A Tale of Two Cookies by Eve Calder

Author:Eve Calder [Calder, Eve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

Chapter 29

“Call while you were out,” Sam announced when Kate walked into the bakery. “Doc Scanlon. Left the message on the fridge. Couldn’t make hide ner hair of those other notes, though.”

“Ooo, do I sense a little romance in the air?” Delores Philpott cooed.

“It’s about young Oliver, I expect,” Sam said. “You want some a’ that challah? Just came out of the oven ’bout an hour ago. Got whole wheat, too.”

“I’ll take a loaf of the regular,” Delores replied. “Sliced, if it’s not too much trouble, Sam. But you have to admit,” she added, without pausing for breath, “those two would make a very cute couple.”

Kate hadn’t meant to leave her Post-it notes on the bakery’s refrigerator. She looked at the scattering of yellow scraps again, hoping that something would click. Nothing.

Where was Judson Cooper? If he had just sailed away—voluntarily—why hadn’t anyone heard from him? Even if he and Desiree had broken up, why would he leave her without so much as a letter? That was just cruel. And what about the other people in his life—his children, his friends, his business partner? Even if Desiree had been a deranged stalker, certainly he’d have still been in touch with them?

Unless he really had reached out to them. And had asked them not to say anything.

Kate shook off the thought. Ridiculous.

She snatched the yellow slip with Jack’s number, lifted the phone from the receiver, and dialed.

“Coral Cay Animal Clinic, may I help you?”

“Hi, this is Kate McGuire. I’m returning a call to Ja … ah … Dr. Scanlon.”

“Hi, Kate, this is Becky. Doc’s at the coffee maker. Hang on.”

After half a minute of classical music, Jack’s baritone filled the receiver.

“Kate, this is a nice surprise! How are you? And how’s Oliver?”

“We’re both fine, thanks. I was just wondering, you haven’t by any chance heard from Judson Cooper, have you?”

“Nope, not a word. When I got back into town this morning, Andy Levy told me no one has. Not since Friday night.”

“That’s the problem. Desiree’s going out of her mind with worry. Ben’s still trying to make contact with him—just to make sure he’s OK. But so far, nothing. It’s like he’s dropped off the face of the earth.”

“Well, he always has been a bit of an absentminded professor.”

Kate sighed.

“What can I do to help?” he asked gently.

The story came tumbling out in a verbal waterfall. No overt signs of foul play, but plenty of speculation and worry. Trying to trace Judd’s movements. The biologist’s fascination with Turtle Bay. The maps. The cigarette boat. The list of past criminals he’d confronted.

“I had no idea,” Jack said, when she paused. “I’m sorry I just took off for the seminar. Judd recommended the class, ironically. Triage for distressed marine mammals. I should have stayed to help.”

“At that point, we didn’t know anything,” Kate said softly. “I think we all thought we’d have heard something by now—even if it was a ransom demand. But it’s been five days and nothing. We’d like to go out to Turtle Bay.

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