A.L. Jambor - Where's Audrey? (5 page)

When Mel came out of the bathroom, Vera was in her bedroom at the other end of the hall. Mel could hear the TV and wondered if she should stick her head in the door and say goodnight. She decided if Vera wanted to say goodnight, she would, and went to the sofa.

Before turning off the lights, she pulled out her phone. She had a text message from Deputy O’Keefe saying he’d gotten her message. He asked her to meet him in the parking lot at the sheriff’s office in the morning around ten. He signed it “Conner.”

Mel called Laura to tell her she’d arrived safely, but Laura didn’t pick up her phone. Mel left a message on her voicemail and hung up.

She looked at the time on her phone. It was eight o’clock. She couldn’t believe she was going to bed so early. Maybe it had something to do with spending the night in an over fifty-five park. Maybe something in the air made everyone go to bed early.

When she woke the next morning, the gray tabby was asleep on her chest. She pushed it off and it protested, then she got up and brushed cat hair off her sleep shirt. She glanced at the clock on Vera’s cable box. It read seven. She had slept for eleven hours.

Vera was at the kitchen table and saluted her with her coffee cup.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Hi,” Mel said.

“You slept well. I slept well when I was your age. That’s the curse of old age. Now that you have the time to sleep in, you can’t.”

“I was wiped out. Is there more coffee?”

“I made a whole pot. I usually don’t, but I thought you might like some.”

Mel went to the counter where the ancient Mr. Coffee sat. Vera had put a mug next to it for her and she filled it.

“Milk and sugar are on the table,” Vera said.

Mel sat and put sugar in her coffee. Vera seemed to have something on her mind.

“I’m sorry for the things I said last night,” she said.

“Oh, don’t worry about it.”

“I do worry about it. I tend to live in the past and I promised myself this new year I would stop.”

“Well, you have a few more days yet to make that resolution.”

“True, but I still should have been more considerate. She is your aunt after all. And she has some good points.”

“What are they?”

“She is very intelligent. She is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. She had traveled all over the country.”

“Really? I don’t think Nana Grace ever left New Jersey.”

“No, she didn’t. Grace was happy to stay put. I always asked her to come and visit, but she always declined.”

“I appreciate you letting me stay here. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t. The hotels are all booked.”

“Christmas vacation is upon us. People are here getting a head start on the season.”

“I know. A friend of mine is staying at a condo in Clearwater Beach. She asked me to join her, but until I find out what happened to Audrey, I can’t.”

“What do you think happened to her?”

“I don’t want to talk about what I think happened.”

“Have you been to her home?”

“Yesterday. And some guy is living there. He’s way too young for her.”

Vera narrowed her eyes. “Vera preferred men her own age. She was never one to chase after gigolos.”

“I don’t think he’s a gigolo, but I’m not sure what he is.”

“What did he say when you asked where she was?”

“He said she went on a cruise to Europe.”

“Alone?”

“No. With a friend from another park.”

“It’s possible. Don’t you need a passport to travel to Europe?” Vera asked.

“I don’t know. I guess you would, though, since you’re going over water that isn’t part of the United States.”

“I may be wrong, but I don’t think Audrey had a passport.”

“You said she traveled a lot.”

“Yes, in the United States. There was something about her birth certificate. Oh, I wish I could remember.”

“Nana mentioned something about that, too.”

“Yes. Grace would have had the same problem. Maybe that’s why she never traveled.”

“That’s what she said. They were both born in Cuba.”

“They were twins.”

“They were!” Mel cried. “She didn’t mention that.”

“Oh, yes. I grew up with them. We were in the same classes in high school. They were fraternal twins.”

“I wonder why nobody told me that?”

Vera shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“I’m gonna call my grandmother,” Mel said. She got up, took her phone off the charger, went to the door, and went outside. She dialed Grace’s number, then changed her mind and hung up. She still hadn’t told Grace that she hadn’t found Audrey. She dialed Laura instead.

“Hello,” Laura said.

“Hi, Grandma. It’s Mel.”

“Hi, Mel. It’s early for you to call.”

“I know. I went to bed early.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at Nana’s friend’s house. Vera. We just had coffee. Listen, Grandma, Vera told me Nana and Audrey are twins.”

“That’s right.”

“How come I didn’t know that?”

“You didn’t? I don’t know. Maybe it just didn’t come up.”

“But that’s the kind of thing I should know, don’t you think?”

“Mel, is it really that important?”

“It may be. Vera thought of something. Can you tell me more about their birth certificates?”

“I don’t know more than I told you already.”

“You said there was a glitch.”

“Yes, but I can’t remember exactly what it was.”

“How can we ask Nana without tipping her off that Audrey is missing?”

“I could ask her about it. It’s not a big secret.”

“But won’t she wonder why you’re bringing it up now?”

“Did you talk to her yet?” Laura asked.

“Yesterday. I said Audrey was out when I went there.”

“So she doesn’t know someone else is living there.”

“No. I thought we’d find her before I had to.”

“I agree. She’d just worry.” Laura paused. “Thanks for this, Mel. She really appreciates it. That dream upset her. She’s very worried about her sister.”

Mel felt a tug at her heart. “I know. I’m gonna find out where she is.”

“I hope so.”

“I’m meeting a deputy this morning who has promised to help me.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

“And there’s a neighbor there I want to talk to. I’ll let you know what happens.”

“And I’ll try to keep a positive outlook.”

“Tell her I’m thinking about her.”

“I will. You be careful down there this time of year.”

“I will. See ya, Grandma.”

“Bye, dear.”

Mel hung up the phone and looked at the patch of grass at the side of Vera’s house. The sun was out. It was a beautiful day.

