Free Stunner by Niki Danforth Page A

deafening, and I’m eager to fill it. “So, how’s your day going?”
    “Great. Frank will be back in about…” She looks at her watch. “…twenty minutes. He’s taking me to visit a farm that he says makes the most delicious cheeses.”
    I like that place. “Oh, that’s Valley Farm Creamery. I only call them for special occasions, or I’d be eating their cheeses nonstop. You’ll have a great time.” I straighten some books on a shelf. “I also have a fun outing on the agenda.”
    Juliana smiles politely. “Where are you going, Ronnie?”
    “Well, I’m on the board of a foundation that funds programs for kids. I just found out about one that I want to check out over in Pennsylvania.” I sit on the corner of Frank’s desk where I can look directly at Juliana to watch for a reaction. “So it’s a little further than driving to the creamery.”
    “How interesting.” Juliana’s eyes say
tell me more
. She’s giving me her full attention, the same way I watched her listen to our guests at cocktails the other night. “What do they do?”
    “It’s supposed to be a successful school drug prevention program up in Scranton, of all places.” I give her my version of her laser-beam gaze. “And what’s really interesting is that the guy who created it had a police record as a teenager. He used to be in a gang, was arrested, then placed in juvenile detention.”
    I watch Juliana’s face carefully for any sign of recognition. Okay then, the moment of truth. “The man’s name is Joe Taylor. He really turned his life around, and now he helps other young people do the same.”
    Nothing. I see no flicker of reaction when I say the name. Whatever Juliana may know, she gives nothing away. “What an amazing story, Ronnie. How exciting to go meet someone like that.”
    She’s polite in a reserved way, but I don’t give up. “If Frank deserts you for a conference call or unexpected meeting, would you like to come along? I’m probably going tomorrow and I’d love some company,” I say. “It’d be fun.”
    “Thanks, Ronnie, but Frank says he wants to take me into the city tomorrow.” She looks at her watch and suddenly gets up from the sofa. “He should be back any moment. I need to run upstairs now and get ready. Please excuse me.”
    She heads for the door but stops before leaving the room, turning back to me with that enigmatic smile. “Thanks for the invitation, though, Ronnie. Some other time.” She leaves.
    She’s smooth. She’s very smooth. Yep, Frank’s got himself a real woman of mystery.

Chapter Ten
    A funny thing happens when I pull off the highway halfway to Scranton. While waiting in line for a cup of coffee, I look through the window by the cashier and notice a nondescript Toyota idling off to the side. I wouldn’t give it a second thought except this particular vehicle has a good-sized dent on the passenger-side front fender, very much like the dent in the nondescript Toyota at Meadow Farm.
    I can’t read the numbers on the license—too far away—but the car has New Jersey plates. Hard to see who’s sitting behind the wheel. As I pull out my distance glasses to get a better look, the car shifts into drive, and all I see is the blur of a baseball cap and big sunglasses going by before the Toyota darts back onto the highway.
    Wait a minute. Couldn’t be. At any rate, isn’t Juliana on her way to New York with Frank today? Strange.
    Anyway, when I made the appointment with Joe Taylor soon after talking to Will, I told him I’d heard all about his successful drug abuse prevention program. And since I planned to be in the area, would he have time to tell me more about it? Of course I’m really interested in finding out what’s become of the Scranton Gang.
    Truthfully, some friends do have a small family foundation in New Jersey, and I’m on the board. Joe Taylor’s program does actually fit the funding mission of this foundation. So he and I spend a half-hour discussing the