Jean drove Marie back to A Cut Above after their search for Alice. Her headlights illuminated James’s bike leaning against the shop sign. He’d called Marie as soon as he got to Bluff Road to report she wasn’t there.
“Good,” Marie said. “He got back before dark.”
Jean turned down the CD player that blasted “Sympathy for the Devil” to the night air. Marie opened her door but didn’t get out.
Marie said, “Alice is the last person to go off on an adventure. She’s never late. Never missed an appointment. Her car was home.”
“And she loves that cat,” Jean said. “She wouldn’t leave without asking one of us to feed Rascal.”
Both sat quiet for a moment, not looking at each other, brows furrowed in worry. They spoke at the same time.
“Maybe we should—?”
“Do you think we should—?”
“—call Tom?”
“—call the sheriff?”
Both voiced a nervous laugh, then quieted again. Jean turned off the CD.
“Doesn’t somebody have to be missing for twenty-four hours before the law gets involved?”
Marie said, “Tom wouldn’t care. Besides, it’s almost twenty-four hours.” She sighed. “Maybe she met somebody? She’s pretty secretive about … you know.”
“Alice? Where? How? She stays home, reads, and cleans the leaves of her plants with mayonnaise.”
“Mayonnaise?”
Jean shrugged. “She says they like it. What do I know?”
Marie sighed again and dropped her hands to her lap. “What should we do?”
“I’m supposed to meet Daniel after he’s done demonstrating goo at Brand X Beauty Parlor downtown. Maybe she showed up after I called. I don’t think we should panic until morning.”
Marie said, “I’m not panicked. I’m worried.”
“But you’re ready to panic,” Jean said. “I can tell. You’re all fidgety.”
Marie got out, walked to the driver’s side and spoke to Jean through her open window.
“I have a bad feeling, that’s all. And I don’t like having it. Call me when you get home. I’ll call you if James knows anything.”
“I may not get home tonight,” Jean said. “You know why.”
Marie rolled her eyes, patted Jean on the shoulder and said, “Then call me in the morning, and we’ll decide what to do. If she’s not back in the morning …” She shrugged.
Jean gripped Marie’s hand and said, “I know. It’s not her at all.”
Jean started backing out, then shouted as Marie got to her door, “That girl needs a full-time mother!”