Chapter 12Walnut Creek, California
1988
Carol studied the address and frowned as she brought her car to a stop. She needed to find Lilac, and so far she had seen Daisy, Aster, Tulip, Rose, Strawberry, and Orchid, but no Lilac. Daniel had told her she needed to be there by three sharp, and the little hand on her watch was inching ever closer to the hour.
She hadn’t left the office until just after 2:30, and traffic on the I-4 was already heavy. “Great. I’m going to be late. Fan-f*****g-tastic,” she muttered, putting her car in gear again.
In her defense, work had been hectic that morning. The Reach Out Organization accepted walk-in appointments from eight until ten every morning, and since Carol started working there, she averaged three or four clients a day. Some of them needed help wi
