BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (88)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Front Flap
  3. Title Page
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. Back Flap
  88. Back Cover

“Not at first. He and Cleo had always been friendly. But so many people started to get mean and make fun of his klutziness after they’d seen the movie. He told Cleo he felt like he was under a microscope. All the teasing started to get to him. The nickname ‘Dizzy’ didn’t help matters. Now there’s a video on the Internet of him trying to put up a beach umbrella? Oh boy. Wait till Cleo hears about this. She felt bad about the way the whole thing snowballed. It was getting really uncomfortable for her in the building. Dizzy’s wife, Monique, was never very nice to her and after the movie came out things got worse. Cleo’s lease is up in October and she’d started looking for another place to live.”

“Monique wasn’t nice to Cleo?”

“Not really. Cleo’s a beautiful girl. When she moved into the building two years ago, Dizzy was constantly running to help her, which I’m sure annoyed Monique. After the movie came out, all the attention, positive and negative, really bugged her. A magazine wanted to do a photo shoot with Cleo and Dizzy but his wife put the kibosh on it. Monique isn’t a fan of Cleo’s, that’s for sure.”

“Does Cleo have a fan club?”

“Not an official fan club. Why?”

“A couple people came to the garage sale today who said they were president and vice president of Cleo Paradise’s fan club.”

“I can’t wait to tell Cleo that,” Daisy said, her voice starting to tremble. “You have to find her, Regan, so I can tell her that.”

“I know,” Regan answered quietly. “Was Dizzy aware Cleo had rented a place at the Shore?”

“Yes. She always tried to chat with him, but things weren’t the same lately. When Cleo told him about our plans to go to the Jersey Shore he just said, ‘Oh, that’s nice,’ and walked away. Regan, I’m trying to think of something that Cleo said that could help you find her. I thought she might have started driving to Florida, but we’ll be doing so much driving later that doesn’t make sense. I was planning to fly into Newark. My guess is she probably stayed in the area, but where could she have gone?”

“The guy who takes care of the pool at Mrs. Frawley’s house thought Cleo probably wouldn’t look for another place near the beach. She told him she’d been knocked over by a wave and it scared her.”