The Missing Dough Read Online Free Page A

After a minute, she closed it abruptly. “That’s odd. He’s not answering.”
    “Maybe he’s too busy driving over to pick up his phone,” I said.
    David shrugged as he put the plate he’d grabbed down on the rail. “There’s no use standing around here speculating about it. I’ll go see what’s keeping him.”
    “You don’t have to do that,” I said, but Maddy put a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks. I would really appreciate that.”
    “I’m happy to do it.” David was two steps from his car when another set of headlights started down the street toward us. Was it Bob or someone else? As the car approached, it slowed down, and I was more than a little relieved when I saw that it was indeed Maddy’s fiancé.
    As he got out of his car, David grinned at him. “I was just about to start up a search party for you, buddy. Where have you been?”
    “I had to take a really long shower to get all of the beer out of my hair,” he said. “I still can’t believe what a jerk your ex-husband was tonight, Maddy. What did you ever see in the man?”
    “Things that clearly were never there,” she said as she put her arm in his. “Bob, I’m really glad you’re here.”
    “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said as he patted her arm. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving.” He looked at the still-empty plates and asked, “You didn’t wait for me, did you?”
    David replied quickly, “I didn’t want to, but they made me. You know how these two ladies are when they stand united.”
    “They are indeed a formidable force,” Bob admitted. “Well, now that I’m here, let’s eat, shall we?”
    We took turns dishing out our plates, and Maddy went around pouring servings of sweet tea. It was the perfect combination of good food and fine fellowship, a night to be cherished and savored like the best of wines. I loved the memories we were creating tonight, adding to the ones I cherished as the best times of my life; this was fast becoming a real keeper.
    “Does anybody want any more food?” I asked as I got up to survey what was still left. There was probably just enough barbeque and slaw left over to make one small sandwich; we’d really done a fine job of demolishing nearly all of the food we’d bought at the fair.
    “I’m full,” David said, and the rest of us agreed with him.
    “Then I’ve still got a late-night snack after you all go home,” I said as I started to collect the containers so I could pop them in the fridge.
    “Can you honestly eat after all we’ve just had?” David asked.
    “Maybe not right now, but give me enough time, and I’ll manage just fine.”
    “Ladies, why don’t the two of you keep your seats? David and I will clean up,” Bob announced. “You two deserve a break.”
    I grinned as I quickly sat back down. “That’s one order from a man that I’d be delighted to obey. Should Maddy and I supervise you, or should we just enjoy the evening while you two take care of things?”
    I don’t know what Bob’s answer might have been had we not been interrupted just then, but suddenly it didn’t seem to matter one way or the other about his generous offer.
    A police cruiser came down my street in an awful hurry, and though there were no sirens wailing or lights flashing, it was clear that something was not entirely right with the cozy little town of Timber Ridge, North Carolina.

    The second Chief Hurley got out of his car, I knew that something bad had happened, and worse yet, there was no doubt in my mind that it involved the four of us.
    “What’s going on, Kevin?” I asked as I hurried down the porch steps toward him. “Did something happen?”
    “Why do you ask that?” he asked as he stopped in his tracks.
    “You’re clearly a man on a mission,” I said, “and it’s pretty obvious that something’s wrong.”
    “I wish I could say that you’re wrong, but I can’t. How long have the four of you been here on the