Gema was thirty, happily married, the young mother of two. She and Allie were a wonderful team as saleswomen and best friends. Allie was as pale as moonlight, and Gema was pure ebony. Gema had lost her own mom just before her tenth birthday. Allie filled a nice place in her life.
Gema tried not to sound concerned.
“Maggie, I hate to bother you on a Saturday, but I’m worried.”
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s Allie.”
“What about her?”
“She isn’t here.”
“She didn’t come in? Have you called her?”
“Well, she did come in. Coffee was on and everything was neat as a pin when I arrived. The door was unlocked. I thought maybe she’d gone next door for beignets or croissants, but Hal, behind the counter, hadn’t seen her.”
“Did you call her house?”
“No answer.”
“Did you call the police?”
“They said they couldn’t fill out reports on every woman who wandered away for a few hours.”
“Did you remind them that we had a homicide just outside our doors hours earlier?”
“I did. Didn’t help.”
Maggie hesitated. “Gema, don’t worry. I’ll call the cop who came in yesterday. Are you all right there?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Is it busy?”
“Yes, but I’m glad to be busy.”
“I’ll call Lieutenant Canady and be right in myself.”
“Oh, Maggie, I’m sorry, you don’t have to—”
“I’m not doing anything but lying around on the porch in the sun. Allie is special, and I don’t care what they say—if she isn’t at work, something is wrong.”
“Okay. Thanks, Maggie.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Maggie hung up and stared at the phone. She felt a deep-seated fear, and she wanted to shake it off.
She closed her eyes tightly, wondering if she wasn’t making an awful mistake.
Sean’s card was in her handbag. She dug around for it, stared at the numbers, then dialed. He answered with a curt “hello” on the first ring. “Sean?”
“Maggie?”
“Sean, I’m sorry to bother you now, but it seems that one of my employees has ... disappeared. She’s only been missing a few hours—we think—but she’s incredibly conscientious and I’m worried. Could you—could you possibly meet me at the shop?”
“I’ll be there,” he said briefly.
The line was dead. Maggie stared at it, then quickly hung it up. She called out to Peggy that she was leaving, grabbed her handbag, hopped into her sandals, and hurried out of the house.
Gema tried to talk with a slim teenage girl who was asking about a custom dress for a special party she was having. She kept watching the door.
She sighed with relief as she saw the tall, handsome cop from yesterday coming toward the door, followed by his younger apprentice. She apologized to the teenager, asking her if she could come in on Monday or Tuesday when Maggie Montgomery would be in. She barely noticed whether the girl paid any attention to her or not; she hurried toward Lieutenant Canady.
Instinctively, she reached out. He took her hands. “Maggie must have called you. Thank you so much for coming. I understand that you don’t usually worry about a missing person so quickly, but if you knew Allie—”
“Hey, it’s all right, we have to worry about all missing persons—it’s just that when they haven’t been missing too long, they sometimes reappear on their own,” he told her. He had a great smile. Flashing eyes that could be both stern and strangely assuring. He had a strange power, she thought. It came from within. From knowing right and wrong, from a confidence that dwelt deeply in his soul.
“Still, thanks—”
“There’s an officer coming behind me who will take down information about your friend, and we’ll put out an APB on her right away.”
“I wouldn’t want you to do anything . .. wrong.”
He flashed her another smile. “One of the perks of being an underpaid and overworked cop. I can break a few rules when I want.”
She already felt better.
“Maggie’s on her way as well. I’m so flustered myself, I’m afraid I’ll forget something important.” Canady turned to the young man standing slightly behind him. “Radio Carl in the car. Find out if he’s reached Allie’s home address yet.”
“I’m on it,” the young man said, and turned around.
“Gema, can we get you something to help you feel a little calmer. A cup of tea?” Canady asked. His smile flashed again. “Maybe a spiked cafe au lait? Valium?” She smiled in return, shaking her head. “No, I’m keeping the shop open regular hours. And I’m too unnerved to calm down.”
He arched a brow. “Ah, well. Good girl. So, tell me about Allie. I know I spoke with her yesterday.
She’s a very attractive woman, charming. Silver hair, silver eyes, slim, personable. She must be excellent at sales.”
