Page 84 of Falling Madly
Charlie gave me a pointed look. “The town? That was two people and their two buddies, and to be honest, the other guys looked uncomfortable. I know we arrived a bit late, but I saw the tail end of it.”
“I looked them up,” I confessed. “The Nevilles own a lot of real estate around here. They support the local events and the school. I’m sure they’re well connected.”
“Doesn’t mean they rule the world,” Bess muttered.
Charlie glanced at the cafe, then at our cars. “Where to? Should we grab some lunch?”
“I’m so hungry,” Bess added apologetically, gazing at the cafe.
“Go eat!” I urged them. “I’ll head back to the hill. There might still be people around. Someone might have seen her.”
I was running out of ideas, but I couldn’t imagine sitting down to relax or even swallow food.
I drove back, scanning the roadside so intently I spotted a deer behind some trees. The sledding competition was in full packing-up mode, the stage pallets and broken cardboard pieces being hauled onto trailers in the empty parking lot. When I made it to the competition site, I saw the PA equipment had already disappeared and only a handful of kids remained on the slope, sliding down on toboggans.
The Nevilles were gone, but I spotted two parents grasping Thermoses and instantly recognized the lady Teresa had run into earlier. What was her name? My brain flipped through a Rolodex of flowers until I hit a familiar one—Peony.
“Peony, right?” I approached her with a tentative smile.
“Yes! You’re Teresa’s friend. Sorry, I forgot your name.” She smiled apologetically.
“Trevor,” I supplied.
“Hi, Trevor! Would you like some coffee?” She raised her Thermos. “I have an extra cup.”
Before I could refuse, she’d rummaged through her giant tote bag and discovered a plastic cup that looked like the cap of her Thermos. I accepted a cup of steaming coffee, suddenly grateful for the sense of normalcy it brought.
“Thank you. So, did you take part in the race?” I asked, to be polite.
“Oh, no! The kids don’t have patience for building those things. They just want to slide?—”
“Actually, I need to ask ye something.” It seemed I had no patience either, with panic gnawing my gut. “Did you happen to see which way Teresa went? She ran off when those guys cornered her.”
“Julian and his dad? They’re the devil! I hope she didn’t take it to heart. The Nevilles like running their mouths but they wouldn’t do anything.”
“Are you sure?”
She shrugged. “They like being seen as benefactors of the town. They wouldn’t do anything to hurt their reputation.” The look in her eyes belied the light tone she applied to her words.
“Are ye scared of them?” I asked without thinking.
Peony tried to laugh. “Oh, no! Not anymore. I just keep out of their way. It’s… mutual.”
She was scared, but I couldn’t figure out why.
“So… any chance ye saw which way Teresa went?”
She shook her head. “No, sorry. I think she ran towards the parking lot, but I didn’t see anything beyond that.”
“Me neither. To tell you the truth, I’m worried.” I took a sip of the coffee. It was black and so strong my eyes watered.
“I can ask my friend Kerry. She already left, but she was on parking duty so she would have seen more of what was happening on that side.”
“That’d be great. I’m probably overreacting, but she’s not answering her phone. I mean… her phone is not on.”
“Maybe she’s out of range? You don’t have to go far up Mountain View Road and you lose the signal. People who live that way are always complaining.”
“She was on foot, though. Could she have walked that far?”
