security code here at the shop. That is what 06-07-91 means, isn't it?"
"Yes," she admitted. Again in a near whisper, she added, "Look up and you might see him."
"What?"
"I won't say anything more, Carolyn. Good-bye." She hung up before I could say another word.
Had the dear child spent too much time breathing in cleaning fluid fumes? Look up. Was she kidding me? And then I realized what she had to have meant. There was one place, a stately mansion indeed, that looked down on all of Maple Ridge, and I'd been there a few times myself.
Tamra Gentry was in New York the last I'd heard. Her estate on the mountainside would be the perfect place for David to hide out.
"Let's go," I said as I started for the front door.
Butch said, "Let me lock up the back entrance. You can't trust people these days. Carolyn, you really should update your security system around here."
"What are they going to take, a few bags of clay and some glaze? I'll risk it."
"Those kilns might be expensive to replace."
"Enough of this. Where exactly are we going?" Jenna asked.
"Tamra Gentry's place. I've got a pretty good idea that's where David is hiding out."
"Let's go," Sandy said.
"Don't you have to work? I don't want to get you in trou ble with Corki."
"I took a sick day as soon as I heard about David. Do you honestly think I could work and not help him? He's my friend, too, Carolyn."
I hugged her quickly. "I knew there was a reason I was so fond of you."
"Hey, I'm coming, too," Butch protested.
I hugged him as well, then turned to Jenna. "How about you?"
"I'm coming, but we can skip the embrace," she said. "Are you all quite ready?"
"Absolutely." I grabbed the "Closed" sign and hung it in the door without another thought. If it meant I lost some business, so be it. David took precedence over everything else at the moment.
Butch said, "I'll drive," and none of us argued with him. His Cadillac had plenty of room, and if there was an option he didn't have on it, it was purely by accident.
As we drove up the steep, winding road to Tamra's place, I thought about what I would say to David. Should I scold him for running away like he had? For that matter, should I even bring up his father's death? I'd have to figure it out on the fly.
The leaves of a hundred maple trees obscured the drive, but I could still see Tamra's place through gaps in the canopy. It truly was a stately place, a three-story colonial with massive white columns in front that loomed over all of Maple Ridge.
It was impossible to tell if Tamra, or anyone else, for that matter, was in residence. Had I guessed right? David didn't have to come out if he didn't want to. Although I had the se curity code, I suddenly realized that I didn't have a key, something I had neglected to ask Annie about.
Butch parked in front of the house.
I reached for my phone, but couldn't find it anywhere in my purse. Then I remembered that it was still in the charger at the shop, the good battery now on Hannah's phone. "Can I borrow one of your cell phones? I need to make one more call."
"We're already here," Sandy said. "Let's just go in."
"I have the code, but we still need a key," I said.
"Sorry, I forgot all about that."
I shouldn't have snapped at the poor girl, since I'd for gotten that myself. I smiled. "To be honest with you, so did I, until thirty seconds ago."
"We don't necessarily need a key," Butch said in a soft voice. Before Jenna could protest, he added, "I'm just say ing."
"Make your call, Carolyn," Jenna said as she handed me her cell phone.
This time, Annie picked up on the first ring. I said, "An nie, it's me again. I know there must be a key hidden out here somewhere. That's the way Tamra is." It was a guess, but I thought it was a good one.
"Where are you?" I detected a little bit of fright in her voice, as if she'd said too much earlier.
"I know David's at Tamra's, but I'm afraid if I ring the bell, he'll try to run again."
That wasn't really true; I had no idea how
"Yes," she admitted. Again in a near whisper, she added, "Look up and you might see him."
"What?"
"I won't say anything more, Carolyn. Good-bye." She hung up before I could say another word.
Had the dear child spent too much time breathing in cleaning fluid fumes? Look up. Was she kidding me? And then I realized what she had to have meant. There was one place, a stately mansion indeed, that looked down on all of Maple Ridge, and I'd been there a few times myself.
Tamra Gentry was in New York the last I'd heard. Her estate on the mountainside would be the perfect place for David to hide out.
"Let's go," I said as I started for the front door.
Butch said, "Let me lock up the back entrance. You can't trust people these days. Carolyn, you really should update your security system around here."
"What are they going to take, a few bags of clay and some glaze? I'll risk it."
"Those kilns might be expensive to replace."
"Enough of this. Where exactly are we going?" Jenna asked.
"Tamra Gentry's place. I've got a pretty good idea that's where David is hiding out."
"Let's go," Sandy said.
"Don't you have to work? I don't want to get you in trou ble with Corki."
"I took a sick day as soon as I heard about David. Do you honestly think I could work and not help him? He's my friend, too, Carolyn."
I hugged her quickly. "I knew there was a reason I was so fond of you."
"Hey, I'm coming, too," Butch protested.
I hugged him as well, then turned to Jenna. "How about you?"
"I'm coming, but we can skip the embrace," she said. "Are you all quite ready?"
"Absolutely." I grabbed the "Closed" sign and hung it in the door without another thought. If it meant I lost some business, so be it. David took precedence over everything else at the moment.
Butch said, "I'll drive," and none of us argued with him. His Cadillac had plenty of room, and if there was an option he didn't have on it, it was purely by accident.
As we drove up the steep, winding road to Tamra's place, I thought about what I would say to David. Should I scold him for running away like he had? For that matter, should I even bring up his father's death? I'd have to figure it out on the fly.
The leaves of a hundred maple trees obscured the drive, but I could still see Tamra's place through gaps in the canopy. It truly was a stately place, a three-story colonial with massive white columns in front that loomed over all of Maple Ridge.
It was impossible to tell if Tamra, or anyone else, for that matter, was in residence. Had I guessed right? David didn't have to come out if he didn't want to. Although I had the se curity code, I suddenly realized that I didn't have a key, something I had neglected to ask Annie about.
Butch parked in front of the house.
I reached for my phone, but couldn't find it anywhere in my purse. Then I remembered that it was still in the charger at the shop, the good battery now on Hannah's phone. "Can I borrow one of your cell phones? I need to make one more call."
"We're already here," Sandy said. "Let's just go in."
"I have the code, but we still need a key," I said.
"Sorry, I forgot all about that."
I shouldn't have snapped at the poor girl, since I'd for gotten that myself. I smiled. "To be honest with you, so did I, until thirty seconds ago."
"We don't necessarily need a key," Butch said in a soft voice. Before Jenna could protest, he added, "I'm just say ing."
"Make your call, Carolyn," Jenna said as she handed me her cell phone.
This time, Annie picked up on the first ring. I said, "An nie, it's me again. I know there must be a key hidden out here somewhere. That's the way Tamra is." It was a guess, but I thought it was a good one.
"Where are you?" I detected a little bit of fright in her voice, as if she'd said too much earlier.
"I know David's at Tamra's, but I'm afraid if I ring the bell, he'll try to run again."
That wasn't really true; I had no idea how
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