“I don’t know what I’m gonna do with that cat,” she muttered. “He’s never had a problem with any of my other pets. Clark barely phases him. But this mouse? Buster’s lost his mind.”
Speak of the devil. A flutter of brown feathers announced Clark’s arrival at the top of the stairs. He peered down at us, one glassy eye looking particularly judgmental.
Beth sized him up. “Clark, what is Buster’s problem today?”
The nutcracker bird puffed his chest and gave a dismissive caw. “Cats are crazy. Always have been. Give a bird a sunflower seed and he’ll tell you the truth.”
That’s just what the morning needed. Life advice from a bird.
The doorbell rang.
Beth rolled her eyes. “Not a moment’s peace,” she said, but her stride had some bounce again. She marched to the door, gave her shirt a quick tug, and pasted on her best smile.
Waiting outside were three women I’d seen around town. Book club.
Beth ushered them in. I tried not to look like I was still traumatized by cat warfare and took up my position as official snack host.
The first woman, Ruth, wore glasses on a chain. Next to her, Nora sported a deep green sweater. The third, Lydia, hung back just a little, her lips pressed tight, book club tote clutched to her chest like a shield. The trio swept into the office and parked themselves around the battered coffee table.
I beamed at the trio. “So, grapes or cookies? Cheese, maybe? I know where Beth keeps the good chocolate.”
Nora perked up at that, and even Ruth’s battle-ready shoulders dropped a notch.
Beth set out cups, pouring water and layering crackers on a plate and cleared her throat. “Thank you all for coming. I know you’re busy, but it’s about Alice.”
The friends all nodded, tension finally settling in now that they sensed this wasn’t a Tupperware pitch. Not speaking, they moved slowly as they filled up their plates and began to snack on the food.
I kept my hands in my lap, squeezing my fingers tight. “Alice is missing. We haven’t heard from her since yesterday morning. No calls. Nothing.”
Ruth leaned forward, eyes wide. “Missing? That’s not possible. Alice would never vanish without saying something. Maybe she got lost on one of her walks?”
Nora shook her head, curls bouncing. “She’s got a book due next week. She wouldn’t miss club. I mean, she’s read ahead three chapters.”
“Yeah, all signs are pointing to the fact that she didn’t just disappear on her own.” Beth scanned the group, hunting for answers. “Has anyone seen anything strange? Was Alice upset? Did she mention anyone bothering her?”
The women exchanged glances.
It was Nora who swallowed her fear and actually spoke. “Well she did mention someone spooking her. She said, after the last meeting, that she thought she saw a figure outside her window at the coffee shop. She was in the middle of telling me about it, but then we got interrupted.”
Lydia’s hand shook as she set down her cup. “Actually,” she stammered, “that was… me.”
Nora’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Lydia shrank into her cardigan. “I came to get Alice for the meeting. I know she gets wrapped up in her books, so I volunteered to come pick her up from the coffee shop. I was waiting outside the shop waiting for her, texting her, but she wasn’t responding. She started looking up at me a lot, but she still didn’t come out. She finally took off, and I chased her. Shescreamed, and I told her it was just me. She’d forgotten I was coming to pick her up, and it was dark, so she just saw someone in a hoodie staring at her and then chasing her. We both felt silly afterward.”
Ruth let out a breath, grabbing another cracker from her plate. “Alice really is in her own little world when she reads. Something I’m guilty of too.”
Beth pinched the bridge of her nose. “So the mysterious figure was just you?”
Lydia nodded, looking like she wished she could disappear into the rug.
A bubble of disappointment rose in my chest. “So no strange person lurking in the shadows took her?”
Beth shook her head. “I hate to say it, but she might have just got cold feet.”
Ruth leaned in, voice low. “Alice wouldn’t just run away. She always talked about Henry like he was her true home. She wanted that. Everyone knew it.”
Nora nodded. “She said he made her feel calm. That’s not easy for someone like her. Besides, if she’d planned to leave, she would’ve told us. Or left a note at least.”
