Bill folded his arms across his chest when his wife took the note. The next moment, he drew in a sharp breath. Ruth! For over a year they had been desperate to hear from her, yet the selfish girl had refused to communicate. She had run away and they had been dead to her.

He found his head spinning. Ruth. Here she was at last. Shameless girl. He shared his wife's sentiment, and yet, when his head stopped spinning, he followed her into the kitchen and gently took her arm. "We don't know what's goin' on. There's no time for tea. For all we know it's sum't bad."