Maria was acting as an amateur sleuth, too. It was a tricky endeavour. Asking questions about Abby all over town would, doubtless, get back to her at some point. Subtlety was required. Perhaps she had been a little too oblique so far, because none of her conversations had led to Abby being mentioned.
Reference had been made to the Phillips family, but Maria didn't want to name Abby directly. Talking about Rory and Nina living in the Phillips old house had not brought much comment, except for inquiries about them and the baby. Eliciting information was proving harder than expected.
James, from the estate agents, was on the High Street one day, whilst Maria was at lunch. She said a brief hello and offered a throwaway comment.
"It looks like the Jacksons are happy in Meadow Lane. You might not be able to sell that house again for quite a while."
