Chapter 16

She ran to the phone and stood there to say, "Well, hello! Is everything all right?"

"Fine," said her dad's gravelly voice. "It was time for you to check in. The Gladys hadn't heard from you and I just wondered if you're all right. Who's the guy?"

Her gaze lifted to Luke standing, listening, too and his face went blank, as he wondered how she would reply.

"My boss. I'm helping him with some research." She gave Luke a precious smile and he had to clpa a hand over his mouth to stop the bluet of surprise.

"What sort of research?"

"It's temporary. How's the family? How's mother's play going."

"She played a Lassie-type dog's 'Mother' with a mostly stuffed collie and a whining sound track. The play is actually Raggs to the Rescue and there's an asinine little boy who's so talented, when he's on the stage, that everybody can almost endure him otherwise. He'll probably go to films next. Over there in Indiana. The film business is getting big there, did you know that?"

" No. How's she t