Scrappily Ever After by Mollie Cox Bryan Read Free Book Online Page A

cliff. She didn’t want to hear it so she kept walking and ignored him.
    â€œVera!” he called again.
    She turned, reluctantly.
    â€œYes?”
    â€œI understand you were looking for me today,” he said. “And I was in the neighborhood so I thought I’d stop by.”
    â€œThat’s right. I needed to talk with you about Mama.”
    â€œBeatrice? Really?” the detective said, following her inside.
    â€œIt seems that my mother cut her trip to Paris short. She’s been seen around town and evidently has been home long enough to drop off her luggage and her cell phone.”
    â€œAnd?”
    She shrugged with her arms splayed out. “I haven’t seen her.”
    His eyebrows lifted and his mouth went crooked. “Are you saying that she’s missing?”
    Vera nodded. “I can’t find her or Jon. In fact, Jon’s sister called here looking for him. They must have left Paris days ago.”
    His hands went to his hips and his shook his head.
    â€œI noticed her car isn’t in the driveway,” he said.
    â€œNo. She drove it to the airport. So I assume she drove it back and then left again. But I’m worried. This isn’t like her. I’ve not heard a word from her,” she said.
    â€œBeatrice can generally take of herself.”
    â€œYes, that would be the consensus,” she said, sitting down on the couch. “But she is almost eighty-five years old and Jon is in his seventies. Anything could have happened to them.”
    Bryant sat down next to her. “You know, I forget about how old she is.” He seemed to be thinking. His hand scratched his stubbled chin. “Could there be a miscommunication somewhere?”
    Junie Bee slinked into the room and hopped onto Bryant’s lap. “Cute cat,” he said.
    Vera could not hold back a smile, watching the burly detective pet the cat and Junie Bee rub and purr against him, circling and then finally settling onto his lap.
    â€œUm,” Bryant said. “Where were we?”
    â€œMiscommunication,” Vera said, then yawned. It was so late and the stress of the day was getting to her. Her shoulders and back ached from those damned hospital chairs, but the good news was that Donna was awake and quite lucid, smart-mouthing the doctors, which gave them hope.
    â€œHave you checked your cell phone?” he asked.
    â€œYes, but there’s not much point in that. Mama doesn’t know my cell number. I programmed it into her cell phone so she can just push one button. She has no idea what the number is.”
    â€œWhat about the house phone?” he asked, looking around and then resting his eyes on the phone on the wall.
    â€œIf there was a message, the light would be blinking,” Vera said, and yawned again.
    When Bryant stood up to take a closer look at the phone, the cat leapt from his lap. “Whoa,” he said, holding up a chewed wire. “Maybe she has been trying to reach you.”
    Suddenly Vera was wide awake.
    â€œYou need to replace the cord—looks like something has chewed this,” he said, looking at the cat.
    â€œDo you think that Junie Bee—” That damned cat!
    He nodded. “No place open right now. Why don’t you let me bring you a cord in the morning? If there are no messages from your mom, we’ll work on finding her. Okay?”
    Vera sank back into her chair and nodded. “I never thought to check the phone.”
    â€œHey,” he said in a lighthearted voice. “I’m a detective. This is what we do.” He grinned and held up the wire.
    She laughed. Come to think of it, the last call she’d gotten was days ago from Evie, before she figured out that Beatrice was home. They must have been on their way home then.
    â€œI’ll see myself out,” he said. “Just try to get some sleep. You look tired.”
    She nodded. “Yep, I am. Good night.”
    When he left, Junie Bee