Lindsey sent off a few texts to the other crafternoon ladies. She had a feeling she was going to need a backup plan.

Stella was grilling Robbie and Sully about the man in the library.

“How was he in the library when it was closed? Did you get his name?” she asked.

“Really didn’t stop to introduce myself while he was using my ear for target practice,” Robbie said.

Sully snorted and Lindsey glanced up to see that the two men were practically bonding while Stella peppered them with questions.

“I’d assume he hid in the building somewhere,” Sully said. “When he saw Lindsey alone, he must have figured that was his chance.”

“Chance for what?” Stella asked. “What did he want from you?”

“No idea,” Lindsey lied. She kept pacing, which conveniently kept her from having to make eye contact with any of them. “He just asked me to give ‘it’ to him, but I don’t know what ‘it’ was.”

Her voice cracked on the words, and she hoped they attributed that to her rocky emotional state and not the fact that she was a terrible liar. She raised her eyebrows in an effort of stop herself from crinkling her nose.

“I just don’t understand,” Stella said. “None of this makes any sense.”

“Agreed,” Robbie said.

“Oh, here’s my ride,” Lindsey said. “Tell Emma to call me if she has more questions. I’m assuming they’ll lock up the library once they have it secured.”

“You mean you’re not going to wait and see if they catch the guy?” Sully asked. His blue eyes were wide with disbelief.

“Nah, I’m really beat,” Lindsey said. “Must be an adrenaline crash.”

“You’re going to leave the library without checking on it?” Robbie sounded as shocked as Sully.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine with all of the police there,” she said. “Good night.”

She shoved through the doors and hurried down the walk. She heard Sully call her name, but she yanked open the door to Nancy’s powder blue Mustang and jumped in, pretending she didn’t hear him.

“Make it look like we’re going home,” she said to Nancy. “But then double back to the Anchor. I have everyone meeting us there.”

“Oh, a covert op,” Nancy cooed. “I’m on it.”

She hit the gas and they took off down the street toward home. Nancy drove past the Blue Anchor and Lindsey hoped they’d managed to fool Sully and Robbie into thinking she was just having a stress meltdown and was going home.

Nancy pulled over onto a side street and they waited while the heater cranked out warmth over their toes.

“Okay,” Lindsey said. “I think we’re good now.”

Nancy pulled out of the side street and parked in the small lot on the other side of the Anchor. It wasn’t visible from the street, and Lindsey hoped it kept Nancy’s distinctive car hidden from view. She could not afford to let Sully or Robbie know what she was doing. Primarily because she had a feeling that, like most men, they would feel compelled to jump in and help her.

This wasn’t a problem anyone else could fix. She had to face Antonia alone and try to bargain to get her brother back. That being said, she wasn’t stupid and she knew she needed a backup plan.

She and Nancy hurried into the Anchor. Mary met them at the door.

“Are you okay?” Mary asked.

“I will be,” Lindsey said.

“Come on,” Mary said. They followed her through the restaurant to the far corner, where the ladies’ room was located.

Nancy stopped and looked at Mary. “Seriously?”

“Trust me,” Mary said. She pushed open the door and they saw that Violet, Charlene and Beth were already hanging out in the big square room. Beth was sitting on the edge of the sink while Violet lounged against the wall and Charlene was wedged between the sink and the toilet.

“Why on earth are we meeting in the ladies’ room?” Nancy asked.

“Because . . .” Mary paused to reach around Lindsey and flip a switch next to the light switch. The grind of an overhead fan kicked in. It sounded like a motorcycle, revving its engine. “It will cover our conversation if anyone is listening.”

Lindsey nodded. It made sense, given that she had no idea who Antonia might have sent to follow her. It was a wise precautionary move, and she had to admit Mary had some skills in espionage.

“So does this have anything to do with your apartment being trashed?” Violet asked.

“Yes,” Lindsey said. She exchanged a glance with Beth, who gave her a slow nod. It was time to tell all and hope her friends weren’t too irritated that she’d left them out of the loop. She began with finding Jack in the crafternoon room and ended with the man in the library with the gun.

The crafternooners were silent. Lindsey felt her insides twist while she waited for them to absorb what she’d said. Were they going to be mad? Reject her? Storm out? What?

“What do you need us to do?” Nancy asked.

Lindsey glanced around the room, and the relief that swept through her almost took her out at the knees.

“Come here, honey,” Violet said, and she opened her arms.

Lindsey didn’t hesitate. She let Violet enfold her in a hug that comforted as well as bolstered. The others joined in, and in short order they had a massive group hug going. Lindsey felt the lump in her throat start to burn. Everyone should have the pack of friends that she had.

The sound of flushing broke up the hug.

“Sorry,” Charlene called out. “I hit the handle with my butt.”

This made Beth snort, which cracked up the group. Lindsey felt the burn in her throat ease with her chuckle.

“Okay, we’re going to get Jack back from the she-devil,” Mary said. “What’s the plan?”

