Free The Nesting Dolls by Gail Bowen Page A

around.”
    The four girls disappeared into the kitchen and I caught my daughter’s eye. “What’s up?”
    Mieka took Jacob and sat down in the wing chair by the fireplace. “Where’s this child’s mother?” she asked.
    “You know her?” I said.
    Mieka shook her head. “I don’t know her, but I know who she is. She and this little guy have been at UpSlideDown every day this week.”
    Delia’s face was strained. “Did you talk to her?”
    “I tried,” Mieka said. “But we’ve been crazy busy. A lot of parents promise their kids that if they behave while they’re shopping, everybody gets to come to UpSlideDown for hot chocolate and a playtime afterward. Anyway, it’s beenhectic. The kids are wired, and the parents are wired, but everybody’s in a good space. I guess that’s why the woman who brought in this little guy was so noticeable.”
    “Her name is Abby Michaels,” Delia said bleakly.
    Mieka slid the baby out of his snowsuit. “So you’re taking care of Jacob for her?”
    “It’s complicated,” Noah said. “Yesterday afternoon, Abby Michaels went to the Luther Christmas concert. When the concert was over, she handed Jacob to Isobel and disappeared. It was just before the blackout, so there was a certain amount of confusion.”
    “Why did Abby give her baby to Isobel?” Mieka’s eyes travelled across our faces, searching for an answer.
    Noah glanced at Zack, and my husband picked up the thread. “We’ll fill you in on the background later, Mieka. Right now, our concern – everybody’s concern – is Abby Michaels. The police are looking for her, but they don’t have much to go on. Do you know anything that could help?”
    “Not really,” Mieka said. “The woman – Abby – would come in around three and stay till we closed at five-thirty. She was so alone. She never connected with the other parents – and she never connected with her baby.”
    Delia tensed. “Abby Michaels neglected her child?”
    Mieka smiled at the little boy. “He was never neglected – at least not physically. His mother – Abby – cared for him. When he whimpered, she gave him a bottle, and when he turned it down, she took him to the space where other mothers breast-feed.”
    “He was breast-fed?” I said. “It’s pretty difficult for a woman not to connect with a child she’s breast-feeding.”
    “His mother was trying to wean him, and Jacob obviously wasn’t ready. He knew what he wanted, and it wasn’t a bottle. A lot of women have had that experience, and I’m sure some of the other UpSlideDown regulars would havebeen only too willing to trade horror stories, but Abby didn’t encourage conversation.”
    “So you left her alone,” I said.
    Mieka lowered her eyes. “Yes, and it was hard because she was clearly desperate – not just about the weaning, but about everything. I tried, Mum. I’d linger with the coffee pot when I refilled her cup, but Abby didn’t let me in, and I didn’t push.”
    Jacob grabbed at the necklace Mieka was wearing; she smiled at him and loosened his grip. “Once she asked me about the big holiday blast we were having before Christmas.”
    “Did she want to bring Jacob?” Noah said.
    “No, she’d just noticed that people were stopping by with presents and leaving them under the tree, and she wondered what was going on. I told her parents were supposed to bring a gift for a child who might not be getting many presents.”
    “Did Abby bring a gift?” Noah asked.
    “I don’t know,” Mieka said. “There’s a mountain of presents, but we ask people to put the toys in gift bags, so that we can make sure the presents are new, safe, and age-appropriate.”
    The room was silent. Jacob had found Mieka’s necklace again, and she began uncurling his fingers from the chain and play-biting his fingertips. The game made him chuckle.
    Delia watched with a half-smile. “And that’s all?” she said, finally.
    Mieka coloured. “Not quite. There is something else,