia asked her about Lily—Jenna. They could talk inside. As soon as Glenny mentioned she hasn’t seen Jenna since the morning she and Josh packed up and left, the same day Josh arrived at Olivia’s, Josh grumbled, “Told you so” and took his ice cream to the back patio to play with Glenny’s terrier. While she unpacked the groceries, Glenny explained Jenna and Josh moved into their townhouse two years ago, and for the most part, Jenna keeps to herself. Most of what Glenny knows about Jenna she gleaned off the internet. Jenna never shares anything personal.
“I was outside when she was packing the car to leave,” Glenny explains in a warm voice. Her eyes are a faded blue and hair long and gray, streaked with silver. She hooks a hand around her hair while she talks and drapes it over a shoulder. Her limbs are lean, athletic, and skin sun soaked and aged. “She asked me to watch the place and call the police if I noticed anything suspicious. That was six days ago.”
Olivia thinks of Dwight. “Do you have her number?”
Glenny shakes her head. “I know I should have asked. But it was early. The sun was just coming up. They were in a rush and I was running late. Other than the other day, we hardly speak. I don’t see her often because of my hours. I own the ice cream and coffee café down by the water.”
Olivia probably knows more about Jenna Mason than Glenny, since they’re in the same industry. Jenna is the award-winning creator and animator of Tabby’s Squirrel, a cartoon about a quirky elderly woman with coke-bottle glasses and frazzled white hair named Tabitha and her pet gray squirrel. The curious critter gets into all sorts of mischief and Tabby into trouble. Jenna came onto the scene about eight years ago when quitting the high-tech industry was only a spark of an idea in Olivia’s head. The Crimson Wave wasn’t anything more than doodles in sketchbooks, unfinished illustrations on her computer. But Jenna’s YouTube channel was gaining in popularity. The artist, though, is a mystery. The Sia of animators. As far as Olivia knows, the public hasn’t seen Jenna’s face. Her social media profile pictures are animated caricatures, and her publicist oversees her handles. All communication is funneled through the one-woman publicity firm, from what Olivia was able to gather during a quick search while Glenny scooped ice cream. She already sent the publicist an email when she couldn’t locate a phone number, stressing her concern about Lily.
“Can you think of anyone who might know where Jenna went?”
“Not sure.” Glenny shakes her head. “I don’t see visitors other than Josh’s friends. But even they haven’t been around lately, not since the accident.”
“Josh’s head?”
She nods. “You know kids. They came around for a little bit after. I’d see them skateboarding out there in the street when I came home. Josh wasn’t allowed to.”
His activities were probably medically restricted.
“When did all that happen?” Olivia asks.
Glenny taps her chin. “A few months back. That sounds about right.”
Olivia nudges her bowl aside, the ice cream turning to soup. Her stomach rolls like small waves when the tide’s coming in. How long has Dwight known where Lily is? What on earth could he want from her? Does he have any compassion at all for Lily and Josh? She looks out the back window. Josh rolls a ball past the dog. The terrier chases it. “What was he like before?” she asks.
“Wild. Disobedient. Those boys smoke pot under the pier. I see them from my shop windows. His father isn’t around,” Glenny says as if that’s the reason Josh is the way he is. “After, he was different, as you can see.” Her gaze swings to Josh and holds on. “He’s quiet.”
Olivia would say depressed. “You mentioned the police. Was Jenna in some sort of trouble?”
“Not that I’m aware of, though we did have a man sneaking around. He was a pervert, peeking in our windows. I called the police on him once. I think others did, too. The police came several times. Whoever it was left. I haven’t seen him in some time.”
Heart pounding, fingers mentally crossed she’s wrong, she opens her photo app and pulls up a picture of Dwight. “Do you recognize him?”
Glenny frowns at the photo. “Not sure. Wait . . . yes. If he’s the same man, he visited Jenna once, maybe more. Hard to say.”
Olivia’s hand trembles when Glenny gives back her phone. She wishes she’d been wrong about Dwight. But Glenny is the second person to confirm Dwight found Lily. “When did you last see him?” she asks, rattled.
“Weeks, maybe months ago.”
“Nothing more recent, like last week?”
“No, sorry. I can’t confirm that.”
“Can you describe the other guy, that peeping Tom?” Olivia wonders if he has anything to do with Lily’s quick departure. Could he be the shadow man in Josh’s illustrations?
“Never got a good look at him.”
That is not what she wanted to hear. Same with the fact Dwight has been in contact with Lily.
After Olivia and Josh leave Glenny’s, they knock on neighbors’ doors. Josh grows increasingly agitated with each visit. “Don’t know her,” he’d say with each person Olivia tried. Those home and who know of Jenna confirmed Glenny’s observations. They recognized Josh, who’d play catch and skateboard with his friends in the street, but Jenna kept to herself. Most didn’t realize she’d left town or that she’s missing.
Over dinner at a taco stand by the beach, Olivia fires off another email to Jenna’s publicist, this time begging the woman to call her. The matter is urgent. Olivia also exchanged numbers with Glenny. Glenny would reach out if Jenna returned home.
Olivia debates spending the night. They could visit Josh’s school to spread word they’re looking for Lily—rather Jenna. They could check the local hospitals and police department, but it’s likely Lily and Josh weren’t anywhere near here when they separated. If they were, why didn’t Josh just go home?
Her mind keeps veering back to Dwight. He’s potentially dangerous but he could be the last person who saw Lily. Olivia is deeply convinced. She and Josh could spend the night and more time looking, or she could rally Lucas, and they could confront their dad. She could get her answers. Lucas would help her make him talk. It’s a risk, but she’ll leave Josh in Blaze’s care. Dwight will never know he’s with her.
Plan made, Olivia decides to drive home.