Sarah Woods Mystery Series (1-6) Boxed Set by Jennifer L. Jennings Page A

Toys?” Brian repeated dubiously, as Gabby disappeared into the room.  
    “ Yeah, I think she collects vintage dolls,” I lied.  
    “ Okay. It’s all set, Make yourselves comfortable,” Gabby said, motioning us into her bedroom.  
    “ Brian, why don’t you go on in and relax for a bit.   Gabby and I need to talk.” I gently slipped my hand inside her arm and steered her back to the kitchen.  
    “ You think I’m nuts, Gabby? I swear someone went through my desk today,” I said, slumping into one of her dining room chairs.  
    “ Look, I know you’ve been stressed out the past few days. Who wouldn’t be? Maybe your mind is playing tricks on you.”  
    “ That’s what Brian thinks.”  
    “ You’re dealing with a lot right now. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”  
    “ I wish I knew what happened to Beth. It’s driving me mad.”  
    “ So what’s the next move?”
    “ Well, I may have found a way to meet Carter.”  
    “ That guy Beth worked for?”  
    “ Yeah. I found out he was scheduled to meet Beth Saturday afternoon. Which reminds me, I’m still waiting for Max to call me back.”  
    Gabby walked over to the counter and grabbed a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses. She set the glasses on the table in front of me and filled them.  
    “ What about your client? Did you call him, yet?”  
    “ Not yet. I’m still not sure about him.” I lifted my glass and sipped.  
    Gabby gave me a strange look. “What are you doing?” she asked.  
    “ What do you mean?”  
    “ You don’t sip fine tequila from a shot glass,” she said, as if I should have known better.  
    “ Well, pardon me,” I said, downing the rest of the clear liquid.  
    “ That’s better.” She refilled the glass.  
    “ Hey, slow down,” I said, raising a hand in protest. “I’m not used to drinking like this. Are you trying to get me drunk?”  
    “ That’s the general idea.”  
     

 
    Chapter 25
    Saturday, November 13
     
     
    I walked into Gabby’s kitchen the next morning to freshly brewed coffee and a note on the table informing me that she had an early appointment. I decided Brian deserved to sleep in, so didn’t wake him. Although my hangover wasn’t as bad as I expected, I took some Advil anyway, poured myself a cup of coffee, and sat down at the kitchen table. Getting drunk twice in one week was not something I did often, and I was surprised at how well I was holding up. Nevertheless, I vowed to lay off the booze for a while. Just as I raised the cup to my lips and inhaled the aroma of the coffee, I heard my cell phone ringing. I spilled coffee setting the cup down, and dug into my purse for the phone. When I saw the caller ID, my heart skipped a beat.  
    “ Hey, Sarah. It’s Max.” He sounded as if he’d just gotten up as well.  
    “ Oh, good. Thanks for calling,” I said, a bit breathlessly.  
    “ What’s up?” he asked, an odd tone in his voice. Could he possibly still be feeling awkward about the kissing episode, I wondered?  
    “ I was hoping you could come over. I have some things to tell you concerning Carter.”  
    “ Sure,” he replied, the warmth returning to his voice. “I can be there in half an hour.”
    “ Actually, can you come to Gabby’s house? Brian and I stayed here last night. Someone broke in to my house yesterday. I’ll explain when I see you.” I gave him her address.
    “ I’ll see you shortly,” he said, and hung up.  
    I walked back to Gabby’s bedroom. Brian was still sleeping, so I leaned over and gently kissed him on the cheek. The poor kid was a champ for putting up with such a neurotic mother. On my way out of the bedroom, I slipped into an oversized wool sweater I picked up off the floor and donned a baseball cap that was lying on top of her bureau. I brushed my teeth and found some lipstick in my purse. I was a little apprehensive about Max seeing me without my face on, but what did it really