“Oh, she’s wonderful! And she loves our line of clothing. We both do. Maggie’s so talented.”
“Yes, she is,” he murmured, looking around the shop. Mannequins modeled a number of the garments.
Maggie knew how to cut a dress, shirt, skirt or jacket to complement a feminine form. Even mannequins looked good in her clothing.
He turned back to Gema, still smiling. He was like the Rock of Gibraltar. She felt as if she had been drowning, and someone had thrown her a rope.
“Now ... Allie’s just never late for work, huh?”
Gema shook her head. “She was here. That’s the point. She’d already made coffee. She’s very proud of her coffee. Buying clothing here isn’t just shopping. It’s a social experience. We’re in all the travel guides, you know.”
“No, I didn’t know. But good for you. So you believe that Allie came in and made coffee—”
“I know she did. Who else would open the doors, spruce up, and make the coffee?”
“You’re probably right. It’s just good to separate the ‘probable’ from absolute fact.”
“Oh, certainly. Yes, I can see ...”
Gema broke off, because he was staring past her. She turned around. A little cry escaped her. To her amazement, she saw Allie hurrying back toward the front door of the shop.
“It’s Allie, right?” he asked gently.
Gema nodded. She awkwardly moved past him, hurrying to meet her co-worker as Allie burst through the door, looking very nervous and fidgety.
“Allie! I was so worried, just worried sick!” Gema said. She plowed into Allie, hugging her tightly, then pulling away.
“Oh, I know, I’m just so distraught!” Allie said, smoothing back her silver hair, then noticing that Sean stood just beyond Gema. “Oh, dear, no! You’ve called the police!”
“It’s all right, Mrs. Bouchet,” Canady assured Allie. “No harm done.”
“Oh ... of course, after yesterday ...” Allie murmured. “I’m just so ... so embarrassed!”
“Well ... what happened? Where were you?” Gema demanded.
Even as she asked the question, Gema saw that Maggie Montgomery had arrived, wearing a casual black knit dress and sandals.
“Allie!” she cried, pushing quickly through the shop doorway.
“Oh, Maggie, I am so sorry—” Allie began with distress.
She didn’t finish. Maggie was hugging her, stepping away, looking at her, looking at Lieutenant Canady.
Something flashed through her eyes. “Did you find her?” She didn’t wait for an answer, but looked back to Allie. “Oh, thank God, you’re okay!”
“Quite fine,” Allie said.
“No, I didn’t find her,” Canady informed Maggie.
“Then what—” Maggie began with concern.
“Oh, I was just about to explain!” Allie said with distress. “And I’m so sorry to have disturbed the police when we have such awful things going on in the city!”
“Maybe we should let her tell her story,” Canady suggested.
Maggie glanced at the cop, biting lightly into her lower lip as she looked from him worriedly back to Allie once again. “Of course. We should have waited, except that ...”
“Hey. We’re all on edge. A man was murdered near here,” Canady finished.
Gema noted that her boss was looking at the cop with both appreciation—and wariness.
“Oh, dear! And my explanation is so senseless!” Allie murmured.
“Allie, whatever it is, we’re all going to be quiet now until we hear it,” Canady said firmly.
Maggie cast him a fiery glance but remained silent.
Allie sighed.
“The pitiful thing is that ... Oh, Lord! The explanation is that I don’t really have an explanation. I remember being in here, making the coffee, and then ... I think I remember going out to bring in some croissants, beignets, muffins . .. rolls. The next thing I knew, I was standing in the Square, watching a juggler! Oh, it was just awful. I remember opening the door to the place, and thinking I was just stepping down the street ... Oh, Maggie, you should just fire me here on the spot. I must be going senile. I had a complete lapse of memory!”
“I’m certainly not going to fire you!” Maggie assured her.
“Oh, thank you, dear. I’ve never had anything of the like happen to me before, and I don’t know at all what could have triggered such an incident, but...”
“Are you sure you’re all right now?” Canady asked her carefully.
“She looks fine!” Gema said quickly.
“I think we should take you to the hospital.”
“The hospital!” Alarmed, Allie looked quickly to Gema for help. Gema smiled encouragingly.
“Allie, maybe you were bumped on the head somehow!” Maggie said. “We need to get you checked out—”