Shadows on the Lane by Virginia Rose Richter Read Free Book Online Page B

time?” Jessie asked.
    “I think so. No, wait. She was getting bored and asked dad if she could go outside.” Bryce was quiet. “Do you think she met Rita that day?”
    “It all fits,” said Jessie. “But how do we prove it?” She frowned. “Daddy says the police can’t go looking into people’s barns without a good reason.”
    By now, they had reached Courthouse Square. The green and white bandstand sat on the lawn, with a fresh coat of paint after the winter storms. People were talking and moving about, finding places to put their blankets or lawn chairs and preparing to listen to the music. Musicians on the platform tuned their instruments and spoke quietly among themselves.
    When they stepped onto the lawn, Jessie felt as if everyone was looking at them and she dropped Bryce’s hand. She glanced at him. He had a little smile and held himself straight and tall. She tried to do the same but instead gave a nervous giggle. I’ll never be smooth like Bryce.
    The concert began with the “Star Spangled Banner” and the crowd stood up. Seated back on the grass, people forgot about Bryce and Jessie and enjoyed the music while they ate lunch from picnic baskets and read books. Small children chased each other around trees and were shushed by their parents when they became too rowdy.
    Jessie felt so happy. She clapped with enthusiasm after each piece and drank a cup of punch that Bryce brought her from the drink stand. It’s a perfect day!
    When the performance ended, they stood and worked their way to the street. Then she saw it. “Bryce!” she said. “Look at the red flower on that antenna! That’s the car!”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
    Jessie and Bryce pushed through the crowd, but by the time they reached the curb, the car was gone.
    “Drats!” exclaimed Jessie. “What should we do?”
    Bryce’s face was red with fury. “I can’t believe that car is still driving around loose. Let’s go to ROSIE’S CAFÉ and have a coke. We need to do something, make a plan.”
    They sat in a booth and sipped their drinks. “This is what I remember about that afternoon at the museum,” said Jessie. “Let’s write it down.”
    Bryce still looked grim but seemed calmer. He pulled a paper napkin from the silver holder and got up to ask the waitress for a pencil. “Okay. Fire away,” he said.
    “The sounds were people talking and laughing, your dad tapping a glass, dishes and silverware, chairs scraping on the wood floor…” said Jessie. Bryce was writing it down.
    “What about people walking, like the waitresses? And once someone dropped a tray and it was really loud,” said Bryce. He added that to the list.
    “I forgot about that,” said Jessie. “How about smells? What do you remember?”
    Bryce smiled. “The cookies. I remember because they smelled like they just came out of the oven. And the smell of coffee. Some people don’t like tea. And how about the lilacs? They were all over the place, in vases and outside the open windows too.”
    She nodded. Boy is he cool to notice the lilacs. What other boy in town would pay attention like that? “That’s nice, Bryce. About the lilacs.”
    His eyes became sad. “My mom loved lilacs.”
    “Oh,” said Jessie. “No wonder you noticed.” She didn’t know what else to say.
    “What did you smell?” he asked.
    “I remember the scones,” she said. “Or maybe I just remember how they tasted with butter and jam,” she laughed. “But what I really remember smelling was outside. They’d just mowed the grass and I love that smell. Also, all the flowers in the beds on the lawn and the trees too. Everything smelled like spring.” He probably thinks I’m silly. Like some dopey girl in a book.
    But he was smiling at her and it was the sweetest smile. Oh, I like him so much!
    He finished writing the list on the napkin, folded it and stood to put it into his pocket. “We’d better start home. Your folks will be out looking for us.”
    The sun was setting as they