BooksBarbecue
Back The Newcomer Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

“Wonder what she’s doing for money? I called her former boss, but he wasn’t any help. Said she was a good worker, blah, blah, blah. My source at the police department says her bank account hasn’t been touched, not that there’s much there. I’ve got more money under my sofa cushions than she had in her checking account. Could Tanya have given her money?”

He’d been knotting and unknotting a rolled-up paper napkin, but at the mention of money he looked up. “Maybe. Or maybe Letty stole from Tanya, before she took off with Maya.”

“Would Tanya have ready access to cash?”

“She had the child support I paid, and whatever she might have saved on her own from her acting gigs, but Tanya burned through money. She was like a child that way.”

“Was anything missing from her apartment?”

He scowled. “The cops won’t let me in. Even though I own the place. They say it’s a crime scene. I’m supposed to get an inventory of the apartment at some point, but I’m not holding my breath.”

“Do you think Tanya told Letty about our arrangement?”

Evan blotted his lips with what was left of the paper napkin. “Who knows? Find Letty. And then we’ll figure out exactly how much she does or doesn’t know.”

18

ISABELLE SHOVED THE LAUNDRY CART through the swinging doors. Letty stood at a table in the middle of the room, folding an unending mound of towels and sheets.

“Letty, have you seen Maya?” she asked.

“No, I haven’t seen her,” Letty answered in a high, loud voice. “Where could she be?”

“Maybe she swam off on the back of a dolphin,” Isabelle said. A faint giggle escaped from the pile of linens in the cart. “Or maybe she became a mermaid.”

“Or maybe she climbed to the top of the coconut palm and she’s eating coconuts with a monkey,” Letty said. “Which is okay, because if she’s eating coconuts, she won’t want any chocolate chip cookies, right? I guess you and I will have all the cookies to ourselves.”

The linens erupted and Maya popped her head out. “Here I am!” she declared. “I was hiding.”

“What?” Letty said, feigning shock. “I never would have guessed.” She scooped up her niece and deposited her on the floor of the laundry room.

Maya looked around the room. “I want cookies, Letty. Where the cookies at?”

“Miss Ava just baked them, and she said she would save some for you,” Letty said. “Can you go over to her apartment all by yourself?”

“I’ll take her,” Isabelle volunteered. “Then I’ll come back and give you a hand.”

“I go by myself,” Maya said. “I’m a big girl.”

Letty and Isabelle stood in the door of the laundry room, watching, until Maya reached the motel office and was greeted by Ava.