year?”
“You aren’t trying to buy drugs, are you?” The
man with the glasses pinched his mouth shut. His eyebrows lowered over his pale
blue eyes.
“Nope, not us. But if it’s a bad year for drugs,
I guess we’d rather spend the rest of our vacation somewhere else.”
“Hmph.” The man with glasses turned back to his
computer.
“Paul probably wanted to sell you some. He’s a
retired chemistry teacher, you know. I bet he cooks up all sorts of stuff in
his garage.” Rosy Cheeks guffawed.
A librarian in flip-flops, with her hair in a
high ponytail, poked her head around the corner and held her finger to her
lips.
“She’s a poor sport, that one,” Rosy Cheeks said.
“Even if she is Paul’s granddaughter.”
“She’s good at her job,” Paul said.
“She dresses like Gidget.”
“Does she hang out with the beach bums who were
out last night?” Jane asked.
“Not her. She’s a good girl.”
“Don’t the good kids ever get to play on the
beach?”
“Well, I suppose they do,” Paul said. “But she
don’t go bumming around with those druggies. I know that much.”
“Oh, Grandpa!” The librarian laughed. “You all
be quiet. We’re about to start morning story hour.”
A couple of women with kids hanging tight to
their hands moved towards the little children’s nook.
“When’s that Hannah who used to run this place
gonna come back?” Rosy Cheeks asked.
“Don’t know.” Paul had his eyes glued to the
screen now.
“Where did the old librarian go?” Jane asked.
“She weren’t old. And she run off with a bunch
of kids, I’d say. A whole pack of ’em left a few weeks ago.”
“Hugh, you talk too much.” Paul pulled a pair of
big headphones over his head.
“Runaways?” Jane asked.
“Probably. Those weird kids from Colorado came
to town and then half the kids left.”
“What made them weird?” Jane chewed her lip.
Details about Cherry’s cousins would be good right about now. Any details at
all.
“They talked funny. And they didn’t seem like
normal kids. Looked like they knew how to work for a living.”
“That’s not a bad thing.” Jane smiled, hoping to
keep him talking.
“No, I guess not. But I wouldn’t have wanted to
see my grandkids go off with them. They didn’t seem real trustworthy.”
“Who were they? Does anyone know?” Jane leaned
forward, her chin on her fist, and gave Hugh with the rosy cheeks her full
attention.
“Somebody’s cousins. Oh, who were they, Wendy,
do you know?”
“The guys who were cousins of Cherry and Skye?
The weird ones?” The beachy librarian joined the gossips at the computer table.
“Yeah, what was their deal?”
“They were farm kids, I guess. From Arizona.
What do you think they grow in Arizona? Cactus?” She rolled her eyes.
“Something about them gave me the heebie-jeebies, but Hannah seemed to think
they were okay.”
“What about the other one?” Jane asked.
Wendy tilted her head. “The other one?”
Jane bit her lip. No one had mentioned Ryder
yet.
“Let me think.” Wendy didn’t seem to notice
Jane’s slip. “There was another guy who came out. Real cute, but kinda
weird too. They all talked weird.”
“Do you think your boss ran away with those
guys?” Jane asked.
Wendy thought for a moment. “No. I guess not.
Grandpa said he saw her locking up the library a couple of days after they all
hit the road. She must have just needed a break or something. Anyway, she
didn’t know any of them really. They weren’t the kind to come hang out with us
in the library.”
“You’re wrong about one thing. I’m sure they
were from Colorado. That Daisy—Cherry’s mom—told me straight out. She said they
were in town from Colorado and might go on staying with them indefinitely.”
Wendy frowned. “Weird. The one time I met them
they said Arizona. But whatever. I don’t think Daisy would lie. And lord knows
boys will say anything if there are enough drinks and girls around.”
Jane
“You aren’t trying to buy drugs, are you?” The
man with the glasses pinched his mouth shut. His eyebrows lowered over his pale
blue eyes.
“Nope, not us. But if it’s a bad year for drugs,
I guess we’d rather spend the rest of our vacation somewhere else.”
“Hmph.” The man with glasses turned back to his
computer.
“Paul probably wanted to sell you some. He’s a
retired chemistry teacher, you know. I bet he cooks up all sorts of stuff in
his garage.” Rosy Cheeks guffawed.
A librarian in flip-flops, with her hair in a
high ponytail, poked her head around the corner and held her finger to her
lips.
“She’s a poor sport, that one,” Rosy Cheeks said.
“Even if she is Paul’s granddaughter.”
“She’s good at her job,” Paul said.
“She dresses like Gidget.”
“Does she hang out with the beach bums who were
out last night?” Jane asked.
“Not her. She’s a good girl.”
“Don’t the good kids ever get to play on the
beach?”
“Well, I suppose they do,” Paul said. “But she
don’t go bumming around with those druggies. I know that much.”
“Oh, Grandpa!” The librarian laughed. “You all
be quiet. We’re about to start morning story hour.”
A couple of women with kids hanging tight to
their hands moved towards the little children’s nook.
“When’s that Hannah who used to run this place
gonna come back?” Rosy Cheeks asked.
“Don’t know.” Paul had his eyes glued to the
screen now.
“Where did the old librarian go?” Jane asked.
“She weren’t old. And she run off with a bunch
of kids, I’d say. A whole pack of ’em left a few weeks ago.”
“Hugh, you talk too much.” Paul pulled a pair of
big headphones over his head.
“Runaways?” Jane asked.
“Probably. Those weird kids from Colorado came
to town and then half the kids left.”
“What made them weird?” Jane chewed her lip.
Details about Cherry’s cousins would be good right about now. Any details at
all.
“They talked funny. And they didn’t seem like
normal kids. Looked like they knew how to work for a living.”
“That’s not a bad thing.” Jane smiled, hoping to
keep him talking.
“No, I guess not. But I wouldn’t have wanted to
see my grandkids go off with them. They didn’t seem real trustworthy.”
“Who were they? Does anyone know?” Jane leaned
forward, her chin on her fist, and gave Hugh with the rosy cheeks her full
attention.
“Somebody’s cousins. Oh, who were they, Wendy,
do you know?”
“The guys who were cousins of Cherry and Skye?
The weird ones?” The beachy librarian joined the gossips at the computer table.
“Yeah, what was their deal?”
“They were farm kids, I guess. From Arizona.
What do you think they grow in Arizona? Cactus?” She rolled her eyes.
“Something about them gave me the heebie-jeebies, but Hannah seemed to think
they were okay.”
“What about the other one?” Jane asked.
Wendy tilted her head. “The other one?”
Jane bit her lip. No one had mentioned Ryder
yet.
“Let me think.” Wendy didn’t seem to notice
Jane’s slip. “There was another guy who came out. Real cute, but kinda
weird too. They all talked weird.”
“Do you think your boss ran away with those
guys?” Jane asked.
Wendy thought for a moment. “No. I guess not.
Grandpa said he saw her locking up the library a couple of days after they all
hit the road. She must have just needed a break or something. Anyway, she
didn’t know any of them really. They weren’t the kind to come hang out with us
in the library.”
“You’re wrong about one thing. I’m sure they
were from Colorado. That Daisy—Cherry’s mom—told me straight out. She said they
were in town from Colorado and might go on staying with them indefinitely.”
Wendy frowned. “Weird. The one time I met them
they said Arizona. But whatever. I don’t think Daisy would lie. And lord knows
boys will say anything if there are enough drinks and girls around.”
Jane
Similar Books
