Free Upstate Uproar by Joan Rylen Page A

computer screen was the
only light coming from the front window. Vivian hopped out of the
SUV. “I’ll go see if anyone’s here, just in case.” The door was
locked, so she knocked and waited a minute. No answer. She got back
in the SUV. “Guess we’re bringing a boy home tonight. Hope Tracy
and Brandon don’t mind.”
    Kate pointed the car toward Turlington Farms.
“He’s so cute, I bet they won’t.”

 
     
     
14
     
     
    T racy greeted the
girls as they got out of the car. Austin was the last to emerge.
“Hi, there,” she said. “And who is this?” she asked, scratching
under his chin and rubbing his head.
    Wendy explained that they’d ended up with the
shelter dog a little longer than anticipated. “Is it okay if he
stays the night?”
    “Sure he can. I’ve got some scraps he’ll
enjoy. I’ll go get him a bowl of water, too.”
    Before she turned around, she took in their
appearance. “Are you girls okay?”
    “I’m heading up,” Kate said and started up
the porch. “I need a shower.”
    “Right behind ya,” Lucy said.
    Vivian ran a hand through her blonde curls.
“It was a helluva day. We’ve been surrounded by men in uniform.
Unfortunately, we weren’t at a strip club. They were the real
deal.”
    “Oh, wow. Would you like a glass of wine? Or
a beer? We have all that you brought in the fridge.”
    “I’ll have one of my Dox Equis.” Vivian sat
in a rocker on the back porch. “Thanks.”
    “You got it,” Tracy said and disappeared.
    Vivian and Wendy sat rocking and tried to
relax. In a few minutes, Tracy brought them each a beer. She set
down a cup of hot tea and walked down the steps with a large
plastic bowl. She filled it with water from the hose. “Come here,
boy,” she called to Austin, who trotted over and went to town
slurping.
    She picked up her tea and sat down beside
Vivian.
    Vivian and Wendy told her about the hike, and
then about finding the jawbone.
    Tracy’s eyes got big, and she put her hand on
her chest. “A human bone? Are you sure?”
    “The teeth had silver fillings,” Wendy said.
“There was no doubt. When we left the coroner, crime scene techs
and a bunch of volunteers were there and looking for more, uh,
pieces.”
    Tracy shivered. “Had they found
anything?”
    Wendy shook her head. “Not that we know of,
but from what we understand, it sounded like a tedious process. I
bet we’ll know more tomorrow. I hope so, for the sake of that
person and the family.”
    Tracy got up. “I need a real drink; this tea
isn’t cutting it. I’ll be right back, and I’ll bring us all a
little something special.”
    Wendy took a long draw of her beer and looked
around. “It’s so nice out here. It’s little things like this I was
looking forward to sharing with Jake.”
    Austin lay at Vivian’s feet. He sat up and
she rubbed his soft ears while she thought about the Jake
situation. “Why don’t we call Antonio in New Orleans? Ask him to
use his NOPD accesses to see what he can find out about the name on
that other passport? We can trust him.”
    Antonio Robichaux was a detective with the
New Orleans Police Department they had met earlier in the year. He
was also the brother/brother-in-law of Adrienne and Al Russo, whom
the girls met in Playa del Carmen on their first vacation. They’d
run into them in NOLA where Al’s contacts and Adrienne’s street
sense had come in handy during Wendy’s bachelorette party.
    Wendy brightened. “I don’t know why I didn’t
think of that before. He would be straight with us, tell us if he
found anything, even if it wasn’t...” She couldn’t finish.
    “Pleasant,” Vivian finished.
    Wendy nodded. “Do you still talk to him?”
    Vivian shrugged. “I haven’t been to New
Orleans to see him, but we still talk occasionally.” She grinned
mischievously. “I wouldn’t mind seeing him next time I go. Maybe
slip into his handcuffs.”
    Wendy laughed and seemed to relax.
    Vivian was happy to see her smiling. The