Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 03 - Smoky Mountain Mystery Read Online Free Page B

ride!” 
    Gloria watched the tall, imposing figure disappear through the door before plopping down in the chair next to Margaret.  Mally settled in beside Gloria’s chair. 
    Under normal circumstance, Gloria would’ve been thrilled to be onboard a real train, riding through the majestic mountains and enjoying the magnificent scenery around her.
    Instead, she had to wonder why on earth Liz sent her train tickets.  Maybe Liz would be onboard?  The minutes dragged by as Gloria waited impatiently for the ride to begin.  She passed the time by studying every passenger that boarded their car.  None of them was Liz.  Finally, the train slowly pulled out of the station and began its journey through the countryside. 
    Gloria grabbed her purse and jumped to her feet.  “I’ll be right back.  Watch Mally for me,” she added.  She handed Margaret the leash and stepped into the aisle.
    “Alrighty.”  Margaret was more than happy to just sit near the window and watch the world go by.  The lull of the train chugging down the tracks was making her sleepy anyways.  She wrapped her hand around the leash before leaning her head back on the overstuffed headrest and closing her eyes.  Seconds later she was sound asleep.
    Gloria shook her head as she watched her friend sleep.  Must be nice to be able to fall asleep just about anywhere, she thought.
    Gloria made her way towards the back of the car.  There was another car right behind theirs and it was full of passengers.  With one last quick glimpse at Margaret who was still resting peacefully and Mally curled up on the floor nearby, she stepped into the other car.  
    The conductor was right.  The train was full of people. And none of them were Liz.  By the time she made it to the fourth and final passenger car, her shoulders slumped in resignation.  She had no idea what she was supposed to do now.  Liz wasn’t here but obviously wanted her on the train for whatever reason. 
    Gloria was smart enough to bring along a snapshot of Liz and herself.  A photo that was taken a few months earlier.  She pulled the picture from her purse and headed for the first employee she saw - the bartender.  Gloria hopped up on an empty barstool and slid the photo across the gleaming Mahogany bar top.  “I’m looking for my sister.  I thought she was going to meet me on the train today but it doesn’t look like she’s onboard.”
    The man wiped his hands on his apron and plucked the picture from the countertop.  He studied it for a brief moment before shaking his head.  “Never seen her before.”  He handed it back.
    Gloria stuck the picture in her purse and slid down off the barstool. “Okay, thanks.” It was time to move on to the next employee.  She turned to go.
    “Wait a minute!” he suddenly called out.
    Gloria whirled around, her eyebrows raised.  Maybe he remembered something after all.
    The bartender pointed to a waitress working nearby.  “Sandy is one of our servers.  She works almost every day the train runs.  You should check with her,” he suggested.
    Gloria thanked the man and made her way over to the pretty brunette woman who just finished placing a tall glass of iced tea on a passenger tray.  She turned to face Gloria.  “Yes, ma’am.  How can I help you?”
    Gloria held out the picture.  “I hope you can help me.  I’m looking for my sister.  I thought she was going to meet me on the train today but she’s not here.”
    Sandy reached for the photo and brought it close to her face to study the images.  She slowly nodded.  “Yeah.  I remember her.  She was here the other day.”  Sandy handed the photo back.  “She was quite the character.  And she had a real story.  Something about a mysterious treasure she was searching for.”
    The woman finished pouring more coffee into a nearby passenger’s cup before motioning to Gloria.  “Follow me.”
    Without waiting for an answer, the woman turned and headed to the rear of the