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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

“Since she didn’t tell me her last name, I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by asking about her movies. Then last Friday I was cutting the lawn when a delivery truck pulled up. They unloaded a big box for ‘Cleo Paradise c/o Edna Frawley.’ She wasn’t home so I put it in the garage in case it rained before she got back. That box was a mess! The cardboard was all beaten up and ripped, so I pulled it off. The next time I saw her I was going to tell her that I’d put her trunk in the garage and wow, you’re Cleo Paradise, the actress.”

“The trunk was delivered last Friday?” Regan asked.

“Definitely. I cut Mrs. Frawley’s lawn every Friday.”

“Cleo left for good Friday night but didn’t bring the trunk with her. Did you leave her a note saying it had been delivered and was in the garage?”

“Huh?” Judson looked embarrassed. “Oh, man, no, I didn’t. But she had to have known it was hers, right? I thought I was being nice getting rid of all that dirty packaging. Besides, the day before she had told me she probably was staying an extra week. I was sure I’d see her, and I was looking forward to it because I wanted to talk to her about the movie. Then I hear she’s gone!”

“She told you on Thursday that she planned to stay?”

“Yes.”

Regan frowned. “Do you know if Cleo parked her car in the garage?”

Sheepishly, Judson answered. “She didn’t. She joked that she was sure she’d scratch the car if she did and the car was a brand-new Lexus SUV.”

“So there’s a good chance Cleo didn’t even see the trunk before she left,” Regan suggested mildly.

“Why do you keep asking about the trunk? When you find her, can’t she come back and get it?”

“Mrs. Frawley is having a garage sale today. Everything that was in the trunk has already been sold.”

Judson laughed out loud. “That doesn’t surprise me. Mrs. Frawley is a piece of work.”

Regan smiled and raised her eyebrows. “Judson, the trunk is not what I’m concerned about. I need to locate Cleo. Is there anything she said to you that might give a clue where she might have gone? Anything she talked about that you remember?”

Judson sat back and squinted his eyes. “Let me think. Well, she wouldn’t go to the ocean again.”

“Why not?”

“She said she liked the pool better because she’d been knocked over by a wave the first week she got here. It had scared her a lot.”