Free Miss Julia Paints the Town by Ann B. Ross Page A

didn’t get to ask her where Richard is. My goodness, I didn’t even ask her where she is. I’ll tell you, I’ve never seen so many strange things happening in one day.”
    â€œIt be that way sometimes,” Lillian said, nodding her head as if she’d predicted it all. “I don’t know I b’lieve this, but my granny used to say when the stars line up just right an’ you hear hoot owls at midnight an’ dogs crawl under the house an’ stay there, why, you jus’ better look out for trouble, an’ they’s a owl been flyin in an’ outta that ole barn down next to Mr. Willet Bennett’s house.”
    I started to laugh off her dire predictions, but I didn’t have time for it. “You may be right,” I said and headed out to the car again.

    Cars filled Mildred’s driveway and more were parked up and down the street. Since I couldn’t get near, I went around the block and parked in my own driveway. Then carefully bearing the cake, I walked in the lengthening shadows to Mildred’s house, which was what I should’ve done in the first place.
    I went around the house and in the back door, hoping to avoid the crowd I knew would be in the front rooms. The first person I saw was Hazel Marie, who was slicing a pie before putting it out in the dining room.
    â€œOh, Miss Julia,” she said, looking up with a smile on her face. “Just put that down wherever you can. Would you believe all this food? We could feed two armies with it. Ida Lee’s going to freeze everything that’ll freeze, so they’ll have it for a while.”
    I made room on a counter, shoving two casseroles closer together, and put down the cake. “Where is she, anyway?”
    â€œUpstairs, straightening Mildred’s room,” Hazel Marie said, pointing the pie server at the ceiling. “She is really upset over all this, and I tried to get her to lie down for a while. But she won’t do it.”
    â€œWell, Ida Lee’s very close to the family. She’s been with them for so long. What about Tonya? Any word on when she’ll get in? And I guess I should ask if there’s been any word on Horace, though I expect you would’ve told me if you’d heard anything.”
    â€œNo, to both questions,” Hazel Marie said, as she ran her hands under water from the faucet. “As far as I know, Tonya’s still in the air somewhere, and Mildred’s heard nothing about or from Horace.” Hazel Marie turned off the water and began drying her hands. “Miss Julia, do you think I ought to suggest that she hire J.D. to look for Horace? I don’t want her to think I’m drumming up business for him, but you know how good he is at finding people.”
    â€œThat might not be a bad idea, Hazel Marie,” I said, mulling over her suggestion of putting Mr. Pickens on the case. “And she won’t think you’re drumming up business for him. She probably just hasn’t thought of engaging a private investigator. But, I tell you, if the sheriff hasn’t found Horace by tonight, I would certainly be looking elsewhere. If it were me.”
    â€œMe, too. Okay, as soon as some of these people clear out, I’ll ask her to think about calling J.D.” She picked up a plate and handed it to me. “Here, fill this up. You haven’t had a bite all day, have you?”
    â€œI haven’t had time to think about it. Hazel Marie, you wouldn’t believe all that’s happened today. Every time I’ve turned around, somebody else is telling me their problems.”
    â€œReally? Let’s both fix a plate and go out to the gazebo. Nobody’s out there, and you can tell me everything.”

Chapter 10
    As warm as the early afternoon had been, it had now turned a bit chilly and I wished for a sweater. Still, it was a fine, cloud-free late spring day. Balancing our plates and glasses, we walked across