Texas Tall (24 page)

He was quiet for what seemed like a long time. Maybe he suspected Jess of being some kind of con artist, out to win the poor woman over and fleece her of her savings. “I can't promise,” he said. “But I'll try to do what's best for both of you. What's your mother's name?”

“Francine. Francine McFadden.”

The SUV lurched slightly, crunching gravel on the shoulder of the road before he regained control of the steering wheel. Something about the name had clearly startled him.

“Do you know her?” Jess asked. “You do, don't you?”

“Yup.”

“Then you must know where she lives. Can you at least drive me by her house?”

“No need for that. I know for a fact she isn't there.”

“Well, where is she?” Jess demanded. “Is she out of town?”

“Nope.” He shot her a narrow-eyed glance. “Francine is doing time in the county jail.”

Janet Dailey's
first book was published in 1976. Since then she has written more than 100 novels and become one of the top-selling female authors in the world, with 300 million copies of her books sold in nineteen languages in ninety-eight countries. She is known for her strong, decisive characters, her extraordinary ability to recreate a time and a place, and her unerring courage to confront important, controversial issues in her stories. You can learn more about Janet Dailey and her books at
JanetDailey.com
.