Calamity Jayne And The Trouble With Tandems Part 38

"I suppose we could start our homework later," I gasped.

The doorbell rang.

I froze.

"d.a.m.n! Who can that be?"

Townsend didn't say that. I did.

Rick sat up, and I readjusted my clothing on the way to the front door. I opened it.

"Dad?"

"Hi, honey. You busy? I saw Rick's truck out front. I don't want to interrupt you two if you're in the middle of something."

I grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room, thinking he would make a pretty good talisman to have handy to ward off what must be forever cla.s.sified as Townsend's irresistible charms.

"Don't be silly, Pop," I said. "Come on in. We were just...visiting."

Rick got to his feet. "Evening, Philip. How are things at the phone company?"

"Pretty much the same as always. Except the customer complaints we get now are about Internet service being down, not their phones." He shook his head. "Progress."

"Can I get you anything, Dad? Coffee? Soda? A bottle of water?"

He shook his head. "Oh, no. I was just wondering if your mother was here."

"Mom?" I frowned. "No. She isn't here. Last I knew she planned to help Aunt Reggie man the Mini-Freeze tonight so Frankie, Dixie, and Taylor could have the night off. Why?"

He gave a half shrug.

"I just thought you might've spoken to her this evening."

I frowned.

"You mean she's not home yet?"

My dad shook his head.

"Gram mentioned something about Mom staying here the last couple of nights," I said, chewing my lip. Talking to your parents about their...issues was a.s.s-awkward.

"She did stay here a night or two. Said she needed to clean."

Nice. My mother had stooped to using my untidiness as a front for her to carry on her...her...midwife crisis.

"I'm sure she's fine. She probably just got to talking with Aunt Reggie and time got away from her."

"I've spoken to Regina. Your mother left two hours ago."

I looked at my watch. It was close to midnight-way past my mom's bedtime, especially on a weeknight.

"Have you tried her cell?"

"It goes to voice mail."

I patted his hand. "She probably just lost track of time."

"Your mom lose track of time? That isn't like her, Tressa."

No. It wasn't. But that was the other Jean Turner. The one who didn't eat junk food and didn't run around in their p.j.s and didn't take off with an entire bottle of wine.

This new Jean Turner? She was a whole new critter.

I wanted to ask him about Mom's sudden dissatisfaction, the problems, their marriage-but, seeing him standing there, stubble on his chin, shoulders slightly slumped inward, a perplexed, troubled look in his eye, I couldn't find the words.

"It'll be all right, Dad. She'll be all right. Sometimes we just need time alone to 'be.' And you have to admit, it's been a long time since Mom's had the chance to go off by herself and recharge the batteries."

"You think that's what she's doing, Tressa? Recharging batteries?"

"That's my guess," I said, and put my arms around him and laid my head on his shoulder. "You know. It's not just the guys who get to have a midlife crisis. It'll pa.s.s."

He smiled and patted my back. "My eternal optimist," he said. "You'll never keep this girl down, Rick."

"Don't I know it?" Rick said.

I felt myself blush.

Lights outside the front window caught my attention.

"Somebody's out front!"

"Maybe it's your mom." My dad hurried to open the door. "Oh. G.o.d. No. It's the sheriff."

My breathing stopped. I felt lightheaded. I swayed. Townsend grabbed hold of me before I toppled over.

"No. It's not Mom," I said. "It's not Mom." If I said it enough times, it would be true.

Frenzied b.a.l.l.s of light from the patrol car danced in the darkness, lighting up the driveway and front yard. One of the deputies who'd served Jax at the talent show came up to the door. Manny DeMarco, tall, dark, and definitely not on a social call, stood next to him.

"Evening folks," the deputy said. "Sorry to bother you, but we're looking for a missing person."

I blinked. "You're looking for my mother?"

I know. I know. He couldn't possibly be talking about my mom because no one had reported her missing yet. Give me a break. I was a little rattled here.

"No," the officer said, looking puzzled-and who could blame him? "We're looking for Keelie Keller."

