Part 25 (1/2)
”I can't wait to tell Mom the good news,” said Elmo.
”Hey-you called her Mom,” said Macy.
”Yeah. I guess I'm already getting used to it,” said Elmo.
”You can't wait to tell her what? About breaking up with Carsie...or about us?”
”Both. And I can't remember the last time I was excited about sharing anything with her. She's like the brat who pops your birthday balloons. She always finds a way to spoil your party. But this time I think it will be different. I really think she'll be happy for me. For us.”
”I think so too.” Macy wanted to scream with delight.
”Just think about it, Macy-what it would be like to live in a house without tension. A house where we all love each other and we're all happy.”
”It would be wonderful,” said Macy.
”Yes.” He smiled at her. ”Wonderful.”
Chapter28.
Greg had looked down every isle in Wal-Mart, but could not find Beverly. Cynthia was waiting near her mother's car in case she showed up out there.
Finally Greg went to customer service and asked that Beverly be paged. While he was waiting, he noticed a display of flashlights and decided to buy two large ones and some batteries.
There was no response from the page.
By the time he made it back to Beverly's car, Cynthia was getting frantic. ”Where could she be?”
”I don't know.” He handed Cynthia a flashlight and then clicked his on and began to s.h.i.+ne it in and around the car. Then he checked underneath.
”Oh. This is not good,” he said.
”What?”
”There's a set a keys under here.”
”Mom'skeys?”
”I don't know.” He stretched out on the pavement and reached under the car to retrieve the keys.
”Are these hers?” He held them up.
Cynthia reached down and took the keys and s.h.i.+ned her flashlight on them.
”Yes, these are her keys. Greg, she must have been kidnapped.”
Greg stood up. ”It kinda looks that way. But why would anyone kidnap her? It doesn't make any sense.”
Cynthia walked over to one of the cops who were working the murder scene. Greg followed her.
”Sir, can you please help me? I think my mother has been kidnapped,” said Cynthia.
The cop yelled over his shoulder, ”Captain, we've got another one over here.”
He turned back to Cynthia. ”So, she came here by herself and her car's still here, but you can't find her?”
”That's right,” said Cynthia.
”Was somebody else kidnapped too?” said Greg.
”Marcia Cleggmore,” said the cop.
Cynthia and Greg knew who that was. Everybody knew about the Cleggmores-the wealthiest family in town.
”And somebody else is missing too,” said the cop.
Is that what Beverly would be to the cops-just another somebody? Cynthia wondered.
The officer took down the information, and told Cynthia they would be on the lookout for her mother, but she would need to go down to the station and fill out a formal missing persons report as well.
Obviously, the cops would use every tool at their disposal to find Mrs. Cleggmore, Cynthia thought. After that, they might make an effort to find Beverly.
”Sorry, ma'am, but I've got to get back,” said the cop. He turned and walked away.
”Isn't that the mayor?” said Greg.
”Yes,” said Cynthia. ”And look-that's Alexander Cleggmore talking to him. The only chance of them finding Mom is if she's with Marcia Cleggmore.”
”Wait a second,” said Greg. ”The woman who was murder was stabbed, right?”
”Yeah, that's what they said.”
”Nancie Jo Gristel was stabbed to death.”
”Right...”
”What if it's the same killer? It's kind of similar.”
”Yeah. These are older women, like Nancie Jo,” said Cynthia.
”Remember that car I saw yesterday at the copy shop? The one with that b.u.mper sticker I'd never seen before?”
”The one you thought might be the murderer's car because of what Nancie Jo's neighbor said? But there's something wrong with that man. He probably didn't know what he was talking about.”
”But what if he did? What if that wasthe murderer's car?”