Seven Years Of Votes And Always One Short Chapter 05

Dad shook his head at once, denial pouring out of him.

“Just someone with the same name. There’s no way that’s our Jojo.”

Miles picked it right up, the snear coming as naturally as breathing.

“Exactly. Since when does a country hick have th

“Exactly. Since when does a country hick have that kind of talent? Are you sure Jo Linley didn’t put you up to this?”

–

Grandma stepped forward, her decorous smile still firmly in place.

“I know that girl’s measure down to the ounce, young man. Spare us the jokes.”

Battered by the volley of doubt, the reporter lost his patience and turned the screen straight toward

them.

There, on the Fermat Prize’s official homepage, the winner’s portrait sat in plain view.

It was Jo Linley’s face.

Beneath it, the profile read: [Jo Linley, American, awarded for her breakthrough contributions to algebraic geometry. The youngest laureate in the prize’s history, and the first American woman

ever to win it.]

The reporter pulled up a feature on her and read it out loud to the Shermans.

“Professor Jo Linley was abducted at seven and grew up in the mountains. She worked her way into the country’s top mathematics program through self-study and scholarships. Her doctoral thesis has been hailed as one of the most important algebraic geometry breakthroughs of the past

decade.”

“All of this information is verifiable on the official website.”

A deathly hush fell over the banquet hall.

Grandma’s smile froze on her face,

Aunt’s mouth hung open, utterly stunned.

Dad took a step forward, staring at the photograph, his pupils contracting sharply.

Relatives and guests in the crowd erupted in shock.

“The Fermat Prize? That’s the Nobel Prize of mathematics, right?”

“What is going on? The Shermans’ own birth daughter is that brilliant?”

“Brilliant or not, did you hear them earlier? They wouldn’t even put her in the family Bible

“Good heavens. The youngest Fermat laureate in history. She’d warrant a family Bible all her own!”

The speculation rolled in like a tide.

Grandma snapped back to herself and wrung out a smile by sheer force.

“This girl has always been so modest. Why didn’t she tell us sooner!”

She turned toward Mom, her voice urgent.

“Go, bring Jojo here at once! She said she wasn’t feeling well. Get her a seat at the head table!”

“Everyone please stay calm, Jojo will be here any moment.”

Mom jolted as if a spell had broken and nodded frantically.

“Yes yes, I’ll get her right away.

The whole family hurried toward the storage room.

Pearl Sherman bit her lip and spoke timidly.

“Maybe Jo kept it secret because she was angry at us? Look how awkward she’s made things for

everyone!”

No one spared her a glance.

Pearl’s expression darkened.

The storage room door stood slightly ajar.

But the instant they pushed it open, they froze.

The forty-square-foot room was empty.

The blanket on the camp cot was folded neatly, and the carefully folded blue gown lay atop the bed.

There was no trace that Jo had ever stayed there.

“Jojo?” Mom’s voice trembled. “Where is she?”

No one could answer.

She gathered the dress into her arms and sank to the floor.

“She’s gone. She’s really gone…!

Dad stood in the doorway, unable to utter a single word.

Miles stared at the blue gown in Mom’s hands and went quiet too.

Only moments ago he’d said Jo was just putting on an act, that she could never bring herself to

leave.

But why would she cling to a family that treated her like this?

Grandma hobbled over with her cane, her face draining of color.

For the first time, her voice lost its refined composure.

“Where is she! Find her at once! Somebody call her, now!”