Cass wasn’t in his office when I called, and he didn’t answer his cell, so I left a message suggesting he check out the situation with Polly. Paisley had downed the chili and was asking for a second bowl, so I heated it up while I refilled her milk. The girl acted like she hadn’t eaten in days. Perhaps I should take some groceries over to Paisley’s grandmother when I dropped her off. Fruit, cereal, granola bars, and bags of diced veggies would be good snacks for a growing child on the days she didn’t come to our place after school. I really hoped Giovanna’s mother hadn’t shot Mayor White, but I did remember that he had been doing audits of everyone who worked for the town in any capacity, and as the bookkeeper, Polly might very well have had something to hide. Of course, I had no idea why Lissa would confess to a murder Polly committed, but the more I thought about it, the clearer it became to me that Lissa liked to be in the middle of things. Could she have confessed to two murders simply to get the attention she craved?
“Have you been practicing the song we worked on last week?” I asked once I’d left my message for Cass.
“Every day. I think I’m ready to learn a new song today.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “Let’s hear how the one you’ve been practicing sounds, and then we can pick out something you’ve been asking to learn.”
We spent the next two hours in the attic sharing the music we loved. I really enjoyed these sessions with Paisley, and I could tell that the lessons were the highlight of her week. Often times, I asked Paisley to stay for dinner, but I had my bowling date with Cass this evening, and Gracie didn’t seem to be around, so I took Paisley to the market instead. We picked out a selection of items she could either microwave or make herself, and then I took her home, where her grandmother was waiting for her in the living room. I knew Paisley’s grandmother loved her and really wanted to be the guardian she needed, but she’d been having health issues, and I wondered how long the arrangement would continue to work out. Of course, Paisley wasn’t a baby. She was actually a very capable young girl, and I knew that, while her grandmother acted as her guardian, it was often Paisley who made sure that the house was cleaned and food made it to the table. Perhaps I’d look into hiring part-time help for the pair. A housekeeper coming in a couple of days a week and casseroles made up and only needing to be heated might actually help quite a lot.
When I arrived at the bowling alley, neither Gabby nor Cass was there yet. Gabe was working the counter, so I greeted him and asked to rent a lane for an hour. I also needed to rent shoes and pick out a ball. Cass had his own, so I figured I’d get set up while I waited.
I wondered if Gabe knew that Gabby was his date, or if like Gabby, he’d simply been told that someone would come in and mention Ms. Cupid. I remembered that Gabe had asked Gabby out in the past, but that she’d turned him down, and I wondered if that would affect the date Ms. Cupid had set up between the two this evening.
I had to admit that other than similar names that might become tedious at some point, Gabe and Gabby did seem like the perfect pair. I understood why Gabby might hesitate to become involved with someone she assumed was just a paperboy, but would her opinion of the guy change once she realized that he simply delivered newspapers to supplement his income as he built the business he’d worked and saved for?
Cass still hadn’t shown by the time I’d changed my shoes and picked out my ball, so I decided to warm up by throwing a few frames. I would think if he was going to be late, he would have called, but he hadn’t texted or left a voicemail, and when I called his phone, it went straight to voice mail. We’d agreed to meet thirty minutes before Gabby was due to arrive so we’d be sure to be in place for the big reveal, but if Cass didn’t hurry, it looked as if he was going to miss the big moment.
Gabby arrived before Cass did, so I paused and watched the moment unfold. She walked up to the counter and started chatting with Gabe. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I could see her expression, and it appeared as if she was surprised or possibly even confused. I noticed a look of anger cross her face, but then Gabe said something, and her expression softened a bit. Gabe really was a good looking guy who’d I’d always considered to be charming, and based on the way he seemed to be coaxing Gabby out of her sour mood, I’d say he’d turned up the charm big time. After a few minutes, he called someone over the handheld radio behind the counter. A woman walked out, he spoke to her, and then he took Gabby by the hand and walked her down the hallway where I assumed he kept an office.
As grand reveals went, that one was sort of disappointing. I supposed I’d need to wait until tomorrow to see how Gabby felt the evening went. Cass still hadn’t arrived, and I really didn’t want to stay and bowl alone, so I decided to just head home. After replacing my ball and changing my shoes, I headed toward the counter to let the woman who’d taken over for Gabe know that I wasn’t going to need the lane after all.
“Polly,” I said noticing her nametag.
“Yes, can I help you with something?”
“Polly Thorndike?”
“Yes. Do I know you?”
“My name is Callie Collins. I’m neighbors with Paisley Holloway. She happened to mention that she was friends with your daughter, Giovanna.”
She smiled. “Sure. Paisley talks about you all the time. It is so nice how you and your aunt have taken her under your wing. The poor dear really needs that sort of stability in her life.”
“Paisley mentioned that you’re moving at the end of the week.”
She nodded. “I have a bookkeeping service, and until recently, my biggest client has been the town. I have other accounts such as the bowling alley and some other small businesses, but it was my contract with the town that paid my bills. Mayor White, may he rest in peace, decided that the town should have a full-time bookkeeper rather than contracting out, so he fired me, effective the first of this year. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but then my cousin, who lives in Tampa, told me about an opportunity with a tech startup, so I applied. I start in two weeks. I’ll miss my friends in Foxtail Lake, but I’m excited to start this new chapter in my life.”
So, it looked as if Polly wasn’t the killer, and it also looked as if Cass wasn’t with her as I’d assumed. If not with Polly, then where was he?
I chatted with the woman for a few more minutes and then headed out to my car. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my gut. Cass wouldn’t stand me up without a call or text unless he was incapacitated and unable to call or text. I knew I needed to find him, but I had no idea where to look. I supposed I’d start with his office and then head to his home if he wasn’t there. If he wasn’t in either location, perhaps I could track his phone or his vehicle or something. Not that I actually knew how to track either, but I did know someone who could.
Chapter 18
“Callie, what are you doing here?” Dean Simpson asked. Dean and his brother, Martin, were tech billionaires who lived on a gated estate in the area.
“I need a favor. Will you ring me in?” I said into the monitor at the gate. “It’s Cass. I think he may be in trouble.”
The gate buzzed, and I drove in. When I arrived at the front door, both brothers were waiting for me. They escorted me in and asked how they could help.
“Cass and I made plans to go bowling tonight. We were supposed to meet at the bowling alley at seven, but he never showed. I’ve tried texting and calling, but his phone goes straight through to voice mail. I know he was investigating the two recent murders, and I’m really worried.”