Page 103 of A River of Crows

“Sometimes I’m not sure if she’s going off with Noah or sneaking back with Anna to visit her father,” Caroline said.

Libby held the phone in the crook of her neck as she folded laundry. “I’m sure Sloan’s not seeing Jay. But if she is, would it be the worst thing ever?”

Caroline huffed into the phone. “Whose side are you on?”

“Ridge and Sloan’s,” Libby said. “You realize it’s August, right? Shouldn’t you be in New York before the new school year starts?”

“Working on it. Don’t you think I want my son back?”

No, sometimes Libby didn’t think she did. Jay was sentenced in May, and there was still no plan for exchanging Ridge.

“How’s Sloan doing?” Libby picked up another towel to fold. “She always sounds so sad when she answers the phone.”

Caroline laughed. “She’s sad when anyone calls that’s not Noah. I wonder if she’s developing a bit of a crush on him. She’s been lightening her hair, wearing makeup, dressing differently.”

Libby smiled. “All normal for her age. Noah’s a nice boy.”

“What’s not normal is where she’s getting the money for this stuff.”

“Are you not giving her any spending money from what we’ve sent?”

“No, Libby, I’m sorta using that to feed us.”

“Well, maybe Walt and Doreen are buying it for her.”

“I bet it’s Anna,” Caroline said, switching to a conspiratorial tone. The kind they used to adopt when sharing tidbits of gossip. That seemed like a lifetime ago.

“How would Anna get money? She’s in the same boat as you.”

“Not really,” Caroline said. “The entire city of Tyler is rallying around them.”

Libby noticed she’d been folding the same towel repeatedly since she got on the phone. She threw it back in the basket with the others and stood. “Anna is a victim in this too, Caroline. I don’t expect you to have warm feelings for her, but if anyone knows what she’s going through, it’s you.”

“Oh, don’t feel sorry for her. She was at the mall yesterday with Felicity and was all smiles. Bought new perfume and makeup, two My Little Ponies for Felicity, and a Sega, I’m assuming, for her boys. A Sega, Libby.”

“How do you know this?” Libby asked. “Did you follow them around the mall?” Caroline’s momentary silence was the only answer Libby needed. “Why would you do that?”

“Curiosity. I wanted to get a good look at Anna. She’s not all that pretty. No wonder Jay couldn’t keep his hands off me.”

Libby’s skin crawled. “Do you follow them a lot?”

“No!” Caroline raised her voice. “I’m not obsessed. I just don’t think they should have a higher standard of living than we do.”

“Listen, Caroline. Stop worrying about them. You need to—” Libby stopped talking as Ridge entered the room. “Hey, Ridge just came in. Want to talk to him?”

“Yeah, sure,” Caroline said. “Put him on.”

“Ridge, it’s your mother.” Libby couldn’t help but notice how Ridge’s face dropped when she handed him the phone. Couldn’t ignore his one-word answers as she pretended to fold towels. It was like he and his mother had nothing to talk about. “How was your talk?” she asked when he hung up the phone.

“It was okay,” Ridge said. “When can I talk to Sloan?”

Libby squeezed the towel in her hand. “Probably not until your mother picks you up. Sloan still doesn’t know you’re here.”

Ridge’s eyebrows shot up. “Lo still thinks I’m dead? Why? That’s so mean.”

“I agree,” Libby said.

“But the whole thing is pretty mean. It was mean of Mom to make me lie—and mean of you and Vince too.”