Mel thought about her grandmother and aunt being born in Cuba. She was amazed that she had never heard about that before, nor the fact that they were twins. She had to ask Conner where she would find out about an application for a passport.

She went back inside and Vera was scrambling eggs.

“Do you want some?” she asked.

“Sure,” Mel said.

Vera took a plate out of the cabinet and filled it with eggs. “The toast is on the table.”

When Mel began eating, she realized how hungry she was, and her plate was empty within minutes.

“That was good,” she said. “Thanks.”

“Glad you enjoyed it.”

“I have to meet somebody at ten. I think I’ll get dressed.”

“Who are you meeting?”

“A deputy. He’s gonna help me find out what happened to Audrey.”

“Are you coming back later?” Vera looked concerned.

“I’m not sure. Can I call you later and let you know?”

“I’ll be here.”

Mel walked over to Vera and put her arm around the old woman’s shoulders. “I really do appreciate this.”

“I know. It’s just nice having someone to talk to.”

Again, Mel felt a tug at her heart. “I have to see how things go today.”

Mel retrieved her bag and took it into the bathroom. She emerged fully dressed and went to the sofa to collect her things.

“I’m gonna take a ride over to Holiday Oaks,” she said. “Maybe I’ll see you later.”

She walked over to Vera, who was sitting at the kitchen table with her second cup of coffee, and gave her a hug.

“Be careful on the roads,” Vera said. “Crazy drivers are out there this time of year.”

“I’ll be careful.”

Mel left the home and got into her car. It was eight-thirty. Most old people were up early, right? She wanted to see the lady who lived across the street from Audrey. If she sat there every day, she might have seen something. She also might have seen Audrey with Jason, and Mel was going to find out why her aunt would let Jason into her life.

Chapter 6

When Mel drove up, the woman was sitting on the porch with her yapping dog. Mel got out of the car, walked up to her, and the dog barked louder.

“Hi,” Mel said. “I wonder if I could talk to you for a minute?”

The woman stared at her. “Shut up, Maurice!” she cried. “Yes? What do you want?”

“I was wondering if you’d seen my aunt, Audrey Glenn, lately?”

The woman smiled. “So, somebody finally came to check on her. I saw you yesterday, then I saw the cop. You could have just asked me then.”

“A cop was here?”

“Big fella in a sheriff’s car.”

Conner hadn’t mentioned he’d stopped by. The dog’s barking was beginning to annoy Mel. Every few seconds it would stop and sniff, then start barking again.

“Did you know Audrey well?”

“Not to talk to, no. She wasn’t very friendly if you ask me. Just hung around with those biddies at the pool. Gossip mongers, that’s all they were, just gossip mongers. Liked to hurt people. Talked about ’em and made up lies.”

“Have you seen her lately?” Mel asked again.

“No.”

“How long has that younger guy been living there?”

“He showed up about five months ago. I keep a notebook. I like to keep track of things, especially strangers. I looked at it yesterday when you came around. I knew you had to be a relative. You look like her.”

No one had ever said that to Mel before. “Really?”

“Younger, but still like her.”

“Did she ever say anything to you about him?”

“Listen, honey, like I said, we didn’t talk. Shut up, Maurice! Damn dog. He never used to bark like this. All the sudden he starts and I can’t get him to stop.”

Mel looked at the dog. “When did he start barking?”

“I’d have to look in my notebook again. Stay here.”

The woman got up, grabbed her cane, and went into the house through a sliding glass door, leaving it open. She appeared a minute later with a ring-bound notebook. She returned to her seat and opened it.

“Says here he started yapping in September.”

Three months ago
. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m Marge. Marge Winthrop.”

“Well, Ms. Winthrop, if you hear anything, please call me. Can you put my number in your notebook?” Marge had a pen inside the rings of the notebook and pulled it out. “My name is Mel Jones, and my number is 732-555-0645.”

“That isn’t a local number.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“I guess it’s okay. But only if I hear something. I’m not gonna be your new phone buddy.”

That’s good.
“Have a good day.”

Mel drove away and went around the park to the office. She wondered when the “gossip mongers” came to the pool. She parked in the visitor’s lot where she had a view of the pool. There were several older women in lounge chairs sitting there. Mel got out of the car and walked over to the gate in the chain link enclosure surrounding the pool. She went through it and walked up to the women.

“Hi,” she said, and all heads turned her way. “I’m Audrey Glenn’s niece. I was wondering if any of you knew her.”

“We all do,” one of them said. She had a deep tan and the wrinkles to prove she had spent way too much time in the sun.

“Do you know where she is?” Mel asked.

“Only what that boy told us, that she went on a cruise.”

“Do you believe she went on a cruise?”

Mel counted them. There were six women altogether. Three of them didn’t speak, but they all looked at each other and then at Mel.

“
She
never said she was going anywhere,” the one in the middle said.

“When was the last time she sat with you?”

“I saw her a few months ago,” a redhead said. “It must have been September.”

“That’s right,” the tanned lady said. “I remember now. She was talking about that boy. He didn’t like to sit with us so she got to talk about him. She wanted him to move out.”

“That’s right,” a blonde said. “She was going to ask him to leave. He was eating too much food and asking her for money all the time.”

“I told her when she let him move in it was a bad mistake,” the redhead said. “But he was nice to her, and I think Audrey was lonely.”

“Do you think he would hurt her?” Mel asked.

Silence. They looked at each other again. Then the tanned lady spoke.

“He’s young, but he didn’t seem mean. He was here with her a few times, and he seemed very attentive.”

“I never trusted him,” the redhead said.

“You never trust anybody,” the blonde said. “Look, sweetie, Audrey never listened to anyone. She did what she wanted to do. We all thought letting him live there was a bad idea. I mean, he could have been a gigolo. But she liked him and she wouldn’t listen to us.”