Stalk, Don't Run by Carolyn Keene Read Free Book Online Page B

asked.
    “You bet something’s wrong,” she said. “Mandy, Mallory, and Mia were supposed to be interviewed on the six o’clock news tonight.”
    “And?” Ned asked.
    “Mia never showed up at the TV station or at her job this afternoon,” Deirdre said, pulling up a chair.
    That didn’t sound like Mia. Of all three sisters, she was the most responsible.
    “What do you think happened?” I asked.
    Deirdre’s eyes burned at me. “You tell me, Nancy,” she said. “Because it looks like Mia is MIA.”
    Missing? The last time Mia Casabian was missing, she had joined Roland’s Malachite Beach cult.
    “Oh no,” I said. “Here we go again!”

 

WITHOUT A TRACE
    “W hat do you mean, here we go again?” Deirdre asked.
    The last thing I wanted to do was rehash Mia’s cult nightmare, especially with Deirdre. I looked at Ned for help.
    “Look, Deirdre,” he said. “Maybe it wasn’t Mia’s day to work at the café. She could have forgotten the interview.”
    “That’s a lame excuse,” Deirdre huffed.
    “I can’t imagine Mia forgetting an important appointment either, Ned,” I said.
    “Well, did you text her?” Ned asked Deirdre. “Or call?”
    “Of course I did, but she didn’t answer,” Deirdre said. “Mia’s not even answering her sisters’ messages.”
    “That is weird,” I said.
    “What did you say to scare her away?” she asked. “You were pretty angry when you caught Ned kayaking with her.”
    “I was mad at Ned, not Mia. And I never even spoke to her about it,” I said firmly.
    Deirdre pushed her chair away and got up from the table.
    “I’m going to Casa Bonita,” she said coolly. “To make sure Mandy and Mallory are safe. Call me immediately if you hear anything about Mia.”
    Ned and I watched Deirdre storm off. Once she was out of the restaurant, Ned turned to me.
    “She’s unreal,” he said. “What does she think—someone’s out to get Mia?”
    The thought was a crazy one—until I remembered the carbon monoxide! I started to tell Ned, but then I looked at across the table at his face. We had just made up. No way could I spoil a perfect date with talk about carbon monoxide poisoning.
    As we started on dessert, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Deirdre had said. Had something sinister happened to Mia? Were Mandy and Mallory next?
    “It is kind of weird that Mia never called or texted,” George said. “Out of all three, she’s the—”
    “Responsible and sensible one.” I nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
    It was Saturday and the morning after my almost-perfect dinner with Ned. Bess, George, and I were headed for the Three Bean Café to talk to Mia’s boss. Maybe she’d noticed something strange about Mia or some of her customers. If she had, I wanted to know.
    “Maybe the carbon monoxide wasn’t a careless accident,” I said as we walked.
    We turned the corner and there was Mr. Safer, busy watering the vividly colored impatiens in front of his shop. Water dripped from the watering can all over his white smock. He smiled and waved us over.
    “Ignore him,” George whispered. “The guy fired you for no good reason.”
    “I know, but we have to go into his store,” I said. “Maybe Mandy heard from Mia. Then we’ll go to Three Bean.”
    Mr. Safer was humming “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” as we walked over to him.
    “Hi, Mr. Safer,” I said.
    “Hello, girls,” Mr. Safer boomed. He looked straight at me with a big grin. “So, Nancy, when can you start?”
    “Start what?” I asked.
    “Your old job in the cheese shop,” Mr. Safer said. “It’s yours if you want it.”
    I was totally surprised. “What about Mandy?” I asked
    “She never came to work this morning,” he said.
    Another sister not showing up for work? Not good.
    “Did you call her?” I asked.
    Mr. Safer started watering another planter and said, “She didn’t answer my call. Just as well. I don’t want her to have anything to do with the cheese shop anymore.”
    I imagined