“Antonia, the woman who took my brother, wants to broker a deal for him,” Lindsey said. “She was watching me, and she knew when I found what he’d hidden in the library and called me immediately. I have to make an exchange on the pier at ten o’clock tonight.”

“No police?” Violet asked.

“She was very clear that law enforcement would be a bad idea,” Lindsey said.

“What about the shooter in the library?” Charlene asked, ever the reporter. “If he was working for her, then I say her deal is null and void.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Lindsey said. “I think he might have been working for her but he could also have been from one of the other cartel members. Either way, she still has Jack so I don’t have much leverage to call foul.”

Violet shivered. “Sorry,” she said. “The whole cartel angle spooks me no end.”

“Agreed,” Mary said. “A coffee cartel—who even knew something like that existed?”

“Jack did,” Lindsey said.

Her voice was grim, and she could feel the fear that she wouldn’t be able to save her brother rear up inside her like a hairy beast. She swallowed hard, trying to beat it back down. As if sensing her distress, Nancy put a bracing arm about her and gave her a solid half hug.

“Don’t,” she said. “We’ll get him back. Period.”

Lindsey drew in a shaky breath. That was exactly what she needed to hear.

“Okay, here is my plan, if you’re willing,” she said. She paused to glance up at the tiny room full of women, her friends, the strongest ladies she knew. They each met her gaze with no fear, no uncertainty, just the knowledge that one of their own was in trouble and needed help and they would be there to do what needed to be done.

Lindsey almost laughed. Who would have guessed that a love of books, food and crafts would forge a bond so strong among such a disparate group of women? The gratitude she felt almost overwhelmed her, but there was no time.

She shook her head and cleared her throat and began to outline her plan. With input from the others, it was fine-tuned and tweaked down to the last detail.

A poor woman came to use the restroom in the middle of their session, and Mary stuck her head out the door and told her to keep her panties on.

They were all staring at her when she closed the door to return to their meeting.

“What?” Mary asked.

“Do you think that’s good business, dear?” Nancy asked.

“Pffthbt.” Mary made a short raspberry sound. “That was Bubble Hubbell.”

“Ah,” they said in collective understanding.

Bubble was a nickname Mary used for Heather Hubbell, who had been Ian’s girlfriend before he met Mary. Heather had tried repeatedly over the years to win him back, and although Ian had been clear that he had less than no interest, Heather kept trying.

“I loathe that woman,” Mary said.

“She is a nasty piece of work,” Beth agreed. “But she’s not worth getting upset over. You know Ian would never—”

“Oh, I know,” Mary said. “It’s just the nerve of her to keep trying. Argh. It’s maddening.”

“Maybe we can interest Bubble in a nice cartel member,” Charlene said. “How does she feel about Brazil?”

Mary looked thoughtful. “That might be far enough away.”

“Excellent, I’ll just pencil that in at the bottom of our plan,” Lindsey said. “Okay, let’s go over it one more time.”

They finalized the plan, and then one by one they left the bathroom. The tiny space was down the hall from the main restaurant, but Lindsey wondered if they had fooled anyone by staggering their departures.

There was no sign of Heather Hubbell waiting in the hallway, and Lindsey was relieved. The last thing they needed was to navigate a smack-down between Mary and Ian’s ex.

Lindsey waited in the hallway while the others slipped out the back door. Lindsey watched the clock on her cell phone, willing the minutes to slow down so that her friends had enough time to do what needed to be done. All the same, she wished it were a half hour later so that she could be at the meeting place, getting her brother back.

As Lindsey paced in the narrow space, she thought about the events of the past few days. A dead man in the library. Her brother’s return and subsequent kidnapping. Threatening phone calls and people following her. Sully opening up about his past and a drunken Robbie sleeping on her couch.

Lord-a-mercy! No wonder her nerves were shot.

Ian poked his head around the corner. “Lindsey, have you seen my wife?”

“Recently?” Lindsey asked. Yes, she was stalling.

“Yeah,” he said. “Heather Hubbell stormed out of the café, no loss there, but she said Mary wouldn’t let her in the bathroom and told her to keep her panties on. Is that true?”

“Um, yes, I do believe there was a conversation to that effect,” Lindsey hedged.

“I can’t believe she didn’t tell me herself.” Ian sounded mystified. “Mary loves getting all worked up about Bubble . . . er . . . Heather, which is crazy because anyone with eyes in their head knows I am berserk for my wife.”

Lindsey glanced down at her hands. She had a feeling berserk would surely describe his reaction when he found out what Mary was doing right now. What to do, what to do. Should she tell him?

She did a quick risk assessment in her head. If everything went according to plan, then Mary would be perfectly safe for her part of their plan. If things didn’t go as planned . . . Lindsey shook her head. She refused to even go there.

“Well, if I see her, I’ll let you know,” Lindsey said.

Ian gave her a considering glance. “You okay, Lindsey? You don’t look yourself.”

“I’m good,” Lindsey said. “I am thoroughly good.”