Read Online Catherine Spangler - [Sentinel 02] - Touched By Fire (v5.0) (html) by Unknown - Free Book Online

them in color coded folders, and put them away in her briefcase.
    Next, before she prepared an early dinner, she would read her e-mail and make her semiweekly telephone calls to her parents and Marla. She powered up her computer and opened her browser, then her e-mail. She did a quick sweep to prioritize reading order. There was one from Marla, from late Saturday night. That was odd, since they always talked on Sunday.
    Julia clicked on the message and read:
    Hey Jules, I wanted to let you know I’m going out of town tomorrow. Since I’m off work this week, I decided to take a few days and go down to Mexico, maybe meet up with a few friends there. The dog is with me. I’ll talk to you when I get back. Love, M.
    This couldn’t be right. She reread the message. No, something was wrong. For one thing, Marla was rarely impulsive. Like Julia, her life was well thought out. A trip to Mexico on the spur of the moment was too impetuous for Marla. Not only that, but she had been planning to paint two rooms in her house next week. She’d already bought the paint and supplies.
    Julia read the message a third time. It didn’t read right, either. Marla didn’t talk or write the way some of the things were phrased. The nickname “Jules” was normal, as was the “M” Marla always signed. But she’d never say “meet up with a few friends,” or refer to Bryony as “the dog.”
    Not only that, but the few times Marla had been away from home, she’d asked Julia or their parents to take care of Bryony. This whole thing was very wrong, very out of character.
    Julia picked up the phone on her desk and dialed Marla. Getting no answer, she called her parents’ house next. Maybe they would know something.
    But her mother was just as baffled. “No . . . Marla didn’t mention anything about a trip. She told me she was painting next week. She spent hours finding the colors she wanted. You know she doesn’t travel much. And she likes to plan way ahead.” She paused, then asked, “You don’t think anything’s wrong, do you?”
    Julia hastened to assure her mother, although her own alarm level was rising. “Oh, I’m sure everything’s fine. Maybe she got a last-minute opportunity to go to Mexico and just decided to do something spontaneous.”
    “Maybe,” Mom said doubtfully. “You might check with her friend Rebecca. You know, that British girl? She and Marla appear to be close. She might know something.”
    “That’s a good idea. Let me do that. I’ll call you later.”
    Julia pulled out the personal phone directory she kept in her desk. She never threw out a phone number, not even one given by a passing acquaintance. It was a habit that had been useful on a number of occasions, like now. She looked up Rebecca Smithson’s number and dialed.
    “Hello,” said a brisk British voice.
    “Is this Rebecca?”
    “Yes. Who’s ringing?”
    “This is Julia Reynolds. I’m Marla’s sister.”
    “Oh, yes. We met at your family gathering. Quite a lovely group.”
    “I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m wondering if you know where Marla might have gone.”
    “Gone? What do you mean?”
    “She sent me an e-mail saying she made a last-minute decision to go to Mexico, and might meet some friends down there. I wondered if you knew anything about it.”
    “What? Miss ‘Plans Everything’ taking a last-minute trip to Mexico? Well.” Rebecca considered a moment. “I’m quite surprised, to be honest. She didn’t mention it to me. I’m leaving tomorrow to go there myself, and suggested she go along. She said she was going to paint her house.”
    A sick feeling settled in Julia’s stomach. “Do you think she might try to catch up with you there?”
    “It’s doubtful. She doesn’t know where I’m staying, and I don’t think my cellular will work there. No way for her to find me.”
    Perfect logic, unfortunately. Julia asked, “Anyone else she might be meeting there?”
    “Well, I don’t know many of her other friends,