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Wednesday, January 1st
She woke to the smell of coffee and the sound of Donovan speaking quietly. A slight headache and all-over stiffness kicked in next. It was a cloudy day. Donovan, in black boxer briefs and his unbuttoned white shirt, was leaning against the library table, coffee in one hand, phone in the other, and looking out the window. Shamus was sitting companionably on the back of the sofa, looking out the window, as well. Donovan turned when he heard her stirring, and ended his call.
“Good morning,” he said, and came over to give her a kiss. “Would you like a coffee in bed?”
That sounded good. “Please.”
He filled her big red mug, brought it over and sat on the edge of the bed. “Just spoke to Diane. It looks like your wayward real estate agent has gone missing.”
“Lola? You’re kidding!”
“Afraid not. She was supposed to be at the party last night, but never showed, and isn’t answering her phone. So Diane and Kelsey went to your house in Lake Parkerton to check on her, in case she was depressed or something. Her car was in the driveway, but there wasn’t any answer. They called the police. Your house doesn’t appear to be disturbed.”
“That’s a relief, but it isn’t any surprise that she wouldn’t take a call from Diane.” She explained what Diane said to Lola about not wanting to recommend her anymore.
“Yeah, I don’t think I’d want to talk to her either, even if she was within her rights.” He took another sip of coffee. “It’s too soon to officially declare Lola a missing person. I think she probably had a date to the party and they took a detour to his place.”
She tugged on his shirt. “Nice robe.”
“Almost put yours on.” He nodded to where it hung on a hook, then pushed up his glasses. “I was wondering, um, about bringing over a few things, but I don’t want to crowd you.”
“I was going to ask you to, actually. Bring as much as you want and stay as long as you’d like.”
“I’d like to stay every day, sweetheart, but in a place this small I might get on your nerves, especially when you want to get back to work.”
“You know, I haven’t shared space with another adult in over ten years—it’s been a while for you, too, hasn’t it?”
“Oh yeah. More like fifteen, and that was only for a couple of months. I’m a crusty old bachelor.” He laughed. “But I really want to share everyday life with you, to live with you. How we’ve been together the past three months tells me that, not just the past week.” He touched her finger with his. “How would you feel about that, to have a place of our own?”
“I think I’d like that very much.”
They kissed to seal the deal, laughing like a couple of kids.
They sat up on the bed together, coffees in hand, talking the way new couples do, about what they hope for the future, how they want it to be different and better than the past, shutting out the troubles of the world for at least a little while.
“Speaking of your house,” said Donovan, “I do hope Lola is okay, but I’m with Diane, and hope the real estate company replaces her as your agent.”
She sighed. “Lola had a terrible time between her ex and the loan shark, and I thought she was getting things back on track. But I guess this economy dragged her down again.”
They sat there in thought for a bit, and Donovan gradually started rubbing his hands. “I know it’s illogical, but this thing with Lola is setting off warning bells in me. I don’t like it.”
“Do you think she’s in trouble?”
“She could be, but that’s not the only thing. She was staying at your house—her car is still there. Assuming someone did grab her, what if whoever did it thought she was you? I mean, Barnes still isn’t sure who snipped Gani’s brake lines.”
Charlotte felt anxiety set in. “I hadn’t thought of that. But it could happen. A lot of people still don’t know that I’ve moved to Elm Grove.”
“I’m thinking we ought to tell Barnes.”
Then Charlotte recollected seeing Janice at Jimmy’s party. And her look of shock when she saw Charlotte.
“It’s Janice.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“She was at the party last night. And she couldn’t bring herself even to say hello—she looked at me like she saw a ghost, like I wasn’t supposed to be there. It gave me the creeps. And now, with the possibility that Lola might be missing—mistaken for me—”
“Charlotte, sweetheart,” Donovan spoke quietly and drew her into his arms to reassure her. “We can’t panic yet. I shouldn’t have put the idea in your head.”
He managed to change the topic back to their future, and said that he was going to Chicago in the morning for the rare book auction.
“I thought you weren’t going to go?” asked Charlotte.
“I wasn’t. Then Jimmy pointed out certain advantages one has in business with a more raised profile, and it won’t hurt to get a couple of pictures taken during the auction. Aldo’s going to be there, too and asked to see me.”
Aldo Madiveros was a rare book expert and bookstore owner in the Hyde Park area of Chicago. Charlotte herself had consulted with Aldo by phone at the suggestion of Martin Stanton when she was trying to identify the rare book that Donovan’s mother Olivia claimed to have. She found the book, and that was the very one Donovan now had up for auction. Aldo appraised and authenticated it for the auction house.
“It won’t take long. There and back, four hours, tops.”
“You might be coming home a wealthy man, Donovan.”
He pulled her to him and ran his hands over her bottom. “I already am, sweetheart.”
His phone rang, and he let go of her reluctantly to take the call. “Yeah, Jimmy. Great party last night. Enjoyed it thoroughly. What’s that?” He listened for a moment, then smiled. “Sounds good to me, let me ask Charlotte.” He turned to her. “Jimmy’s inviting a few of us over for hoppin’ john and cornbread this afternoon. Says it brings good luck for the whole year. Wanna go?”
“Absolutely! Can we bring anything?”
She heard Jimmy yelling NO as Donovan held the phone away from his ear and laughed. “He says no, he’s got quite a few things left over and just wants everybody to help him get rid of it instead of bringing more.” He listened again. “And he said to invite Ellis and her dad and stepmom, as he doesn’t have their phone number. Said to tell Ellis that Nathaniel will be quite sad if she doesn’t come.”
“Tell Jimmy that I suspect Nathaniel has already talked with Ellis, but I’ll make sure she knows.”
Donovan wanted to go back to his place to pack up some things to bring over, like his own toothbrush, a shaving kit, and a few changes of clothes. “I think I’ve got some stuff in the fridge that’s still good, like bologna, butter, and beer.”
“The Three B’s of good nutrition,” laughed Charlotte. “Sure, why not? Only not too much stuff because my fridge is so small.”
“And most importantly,” he said, tapping her big red mug with his finger, “I’ve got my own mug, too. Home is where the mug is.”