Free A.L. Jambor - Where's Audrey? by A.L. Jambor Page B

Mel asked.
    “I have bran flakes.”
    Mel made a face. It was not what she had in mind. “Do you have bread? I could have some toast.”
    “I have a nice multigrain bread.”
    “That’s good.”
    Vera took the bread out of the freezer and stuck two slices in the toaster. The coffeemaker was perking and the smell filled the little home. Mel got up and went to the bathroom. When she came out, she was dressed and sat at the table where Vera had placed her toast.
    Vera brought two cups of coffee to the table and sat across from Mel. “We can go after I get dressed.”
    Mel nodded as she buttered her toast. “Where do you usually go?”
    “I like Publix. The one right over there,” she pointed out the window, “is very clean.”
    “Then Publix it is.”
    It didn’t take Vera long to dress and they were in Publix by nine. Vera used a scooter to navigate the large store while Mel looked around on her own with a cart. She put some things in the cart and then stopped dead in her tracks. Jason was in the aisle, but he hadn’t seen her yet.
    She watched him as he put things in his cart. She backed away. He was a good-looking guy, and she believed he could have fooled an old, lonely woman. She got to the end of the aisle and moved in front of it. She peeked around the corner so she could still see him. Vera came up behind her.
    “Are you playing hide and seek?” she asked.
    Mel jumped, then turned to see Vera. “No. I just saw that guy who is in my aunt’s home.”
    “Really? Where is he?” Vera road past her and looked down the aisle. “Is that him?”
    “Yes, but be quiet. I don’t want him to see me.”
    “He looks like that boy on TV. The good-looking one. What’s his name again? He’s on something at night.”
    “We’ll figure it out later,” Mel said. “Are you ready to check out?”
    “I think so.”
    They went to the checkout and Mel insisted on paying for Vera’s items. Vera protested, but not too much, before letting Mel pay.
    Vera rode the scooter to the car and Mel put the bags in the trunk. She saw Jason come out of the store and get into the Mercury. She helped Vera into her car and got in the driver’s side.
    She followed the Mercury out the side of the parking lot. She saw it turn into a bank. There was nowhere for her to park so she just kept going. She wished she didn’t have Vera with her for she wanted to go to Audrey’s while he was out and look around.
    Once she got Vera squared away, Mel got back into her car and drove over to Audrey’s park. Something was up. There was a sheriff’s car parked in front of Marge’s house.
    Mel parked in back of it and got out of her car. Marge was in tears and another woman had her arm around her. The deputy was taking notes. It wasn’t Conner. Mel glanced at Audrey’s home and didn’t see the Mercury. She wanted to find out what had happened to Marge, but she couldn’t pass up the chance to check out Audrey’s place while Jason was out. She decided to take a walk between Audrey’s home and the one next door. If anyone asked, she could say she was going to the pool.
    The home’s foundation consisted of staggered cement blocks. The driveway ran up the right side, and next to it was a strip of dirt where Audrey had planted bushes. There was also a strip of dirt that ran along the back of the house. The central air conditioner was on the left side.
    Mel walked to the back of the house. She looked at the bushes as she walked by them. She had no idea what she was looking for, but it felt like she was doing something. When she got to the back of the house, she noticed something strange. Audrey hadn’t planted anything there. Some of the dirt in the strip behind the house was darker than the rest. Someone had been digging there.
    She heard a car coming into the driveway. She hid behind the home and waited until she heard a car door open and close. Then she waited until she heard the door to the home open and close before walking along the left