Read Online Murder at the Tremont House (A Blue Plate Cafe Mystery) by Judy Alter - Free Book Online

was still fraught with danger. She’d run away. How many kids run away at fourteen and are never seen again, victims of the streets, white slavery—hadn’t I read an article about that recently? Reason took hold of my brain—unless she thumbed a ride out of Wheeler, she was probably safe from predators and slavers. But what if she headed to Dallas?
    “ Donna, did you call Tom?
    She gave me a withering look. “Of course. He and that boyfriend of yours are out looking all over town for her now. That Samuels is driving the town, and Tom is questioning people at the school.”
    I didn ’t miss the derision in the words “that boyfriend of yours.” But, not knowing what else to do, I said, “Donna, sit down and start calling all her friends. You know them, know their families. Ask if they’ve seen her.”
    She moaned. “My poor baby. Out there all by herself.”
    Probably not, but I kept that thought to myself. Seemed likely to me we’d find another girl missing, and the two were off on a lark. It was a pleasant day with warm sun, though it would be cool by dusk—surely they’d turn up by then.
    “ Did you check the B&B?”
    “ No. Why should I?”
    “ Just trying to think of places she’d go. You sit here and call her friends. I’ll get Marj to bring you coffee, tea, whatever you want.”
    “ Wine,” she said.
    “ Sorry. We don’t have that. Pick up your phone and start calling. I’ll be right back.” I flew to my car and broke every speed limit to get to The Tremont House. She wasn’t there, but Rick was and so was Sara Jo.
    Rick took one look at me and said, “I guess we had the same thought.”
    “ Yeah. No good?”
    He shook his head. “I’ve searched the house and the outbuildings. Nothing.”
    Sara Jo was visibly upset and for once didn ’t have her notebook out. “What can I do to help?”
    Rick looked at her. “Stay here. Call me if she comes here.” He handed her his card.
    “ What about Henry and Jess? I didn’t even think to ask Donna.”
    “ They’re with Tom at the school. When he’s finished there, he’ll deposit them in the café. Where’s Donna?”
    “ I told her to call all Ava’s friends. Left her at the café, though I wouldn’t be surprised if she goes home. Maybe on the off chance Ava decided to walk home. Maybe because Donna wants a glass of wine.”
    He shook his head, as though unbelieving. “You go back to the café, keep Henry and Jess. I’m going to start searching places we might not think of—like the stock tank behind this place.”
    I didn ’t even want to go there in my mind…unless he possibly thought he’d find her meditating by the water’s edge. Fourteen-year-olds didn’t kill themselves did they? Particularly not popular ones? I knew I was fooling myself. Teen suicide was a huge problem, and Ava was unhappy… No, Kate, don’t go there!
    As we headed to our cars, he said to me, “You know of anything she’s upset about?”
    I ’d been going over that in my mind and nothing seemed helpful. “Donna doesn’t pay much attention to her now, what with the B&B and Sara Jo for company.”
    He looked at me sharply.
    “Her mother spends a lot of time at The Tremont House, late at night, talking to Sara Jo. Tom says she sometimes doesn’t come home until the kids are in bed, and then she’s not up when they go to school.”
    “ Not good.” He shook his head again. I knew there were no love lost between Donna and Rick, but now he seemed truly disgusted.
    “ Rick, a year ago, when Irv Litman was alive, Ava had it pretty good. Donna kept taking her to Dallas for weekends with Irv. They’d shop, they’d go to high tea at the Adolphus—all pretty heady stuff for a young girl. You don’t think….” I didn’t want to put this into words, but I finally did. “You don’t think she’d try to get to Dallas thinking she could live that life again?”
    “ I don’t know. How stable a girl is she?”
    I had to think long—and honestly—about