A Roux of Revenge by Connie Archer Read Free Book Online

away. There were more important things to worry about, namely Janie’s whereabouts. Miriam would be waiting to hear from Lucky. She drove thelength of Hampstead and patiently cruised up and down every street in Snowflake. She checked every alleyway and parking lot she could think of. There was no sign of Janie’s car. There was one logical possibility. Perhaps Janie had headed for the Harvest Festival. It would have still been open and in full swing at the time Miriam said that Janie had stormed out of the house.
    Lucky turned hercar in the direction of the road out of town. It was only a few miles to the farmer’s field where the festival was taking place. Lucky sighed. Best to leave no stone unturned. Once she left the safety of town, a wave of loneliness swept over her. The woods on either side were black against the night sky. Only a sliver of moon glowed above them. The night was playing tricks on her. Twice, she slowed,not sure which way the road turned, even though she knew this route well. Darkness had altered her perception. Either that or she was more tired than she was willing to admit. She yawned widely and rubbed her eyes, flicking on her high beams. When she saw the sign for the festival, she slowed and turned into the parking area. The gate was wide open. Her headlights cut a swath of light acrossthe area. Not a single car, truck or van stood inside the lot. Janie was definitely not here.
    Lucky drove a full circle and exited through the opening in the wooden fence. She turned toward town. Where would Janie have gone if she hadn’t wanted to go home? And what kind of an argument could she have had with her mother that would have caused her to be so upset? Where did she spend most ofher time? The Spoonful! Was it possible Janie had gone to the restaurant? But how could she spend the night there? There was no place to sleep. Lucky mentally kicked herself when she realized she should have checked the Spoonful first before cruising all over the countryside.
    Once she reached the main part of town, she drove down Broadway and pulled into the alleyway that led to the smallparking area behind the restaurant. Janie’s car stood alone behind the restaurant, parked in the same spot she used every day. Lucky shook her head. Stupid! Why hadn’t she thought to check here first? What was wrong with her brain? Hopefully, she could blame the oversight on lack of sleep.
    She turned off the engine and climbed out. She snuggled into her sweater and hurried to the back door,turning her key in the lock. The hallway interior was dark, except for the glow from a small nightlight in the kitchen. Lucky flicked on the switch by the back door and illuminated the hallway leading to the front of the restaurant. She called out. “Janie? Are you here?”
    No answer.
    She walked to the door of the large storage closet and pushed against it. It opened without a sound. Shereached for the cord that controlled the overhead light. The storage space was brightly illuminated. Janie was curled up in a fetal position inside a sleeping bag on the wooden floor. Lucky saw a slight movement. Janie turned her head and squinted. When she realized she had been discovered, she sat up quickly.
    “Lucky!” she exclaimed.
    “Janie, what are you doing here?”
    “Please don’tbe mad, Lucky.” She rubbed sleep from her eyes. “I just didn’t have anyplace else I could go. Without a lot of explanation anyway.”
    “Your mother is worried sick about you.”
    “She called you?” Janie squeaked.
    “Yes. You shouldn’t let her worry like that, no matter what happened.”
    Janie’s jaw tightened. She looked like she was about to give a sharp retort but thought better of it.“I’m sorry, Lucky. I didn’t mean for you to have to go looking for me.”
    “Well, I’m just relieved you’re all right. But you can’t spend the night like this—what’s left of it. And you’ll feel wretched in the morning. Besides, our insurance policy is very clear.