The Possum Hollow Hullabaloo (The Penelope Pembroke Cozy Mystery Series) by Judy Nickles Page B

Bradley.” Penelope rearranged her gown and robe on the way down the hall and leaned over the bannister.
    “C ome on down for a minute.”
    Penelope joined him in the foyer. “What are you doing here?”
    “I got a tip you’d had some trouble tonight.”
    “Bert Hadden broke a window and came in looking for Ellie and Evie. He’s going to replace the window and come talk to you tomorrow. I don’t want to press charges.”
    “Yeah, that’s cool, Mother. I kind of figured somebody would try something tonight. Parnell’s checking on the Hargroves.”
    “Jeremiah put hi m up to it. Jeremiah’s his uncle, I think Bert said.”
    “Yep. Well, I’ll put the fear of God in Bert tomorrow, and you let me know if he doesn’t replace the window.”
    “He will.”              
    “Okay. ‘Night, Mother. Oh, by the way, Chief got the order of exhumation for that grave Parnell saw.”
    “You think it’s Yvonne Hadden?”
    “I think we’ve got to find out. Goodnight.”
    “Goodnight, Bradley.”
    “Goodnight, Sam,” Bradley called up the stairs, sounding amused.
    “How did he know you were here?” Penelope hissed at the man standing in the shadows outside her bedroom door.
    “He’s a good cop.”
    “He blessed sure is, and don’t you forget it!” She brushed past him. “Goodnight.”
    ****
    Mary Lynn called the next morning while Penelope and Jake were eating breakfast. “Tonya Cisneros called last night and said not to take the girls to school this morning because she was worried about their father turning up.”
    “How did she know?” Penelope asked, making the instant decision not to share last night’s happenings at the B&B.
    “Either George Harris called her or Brad did. I don’t care. I offered to take them shopping for new clothes, because they don’t have anything except what’s on their backs, and I doubt there’s much more in their house.”
    “Is that a good idea?”
    “Actually, Mrs. Cisneros said to bring them to Little Rock and meet her for lunch.”
    “Uh-oh.”
    “No, she also said she was working on getting Harry and me recertified as foster parents, at least temporarily.”
    “Does that mean the girls are going to be allowed to stay in familiar territory?”
    “I don’t know what it means, but they’re really excited about the shopping trip. I doubt they’ve ever been five miles out of the Hollow, either one of them. I’ve got to stop at the police station and borrow a booster seat for Evie.”
    “Good luck then. I’ll let George know what’s going on.”
    “Thanks, Pen. I’ll call you tonight.”
    “You’ll have to get your own breakfast,” Penelope said to Sam when he walked in the back door. “You should’ve waited to see a man about a dog. Now I’ve got to go to school.”
    He laughed. “See a man about a dog?”
    “That’s what Daddy says you do when you disappear early and stay late.”
    Jake reached for the sports section of the paper. “Good a reason as any, I guess.”
    Sam laughed again. “I’m driving you to school this morning.”
    “Why?”
    “Let’s just say I’m doing a favor for a friend.”
    “You’ve been talking to my son.”
    Sam raised his eyebrows twice in quick succession. “I’ll never tell.”
    “Are you going to stay? If you are, you’ll need a lunch.”
    “I’ll be around.”
    Penelope threw two sandwiches together and added them to her small cooler along with an apple and a baggie of cookies. “I’m ready.”
    Sam bowed low, sweeping his hand toward the door. “Your chariot awaits.”
    ****
    The day looked to be a quiet one until just after lunch when Alana Mueller showed up again. George Harris rolled his eyes as he escorted her into his office. Penelope, watching from the open door of the library, thought she stayed a long time. When she left, George stood in the hall shaking his head.
    “What’s she up to now?” Penelope asked, stepping out of the library.
    “She says she’s going to bring three