Free Jex Malone by C.L. Gaber, V.C. Stanley Page A

the hearing of a dog. No offense, Cody.”
    â€œWell, what’s she doing with my dad? I mean, he’s told me nothing about her other than she’s great—really great. Which of course makes me think she’s not. I mean, why is he trying to put on the hard sell?” I ask.
    â€œWell, she is very, very—um—fit, and I guess you could say she’s a super-positive person,” Cissy describes in a sheepish voice. “And I guess she can be nice if you are super-positive and fit, too. She doesn’t seem to like people who are—um—not fit.”
    Great—Miss Fat Phobic is going to be in my life, which is disappointing, but doesn’t destroy the mood as I smell the toasting Pop-Tarts release their sweet, chocolaty fragrance into the air. They should bottle this stuff and slap a Chanel logo on it.
    â€œSo what you are telling me is she’s hot,” I quiz Cissy. “Is she supermodel hot or just better-than-average-mall-chick hot? And if she is in the supermodel category, what does she want with my dad? I mean, he’s a dad.”
    â€œOh my God, haven’t you noticed how great looking your dad is?” Cissy gushes, and then blushes because she clearly said something inappropriate. “I mean, your dad doesn’t exactly look like the dads around here. Plus there’s that whole detective thing—it’s like he knows everybody’s secrets, which is so intriguing and cool. And when it comes to Miss Zumba, it’s not like they haven’t known each other forever, too.”
    Cissy’s words are like a stun gun to my brain.
    â€œWhat? They—as in my dad and Sandy—have known each other forever?” I ask, adding, “How exactly are you defining
forever
? In real time, how do you classify it?”
    â€œDidn’t you know this? It’s no secret. They met years ago when Patty Matthews disappeared. Sandy was a student teacher at the high school at the time, and apparently she knew everything that was going on with Patty before she disappeared. I heard that she was the only one Patty ever confided in about all the awful things going on in her life,” Cissy states.
    I must have had a weird look on my face, because at this point she’s starting to look like she’s let out some awful secret.
    â€œYour dad didn’t tell you any of this?” Cissy asks nervously. “I thought you’d know all this.”
    I do the mental tally. Bad husband. Bad dad. Bad cop. Cheater?
    â€œJex, for what it’s worth, they really didn’t start dating until a few years ago. It’s been a long time since Patty Matthews disappeared and I am sure it has nothing to do with the two of them getting together,” Cissy says, trying to ward off what clearly is my on-coming crying jag.
    I grab the searing-hot Pop-Tart out of the toaster and plop it on the plate as I shake my slightly burned hand. I do this while turning my back to Cissy so she can’t see that I’m trying hard not to cry.
    â€œPatty Matthews? Did someone say Patty Matthews?” another voice shouts from the sliding glass door. “Who wants to find out what happened to Patty Matthews? I do!”
    Nat is standing in the patio doorway with a huge smile on her face.

    Nat sidesteps me and walks right into the house. What else should I expect? She doesn’t say hello or even pat the dog. I haven’t even had coffee yet (another perk of living with Dad) and Nat is bombarding my sleeping brain cells with nonstop chatter.
    â€œThere’s something important you need to know and it’s been bugging me since that whole Patty Matthews case came up yesterday,” she rambles, plopping in a chair at the kitchen table. “Oh, Pop-Tarts. Can I have one? Hi, Ciss. What are you doing here? Wait, tell me later. I have to talk to you, Jex. Right now.”
    I might spontaneously combust.
    Nat has obviously been up for productive