Free Natural Reaction by Terri Reid Page A

with Mary; I haven’t spoken with Jeannine’s parents yet.”
    “Like I said, we could wait.”
    “Listen, let’s go ahead and schedule it for tomorrow, afternoon, okay?” he said. “I’ll drive down to her parents today and talk to them. If I need to reschedule, I’ll let you know.”
    “Yeah, that sounds good,” he replied. “Bradley, I’m sorry. I know this is going to be rough.”
    “Yeah, but I’m hoping they’ll at least feel some closure, knowing where she is.”
    “Good luck.”
    “Thanks, Sean.”

Chapter Thirteen

    Mary sat at her desk in her living room flipping through her old address book. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace and Ian was sitting on the couch working on his laptop. She located a number and typed the name into her computer and hit the “Enter” button to perform a search. “Yes!” she said, throwing her fist up in the air.
    Ian looked up at Mary over his reading glasses and smiled. “You found a contact?”
    She nodded. “Yes, a fellow from DCFS I dated a couple of times.”
    “Is he still talking to you after you broke it off with him?”
    She shifted on her chair and turned to him. “How would you know that I broke it off with him?” she asked. “He might have dumped me.”
    Grinning, he shook his head. “Only if he were a fool, both blind and daft.”
    “You say the nicest things,” she replied, her cheeks turning slightly red.
    “Ach, Mary, me love, I only speak the truth,” he replied, his eyes twinkling. “And would you be thinking about making lunch this afternoon?”
    She snorted. “Okay, you just ruined everything,” she said, “All that sweet talking for a bowl of chili.”
    “Is it chili you’d be making for lunch today?” he said, shifting on the couch. “Well, that’s a meal a man can get used to having daily. Would you be making those wee corn muffins with it?”
    She laughed. “Yes, I can make corn muffins too,” she said. “Let me make this call first, then I’ll get things going for lunch.”
    He looked back down at his computer screen and started tapping on the keyboard. “Just so you know,” he said, not looking at her. “The food had nothing to do with the statement about the laddie. You’re a fair bonnie lass, Mary O’Reilly.”
    “Thank you, Ian MacDougal,” she replied. “And you’re a fine braw laddie yourself.”
    He raised his eyes over his glasses and stared at her, surprised.
    “What? Do you think you’re the only one who can speak Scottish?” she asked.
    Grinning, he lowered his eyes to the screen. “The Internet is a grand place, isn’t it Mary?”
    She chuckled. “Aye, it is, Ian.”
    “Speaking of the Internet,” Ian said. “I’ve done a bit of research into the explosion at the high school. Sean’s been helpful getting some fire records opened for me.”
    “And?” Mary asked.
    “It’s a strange bit of work, here,” he said. “The initial fire report has been redacted, all kinds of interesting black marks appearing on the pages, especially when the fire investigator is looking for a secondary incendiary device.”
    “Really,” she said. “And what is the conclusion.”
    “Ach, well, there is no conclusion,” he said. “Because the case involved chemicals that were purchased from a local manufacturing company, they brought their own team in to investigate the fire. They ruled it an accident and stated the only secondary explosion was the cause of the teacher’s experiment in the front of the room.”
    “And you’re suspicious?”
    Ian chuckled. “Darling, I’m a researcher, I’m always suspicious. It’d be grand to learn more about what happened that night.”
    “I’m up for a field trip,” Mary said. “We could get Rosie and Stanley to babysit for a bit.”
    “Sounds like a cunning plan,” Ian agreed. “You make your calls and then let’s invite Rosie and Stanley over.”
    She picked up her phone and dialed the Chicago number. In a moment the phone was