The Trouble with Paradise (Madeline Dawkins Mystery) by Cynthia Hamilton

Author:Cynthia Hamilton [Hamilton, Cynthia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Woodstock Press
Published: 2019-07-06T22:00:00+00:00

Twenty

Madeline sat in the driver’s seat of Mike’s Mercedes, staring at the entrance of the derelict movie theater with unseeing eyes. She was aware of her hunger, thanks to her grumbling stomach, but she didn’t want to take the time to find somewhere to eat. She had a lot on her mind, but found it hard to concentrate on any one thought long enough to make sense of it. She took a pad of paper and pen out of her tote in hopes of jotting down notes that would focus her mind and inspire a strategy or two.

“Think. Think. Think,” she prodded herself. She reached over to the glove compartment for one of the energy bars Mike always kept on hand. After chomping it down in seconds, she realized hunger was largely responsible for her lack of brain power. Lack of valuable insights was the other culprit. She was half-tempted to call Mike to fill him in on the sighting at Natalie Sheckle’s house and the trip up to the Bartholomew ranch, but she knew he was either with his property managers or already making merry with Jesse.

What made the most sense at this juncture was to go to the office and work the boards, add a few characters to the mix, see if that altered the picture in any way. Liking that idea, mostly because it was the only one she could come up with, she turned the key in the ignition and headed out onto the busy thoroughfare.

Rationalizing that the Sheckle home was more or less along the way, she decided to do another drive by. The goodbye she’d witnessed was not the type exchanged prior to a trip to the grocery store, so she didn’t expect to see the guy with the muscle car. But it was still worth a chance. That kiss, with the lingering hands, was an I don’t want to leave you kiss.

After gathering her hair back up and fastening it, she grabbed the wig from her tote, giving it a quick finger combing before she pulled it back on. She fluffed it around her face and called it good enough. She didn’t bother with the useless glasses, since her sunglasses worked just as well.

The vicinity immediately surrounding the Sheckle home was still choked with parked vehicles on her return. She drove past Natalie’s house and went to the end of the block, then made a rather ungainly Y-turn and headed back the way she’d come. No sign of the flashy muscle car. After passing her target a second time, she pulled into a neighboring driveway to turn around, then parked in a space that afforded a clear view of Natalie’s front door from a safe distance. On the off chance the scene would repeat itself, she had her cell phone out and ready should she need to snap a photo.

Now the big wait, which gave her plenty of time to think. Mostly, what haunted her thoughts was that scene on Natalie’s front porch.

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