wasn’t that objectionable.
“Eliza sure spends a lot of time in her room,” Celeste said as they sat in the Subaru along a side street near Gail and Steve’s house. “I pictured that she’d be doing more stuff with us.”
“Maybe she’s a loner and likes to keep to herself.” Like me.
“Maybe. We have been busy, too, and we do spend all day at work. I’d just like to get to know her better.”
“Maybe we can plan something for all of us to do together this weekend,” Jolene offered.
“Good idea.”
“Here she comes.” Jolene kept her eyes on the side mirror where she had spotted Gail’s green Subaru motoring down the street toward them. She waited for it to go by, then pulled out a few seconds later. “The key is to follow along behind, but not so close so that the person suspects they are being followed.”
“Hopefully she won’t be looking for anyone tailing her,” Celeste said. “Do you expect her to be up to something?”
“Yep. Steve said he heard her make a date for this afternoon.”
“Oh. Gosh, that’s terrible. He must feel awful.” Celeste stared out the window. “I don’t know how you can do this job sometimes.”
Jolene shrugged. “It’s not bad all the time. Besides, someone has to do it. I’m just sorry you have to tag along. It’s probably boring for you.”
“Well, I like the company.” Celeste smiled. “I just wish Luke would give us more information. The place he works for can’t really be keeping him as much in the dark as he pretends.”
“You think he’s holding back on us?” Jolene asked. She hadn’t considered that. But why would he?
“I don’t know. The whole thing is strange.”
Up ahead, Gail pulled off onto a less traveled street and Jolene slowed down so that she wouldn’t be too close before she took the same turn. She glanced uneasily in her rear-view mirror after she turned down the road.
“Is someone following us?” Celeste half turned in her seat to look out the back.
“No. I don’t think so. I’m just nervous about it, I guess. Luke has me all spooked now.” Jolene didn’t mention the part about getting knocked out at the storage facility—no sense in getting Celeste all worried.
“Have you found out anything more about Mom?” Celeste’s tentative voice at the mention of their mother made Jolene’s stomach lurch.
“Well, I’m not sure if it’s about Mom, but I did find something strange at Jeb’s the other day.”
“At Jebs?”
“Yeah. I was out there asking about the traps that he thought Gordy had taken and he showed me something he found in one of the remaining traps. He thought it was a whale jaw, but it was a human jaw!”
“What? Gross.” Celeste scrunched her face up and then her eyes widened. “And you think it might be from …”
“Her body was never found,” Jolene cut in so her sister didn’t have to say the words.
“Oh.” Celeste stared out the side window and the two girls fell silent as Jolene followed Gail further into the boonies.
“Where the heck is she going?” Celeste said after a few minutes.
“Maybe to some out-of-the-way motel?” Jolene felt her heart sinking for Steve. It looked like he was right. She was off to meet her lover at some remote destination.
“I don’t know of any motel down here,” Celeste said as they watched Gail pull off onto a narrow dirt road.
“You know all the motels in the area?” Jolene raised a brow at her sister and pulled over. It would be too obvious if she followed Gail down that narrow road. “What do you think is down there? It looks almost like it could be a driveway.”
“You never know out here.” Celeste opened her window and craned her neck to see down the road. “I think there is a mobile home at the end.”
“That’s weird. Maybe that’s where the professor lives.” Jolene reached into the back seat and pulled out her camera and telephoto lens. “Come on, let’s go see what she’s up to.”
The two girls
“Eliza sure spends a lot of time in her room,” Celeste said as they sat in the Subaru along a side street near Gail and Steve’s house. “I pictured that she’d be doing more stuff with us.”
“Maybe she’s a loner and likes to keep to herself.” Like me.
“Maybe. We have been busy, too, and we do spend all day at work. I’d just like to get to know her better.”
“Maybe we can plan something for all of us to do together this weekend,” Jolene offered.
“Good idea.”
“Here she comes.” Jolene kept her eyes on the side mirror where she had spotted Gail’s green Subaru motoring down the street toward them. She waited for it to go by, then pulled out a few seconds later. “The key is to follow along behind, but not so close so that the person suspects they are being followed.”
“Hopefully she won’t be looking for anyone tailing her,” Celeste said. “Do you expect her to be up to something?”
“Yep. Steve said he heard her make a date for this afternoon.”
“Oh. Gosh, that’s terrible. He must feel awful.” Celeste stared out the window. “I don’t know how you can do this job sometimes.”
Jolene shrugged. “It’s not bad all the time. Besides, someone has to do it. I’m just sorry you have to tag along. It’s probably boring for you.”
“Well, I like the company.” Celeste smiled. “I just wish Luke would give us more information. The place he works for can’t really be keeping him as much in the dark as he pretends.”
“You think he’s holding back on us?” Jolene asked. She hadn’t considered that. But why would he?
“I don’t know. The whole thing is strange.”
Up ahead, Gail pulled off onto a less traveled street and Jolene slowed down so that she wouldn’t be too close before she took the same turn. She glanced uneasily in her rear-view mirror after she turned down the road.
“Is someone following us?” Celeste half turned in her seat to look out the back.
“No. I don’t think so. I’m just nervous about it, I guess. Luke has me all spooked now.” Jolene didn’t mention the part about getting knocked out at the storage facility—no sense in getting Celeste all worried.
“Have you found out anything more about Mom?” Celeste’s tentative voice at the mention of their mother made Jolene’s stomach lurch.
“Well, I’m not sure if it’s about Mom, but I did find something strange at Jeb’s the other day.”
“At Jebs?”
“Yeah. I was out there asking about the traps that he thought Gordy had taken and he showed me something he found in one of the remaining traps. He thought it was a whale jaw, but it was a human jaw!”
“What? Gross.” Celeste scrunched her face up and then her eyes widened. “And you think it might be from …”
“Her body was never found,” Jolene cut in so her sister didn’t have to say the words.
“Oh.” Celeste stared out the side window and the two girls fell silent as Jolene followed Gail further into the boonies.
“Where the heck is she going?” Celeste said after a few minutes.
“Maybe to some out-of-the-way motel?” Jolene felt her heart sinking for Steve. It looked like he was right. She was off to meet her lover at some remote destination.
“I don’t know of any motel down here,” Celeste said as they watched Gail pull off onto a narrow dirt road.
“You know all the motels in the area?” Jolene raised a brow at her sister and pulled over. It would be too obvious if she followed Gail down that narrow road. “What do you think is down there? It looks almost like it could be a driveway.”
“You never know out here.” Celeste opened her window and craned her neck to see down the road. “I think there is a mobile home at the end.”
“That’s weird. Maybe that’s where the professor lives.” Jolene reached into the back seat and pulled out her camera and telephoto lens. “Come on, let’s go see what she’s up to.”
The two girls
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