police will
believe me now. Everyone will believe me.”
“Leslie!” Audrey hissed. “Lower your voice, will you please?”
Leslie’s thin face darkened. “Well, I thought you might be happy for
me, Mom. Don’t you see? This proves I was telling the truth.”
“Of course I’m relieved that you will be vindicated, dear.” Audrey
reached out to stroke her daughter’s fine brown hair, noticing it had
lost some of its sheen. “But, honestly, it’s hard to be happy at some
other poor girl’s expense. Who is she? Do I know her?”
“I doubt it. But she’s a waitress at Nagle’s, and she’s the one
Shawn’s been going out with.”
“Dear God,” Audrey exclaimed. “Another girlfriend of Shawn’s
disappeared? The police must be
looking into that. Well, God help her, and God help her family,” Audrey
said softly, thinking about what she and her husband had just been
through. “I think we should do something to help them, Leslie. Maybe we
should volunteer our storeroom again as a community search
headquarters.”
Audrey could almost see the wheels spinning in her daughter’s mind
before she answered. “Yeah, I guess that would be okay. And I’ll come
in to help. I want everyone who doubted me to have a chance to tell me
how wrong they were.
CHAPTER 31
Trudging up Main Avenue, Sammy Gates grumbled as he carried his
heavy camera gear over his shoulder. “Jesus, it’s hot. Remind me again
why we’re doing this.”
“Because if we can’t get Leslie Patterson, at least we might get
some reaction from her mother.” Diane tried to sound patient, but
inwardly she was in no mood for Sammy’s complaints. This was his job,
for God’s sake. “If she agrees, and we’re ready to shoot right then,
she won’t have time to change her mind.”
“Sounds half-baked to me.” Sammy sneered as he turned to his
partner. “What do you think, Gary?”
“It makes no difference.” Gary shrugged. “I’m on the clock, and
whatever they want while they’re paying the freight is fine by me.” Gary Bing was as sweet and agreeable
as Sammy Gates was ornery and argumentative. Diane thought Gary was a
saint for working with Sammy. While most KEY News staffers avoided
Sammy as much as possible, poor Gary was stuck with the curmudgeon day
after day.
Sammy didn’t take the cue his partner offered. Instead, he continued
with his litany of complaints. “And the accommodations here leave a lot
to be desired. I like a television set in my room, and I’m not into
hooked rugs and sharing a bathroom at the end of the hall.”
“Matthew told me the Dancing Dunes Inn is much nicer than the place
you were originally going to stay in,” said Diane, still a bit
resentful that her family had been forced to give up one of their rooms
to make Sammy happy. “It’s tired, but it’s clean and really charming in
places.”
“Charming, schmarming. It’s a dump too. Give me a Marriott any day.
Room service and a minibar, that’s for me.”
Diane held her hand up, cutting Sammy’s complaints short. “Look. I
think that’s Leslie Patterson.”
Across the street, a very thin figure was stepping from the curb in
front of Lavender & Lace. “Get ready, you guys,” she ordered as she
scooted between cars cruising on the main street. “Leslie? Leslie
Patterson?” she called to the young female, who backed up again onto
the sidewalk.
As Diane got closer, she took a deep breath. Though she knew that
Leslie was eight years older than her own daughter, the young woman
didn’t look it. It was almost as if she was stuck in adolescence. The
legs that poked out from her denim shorts had none of the feminine
curves associated with a little meat on one’s bones, and she had hardly
any chest at all.
“I know who you are,” Leslie said proudly. “You’re Diane Mayfield
from KEY News.”
Diane held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Leslie.”
“My mother told me you called yesterday about interviewing
believe me now. Everyone will believe me.”
“Leslie!” Audrey hissed. “Lower your voice, will you please?”
Leslie’s thin face darkened. “Well, I thought you might be happy for
me, Mom. Don’t you see? This proves I was telling the truth.”
“Of course I’m relieved that you will be vindicated, dear.” Audrey
reached out to stroke her daughter’s fine brown hair, noticing it had
lost some of its sheen. “But, honestly, it’s hard to be happy at some
other poor girl’s expense. Who is she? Do I know her?”
“I doubt it. But she’s a waitress at Nagle’s, and she’s the one
Shawn’s been going out with.”
“Dear God,” Audrey exclaimed. “Another girlfriend of Shawn’s
disappeared? The police must be
looking into that. Well, God help her, and God help her family,” Audrey
said softly, thinking about what she and her husband had just been
through. “I think we should do something to help them, Leslie. Maybe we
should volunteer our storeroom again as a community search
headquarters.”
Audrey could almost see the wheels spinning in her daughter’s mind
before she answered. “Yeah, I guess that would be okay. And I’ll come
in to help. I want everyone who doubted me to have a chance to tell me
how wrong they were.
CHAPTER 31
Trudging up Main Avenue, Sammy Gates grumbled as he carried his
heavy camera gear over his shoulder. “Jesus, it’s hot. Remind me again
why we’re doing this.”
“Because if we can’t get Leslie Patterson, at least we might get
some reaction from her mother.” Diane tried to sound patient, but
inwardly she was in no mood for Sammy’s complaints. This was his job,
for God’s sake. “If she agrees, and we’re ready to shoot right then,
she won’t have time to change her mind.”
“Sounds half-baked to me.” Sammy sneered as he turned to his
partner. “What do you think, Gary?”
“It makes no difference.” Gary shrugged. “I’m on the clock, and
whatever they want while they’re paying the freight is fine by me.” Gary Bing was as sweet and agreeable
as Sammy Gates was ornery and argumentative. Diane thought Gary was a
saint for working with Sammy. While most KEY News staffers avoided
Sammy as much as possible, poor Gary was stuck with the curmudgeon day
after day.
Sammy didn’t take the cue his partner offered. Instead, he continued
with his litany of complaints. “And the accommodations here leave a lot
to be desired. I like a television set in my room, and I’m not into
hooked rugs and sharing a bathroom at the end of the hall.”
“Matthew told me the Dancing Dunes Inn is much nicer than the place
you were originally going to stay in,” said Diane, still a bit
resentful that her family had been forced to give up one of their rooms
to make Sammy happy. “It’s tired, but it’s clean and really charming in
places.”
“Charming, schmarming. It’s a dump too. Give me a Marriott any day.
Room service and a minibar, that’s for me.”
Diane held her hand up, cutting Sammy’s complaints short. “Look. I
think that’s Leslie Patterson.”
Across the street, a very thin figure was stepping from the curb in
front of Lavender & Lace. “Get ready, you guys,” she ordered as she
scooted between cars cruising on the main street. “Leslie? Leslie
Patterson?” she called to the young female, who backed up again onto
the sidewalk.
As Diane got closer, she took a deep breath. Though she knew that
Leslie was eight years older than her own daughter, the young woman
didn’t look it. It was almost as if she was stuck in adolescence. The
legs that poked out from her denim shorts had none of the feminine
curves associated with a little meat on one’s bones, and she had hardly
any chest at all.
“I know who you are,” Leslie said proudly. “You’re Diane Mayfield
from KEY News.”
Diane held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Leslie.”
“My mother told me you called yesterday about interviewing