Just a note to let you know how much the Women’s Century Club appreciates the effort that went into preparing these Christmas baskets. You two did a splendid job. I could see from the number of gifts filling the baskets that you went far beyond the items listed on the sheet I gave you. Both of you have been generous to a fault.

Sarah, I realize it was difficult to come into this project at the last minute, but you are to be commended for your cooperation.

Mary, you did a wonderful job making all the arrangements, and I’m confident the baskets will reach the Salvation Army in plenty of time to be distributed for the holidays.

If you’re both willing to take up the task again next year, I’d be happy to recommend you for the job.

Sincerely,

Melody Darrington

Chapter Nine

Jake McDowell glanced at the kitchen clock and frowned. “What time did your mother say she’d be home?”

“I don’t know.” His youngest daughter was certainly a fount of information. Carley lay flat on her stomach in front of the Christmas tree, her arms outstretched as she examined a small package.

“She should be back by now, don’t you think?” Jake asked, looking at the clock again.

“I suppose.”

“When will Noelle be home?”

Unconcerned, Carley shrugged.

Jake decided he wasn’t going to get any answers here and tried Sarah’s cell for perhaps the fiftieth time. Whenever he punched in the number, he received the same irritating message. “I’m sorry. We are unable to connect your call….”

Not knowing what else to do, he phoned his golfing partner. Greg Sutton answered on the first ring.

“I thought you were Mary,” he said, sounding as worried as Jake was.

“You haven’t heard from Mary?”

“Not a word. Is Sarah back?”

“No,” Jake said. “That’s why I was calling you.”

“What do you think happened?”

“No idea. I could understand if one of them was missing, but not both.”

Greg didn’t say anything for a moment. “Did you phone the Women’s Century Club?”

“I did. Melody said they were there and left two hours ago. She told me the ice storm’s pretty bad in her area. She’s going to stay put until her husband can come and get her this afternoon.”

“What did she say about Mary and Sarah?”

“Not much. Just that they got the baskets all sorted and loaded into Mary’s vehicle. Melody did make some comment about Sarah and Mary being pretty hostile toward each other. According to her, they left at different times.”

“That doesn’t explain why they’re both missing.”

“What if one of them had an accident and the other stopped to help?” Greg suggested.

Jake hadn’t considered that. “But wouldn’t they have been back by now?”

“Unless they got stuck.”

“Together?”

“I wouldn’t know.”