SCREWED DOWN MURDER (Mrs. Fix It Mysteries Book 2) by Belle Knudson Page A

around at the neighborhood. Kids played in nearby yards. She could hear some splashing in a pool. Those were the sounds of summer, and as much as Kate didn’t like the hot weather, she did enjoy those sounds.
    She even missed them a little, living out in the country. Greg had insisted that he wanted a country home. He wanted a place the boys could fish and climb trees. Neither of the boys had wanted to do that, but Greg had not budged once they’d been settled in the house for a few years. It would be nice for Kate to have a neighbor she could invite over for coffee. One that was just over the back fence.
    Instead, Kate had gotten involved in the community by way of the center and by volunteering at the kids’ school. By the time middle school rolled around for Jason and Jared, Kate was a little bored with the stay-at-home mom thing.
    That’s when she thought about creating her current business when her father, also a handyman, retired. It was about the same time Greg had disappeared and her dream became a necessity.
    Jessica was taking her time for someone who had wanted to see Kate so badly this morning. Kate rang the doorbell again. She waited then tried the knob. The door was locked, of course. Kate glanced in the sidelight, but that didn’t yield any information.
    Kate found this odd. After wanting to see her so badly, why had Jessica stood her up?
    She dialed her phone. Kate could hear it ringing inside the house. Even odder.
    She contemplated what to do then chose to go see Scott. She parked by the police station and was let in like a relative.
    Scott was on the phone and held up a finger for her to wait. She leaned on the doorjamb, her arms crossed. She really wanted to talk to him. He finally hung up.
    “Come in, Kate. You look worried.”
    She sat. “I got a call from Jessica Stuart this morning.”
    “And?”
    “She wanted to see me. She found something in Dudley’s office that she wanted me to see.”
    “The case is probably closed, Kate.”
    “That’s what I said. I did my first job of the day then I went over there. I knew it wasn’t a rush. When I got there, she wasn’t home.”
    “Maybe she ran out to the grocery store.”
    “No, she was insistent that I see her and that I text her before I came over. I did and she was waiting for me. When I got there she was gone.”
    “Did you call her?”
    “I did. Her phone rang inside the house. I rang the doorbell twice. She didn’t answer. I’m worried, Scott.”
    “Maybe she remembered a meeting she had, but forgot her phone so she couldn’t call you.”
    “Sounds reasonable except that she was insistent that I come over today.”
    Scott shrugged. “She’s a grown woman, Kate. I can’t do anything until she’s gone for twenty-four hours.”
    Kate frowned. She understood what he was saying.
    “I get it. I’ll see if I can find her car in town.”
    “Don’t you have better things to do than keep track of her? Maybe Dean knows where she is.”
    Kate knew it hurt Scott to even mention Dean. “I’ll try now.”
    She dialed Dean’s number, but it went right to voicemail. She left a message that she was looking for Jessica. “Where does Dean live?”
    “You think I know that?” Scott said.
    “No, I guess you don’t. Let me see what I can figure out.”
    “I think you should leave it alone. Maybe she’s off having a nooner with Dean.”
    Kate hadn’t thought of that. How embarrassing would that be if that was the reason Jessica had stood her up. And if she went searching and found them…well, no way. She didn’t want to be involved in that.
    “The thought hadn’t entered my mind. I was sure she was lost because of something bad.”
    “You do remember those heady days in the beginning of a relationship when you can’t get enough of each other?”
    Kate probably blushed. Scott was thinking about them in high school. They had been all over each other that summer before he went to college. Young love and lust.
    “On that note, I’m