Catherine nodded. “It’s not surprising that was your first guess. I imagine you’ve lived with Eve’s obsession for finding Bonnie since you came to her.”

“Guess?” Jane took a drink of her coffee. “Finding her daughter’s murderer and her daughter’s body has guided her life. It’s guided all our lives. She’s tried for many, many years to bring her Bonnie home.” She looked out the window at the passing scene. “And Joe’s been with her, trying desperately to understand, to help, to find Bonnie, so that Eve could be at peace. I can’t tell you how many times she’s come to what she thought was that final resolution and been disappointed. But she never gives up.”

Catherine added quietly, “And Joe was getting tired, weary of worrying about her, wanting her to come to terms.”

Jane looked back at her. “Yes, how do you know? Joe wouldn’t complain.”

“Joe and I are a lot alike,” Catherine said. “And I had to examine all facets of Eve’s problem before I made a move to ask her to help me find my son, Luke. I didn’t want to make a mistake.”

“Mistake?”

“I promised her I’d pay her back for helping return my son to me,” Catherine said. “She wouldn’t accept anything, but I couldn’t let it go. I knew the only gift she would think worthwhile would be for me to find her daughter’s killer.” Her lips twisted. “So that was what I had to give her. Whether or not it might destroy the life she had with Joe.”

“You found him?” Jane’s eyes widened. “You actually found Bonnie’s killer?”

“I found two possibilities. Paul Black, who was already on Eve’s search list.”

“She told me about him.”

“But I was betting on a new stallion in the race. One that would be much more troublesome. Naturally, I had to pull him front and center.”