It must be contagious. I was the puzzled one now.

"You're looking for Keelie Keeler?" I said.

"Keelie's missing," Manny said. "Has Barbie seen her?"

I shook my head. "Not since the scene in the auditorium. How long has she been missing?"

"She ran out of the auditorium and took off," Manny said. "Hasn't been seen since."

First, my mom. Now Keelie. What was going on?

I felt a chill to the bone. Rick put an arm around me.

"We have reason to believe she might be...drinking," the officer said.

"How do you know that?" Rick asked.

"Beer's missing from the bus," Manny said.

"King Tut?" I asked, and Rick gave me a what-are-you-talking about look. "I mean, how much is missing?"

"Enough to become inebriated," the officer said. "We're thinking the young lady became upset and took some beverages to, uh, console herself."

Ah. Politically correctness was alive and well in law enforcement. In earlier times he'd have just said she wanted to get wasted.

"You're sure she's not on the bus?" I asked.

Manny folded his arms.

"Oh. Right. You're sure. Dumb question."

"Why are you looking for her here?" Rick asked.

I did a mental head b.u.mp. Duh. Obvious question.

"The young lady doesn't know anybody here locally except Miss Turner here."

I frowned.

"I don't know her really. We do have a history-" I stopped. "Wait a minute. You don't think I had anything to do with her disappearance, because I'm telling you right now, if you think I-"

"Barbie's in the clear," Manny cut me off like a section of your bangs that just won't lay right. "Manny thought maybe Keelie might find her way here. After the kybo episode, she'd realize you aren't a threat."

I blinked. "What do you mean, kybo episode?"

Manny crossed his arms. "Kybo door was jammed, then duct-taped shut."

"You were trapped in a kybo?" Rick looked over at me. "Eww."

The phone in the house began to ring.

"Maybe that's your mother!" my dad said.

I ran to the phone. Picked it up.

"Tressa?"

"Mom, thank G.o.d, it's you! Where are you?"

"Is your father all right? What are the police cars doing there?"

I frowned. "Dad's fine. We're good. They're here looking for Keelie Keller. Are you at home then?"

"I...was." She said.

"Is it your mother?"

I nodded at my dad who'd appeared at my elbow.

"Yes."

"Thank G.o.d." His sigh of relief went on for a long time. "Ask her if she knows where the TV remotes are. I can't seem to find any of them."

I stared at him. Five minutes ago he was scared to death something had happened to her. Now that he knew she was all right, he was worried about his TV remotes?

"Is that your father? Is he asking about his remotes?"

I made a throat-slashing motion and shook my head at my dad.

"No. It's not Dad. He's out front speaking to the officers."

"Well, you tell the officers that Keelie is okay. I just dropped her off at the house and she should be making her way to your location shortly. She had quite a fright. Someone almost ran her over. I found her on my way out of town and brought her back home. I picked up on the police scanner that they were looking for her. I saw the lights at your house and the police car-and Rick, of course, and, oh yes, Manny, Keelie's bodyguard she tells me. I figured your place was the safest place for her to be. She should be there any second now."

"Wait a minute. You dropped her off? What do you mean, you dropped her off?"

"Well, I cleaned her up a bit. I had the first aid kit. Nothing serious, really. Some minor scratches and some skinned knees from diving into the roadside ditch. She was a bit tipsy, but I gave her some good strong coffee and got her sobered up before I dropped her off. She didn't want anyone to see her like that. She's really a sweet girl once you get to know her."

Sweet girl? Either my mom was drunk, or she hadn't picked up Keelie Keller.

"Hey! Over there! Look! It's Keelie!"

"Good. She's safe then," my mom said.

I walked to the front door and looked out. A bedraggled, but safe, Keelie stood near the patrol car. Manny draped a blanket over her shoulders.

"Yeah. She's safe, Mom. Good job. Now, about Dad."

"I do have a message for your father, Tressa."

I let out my own sigh of relief.