night working on this case. Now I was committed to a dinner at one of those tacky theme restaurants and it would last at least three hours.
Had we reached a new level in our relationship where we could take each other for granted, or was his I-forbid-you personality taking over our dating life too? Could I let this go or should I say something?
I slowed behind a garbage truck grinding and heaving as if it were on its last legs. "I don't—"
"Hey, listen another call's coming through. I have to go. See you tonight."
"I don't know if I can make it."
Silence. He did not just hang up on me.
"Adam, are you still there? Adam?" Argh, he so totally did.
I ended the call with a violent stab of my finger on the keypad. The silly phone chimed as if my rough treatment hurt it. I eased around the truck and glanced at caller ID. Gary Buzzy. I gasped and my pulse quickened. Gary ? How could it be Gary ? Right, Karen must be using their landline. Seriously, how freaky to see Gary 's name as if he were coming back from the dead.
I accepted the call. "Karen, is that you?"
"Oh, Paige, thank goodness you answered this time." Frantic didn't come close to describing her frenzied tone. "You're the only one who can help me. I need to see you."
Now why couldn't Adam have said that? Couldn't have said something even remotely close to that? "You sound really upset."
"I can't talk about it on the phone. Please, can you come over? Now?"
Could she pique my interest any better than that? I checked my watch. I had an hour before I needed to be at the radio station. Enough time for a quick chat and hopefully enough time to ask a few questions of my own. "I'm on my way."
I hung up, circled the block and pointed my truck in the direction of the Buzzys' house. After Adam took charge for the second time in as many days, I didn't feel guilty about going to see Karen. What was with him, anyway? Maybe I didn't know him like I thought I did? Was he even the right man for me? Not if this continued. I was struggling enough to relinquish control of my life to God; I couldn't be with a man who seemed to want me to give up control, too.
I parked in front of Karen's house and jumped out of the truck. The sight of her house hit me hard, and my anger eased. Shoot, it fully dissolved when I remembered that Karen would just be happy to have Gary alive. I sighed. Adam and I could work this out. We just had to talk about it. Tonight after dinner, I'd make him understand why I needed to do this.
I skirted around a silver Cadillac hanging over the sidewalk at the end of the driveway. Must belong to Karen's mom. Strolling up the walkway, I contemplated what to say if she looked down on my involvement in this investigation. Though Karen wanted me to investigate, I wouldn't be surprised if her mom held another opinion.
I pressed the doorbell and patted my hair as if arriving for a job interview. My palms felt moist. What was it with moms? How could the mere thought of one take you back to the childhood angst of getting caught when you'd done something wrong? Not that I engaged in terrible mischief in my youth, but I received my share of groundings and punishments.
The door opened. I sucked in my breath and held it.
"You must be Paige," the smiling older version of Karen said. "I'm Yolanda Brown, Karen's mother."
I released a rush of air. "Karen asked me to come over."
She nodded, her fashionable chin-length bob swinging as she moved. "Please, come in. And thank you for arriving so fast. Karen's in the kitchen." She closed the door and headed for the front hallway, glancing over her shoulder as she glided like a model on the runway. "This has been so difficult for Karen. She seems to brighten a bit when she thinks about catching Gary 's killer. She's certain you're going to find him."
I followed her down the hall, wishing I had even one fourth of that certainty.
At the kitchen entrance, I hung back and let Yolanda announce my arrival. She wore a linen pantsuit in
Had we reached a new level in our relationship where we could take each other for granted, or was his I-forbid-you personality taking over our dating life too? Could I let this go or should I say something?
I slowed behind a garbage truck grinding and heaving as if it were on its last legs. "I don't—"
"Hey, listen another call's coming through. I have to go. See you tonight."
"I don't know if I can make it."
Silence. He did not just hang up on me.
"Adam, are you still there? Adam?" Argh, he so totally did.
I ended the call with a violent stab of my finger on the keypad. The silly phone chimed as if my rough treatment hurt it. I eased around the truck and glanced at caller ID. Gary Buzzy. I gasped and my pulse quickened. Gary ? How could it be Gary ? Right, Karen must be using their landline. Seriously, how freaky to see Gary 's name as if he were coming back from the dead.
I accepted the call. "Karen, is that you?"
"Oh, Paige, thank goodness you answered this time." Frantic didn't come close to describing her frenzied tone. "You're the only one who can help me. I need to see you."
Now why couldn't Adam have said that? Couldn't have said something even remotely close to that? "You sound really upset."
"I can't talk about it on the phone. Please, can you come over? Now?"
Could she pique my interest any better than that? I checked my watch. I had an hour before I needed to be at the radio station. Enough time for a quick chat and hopefully enough time to ask a few questions of my own. "I'm on my way."
I hung up, circled the block and pointed my truck in the direction of the Buzzys' house. After Adam took charge for the second time in as many days, I didn't feel guilty about going to see Karen. What was with him, anyway? Maybe I didn't know him like I thought I did? Was he even the right man for me? Not if this continued. I was struggling enough to relinquish control of my life to God; I couldn't be with a man who seemed to want me to give up control, too.
I parked in front of Karen's house and jumped out of the truck. The sight of her house hit me hard, and my anger eased. Shoot, it fully dissolved when I remembered that Karen would just be happy to have Gary alive. I sighed. Adam and I could work this out. We just had to talk about it. Tonight after dinner, I'd make him understand why I needed to do this.
I skirted around a silver Cadillac hanging over the sidewalk at the end of the driveway. Must belong to Karen's mom. Strolling up the walkway, I contemplated what to say if she looked down on my involvement in this investigation. Though Karen wanted me to investigate, I wouldn't be surprised if her mom held another opinion.
I pressed the doorbell and patted my hair as if arriving for a job interview. My palms felt moist. What was it with moms? How could the mere thought of one take you back to the childhood angst of getting caught when you'd done something wrong? Not that I engaged in terrible mischief in my youth, but I received my share of groundings and punishments.
The door opened. I sucked in my breath and held it.
"You must be Paige," the smiling older version of Karen said. "I'm Yolanda Brown, Karen's mother."
I released a rush of air. "Karen asked me to come over."
She nodded, her fashionable chin-length bob swinging as she moved. "Please, come in. And thank you for arriving so fast. Karen's in the kitchen." She closed the door and headed for the front hallway, glancing over her shoulder as she glided like a model on the runway. "This has been so difficult for Karen. She seems to brighten a bit when she thinks about catching Gary 's killer. She's certain you're going to find him."
I followed her down the hall, wishing I had even one fourth of that certainty.
At the kitchen entrance, I hung back and let Yolanda announce my arrival. She wore a linen pantsuit in
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