“Strange. Cole didn’t show up for any of his appointments in town today. It’s unusual for him to say he’ll be somewhere and then not come.”
Josie agreed. That wasn’t at all like Cole. She wondered if he might be ill.
“Well, I won’t keep you. Good evening.”
Josie nodded and continued down the street toward her home. The more she thought of Cole’s absence in town today, the more concerned she became. When she walked up her sidewalk and saw that Miss Estelee’s grass hadn’t been cut, she grew even more troubled. Cole never failed to mow that lawn on Mondays.
“It’s a terrible shame,” Miss Estelee was saying. She shook her head and rocked in time with the movement.
“Oh, it isn’t too awfully bad, Miss Estelee. I’m sure Cole will be by tomorrow to cut it.” They’d had a cooling shower overnight. It was probably still too wet today for mowing.
“A shame, I say, the way some folks treat other folks like they got no soul.”
“I beg your pardon?” Josie said, confused.
Miss Estelee rocked forward, pointing a crooked finger at Josie. “You can’t judge a book by its cover. That’s what I always say. And you ought to know that better’n anybody, Missy. Mmm-hmm.” She leaned back and rocked harder, her old chair squeaking its protest.
Josie’s frown deepened. She didn’t have the presence of mind to try and sort through the old woman’s verbal maze. Not tonight. She was too worried about Cole.
Inside, she went straight to the kitchen and pulled out the phone book. Craig. Craig. She trailed her finger down the list of Craigs to the C’s. No Cole listed. She flipped the book shut and began pacing the kitchen. Absently, she pulled the class ring from beneath her blouse and moved it back and forth against the chain.
Why hadn’t he come to town today? Why? Could he be having second thoughts about them? Something had been bothering him when he left her house yesterday. He’d been worried about Mrs. McKay. He’d also needed to talk to her about something. Maybe that was it. They hadn’t had a chance to get into it, but he’d promised they would today.
She couldn’t believe he had stood her up. They’d made plans. He’d promised that he would see her today. Promised. And he’d stood her up.
Josie propped both hands against the island and leaned forward, her eyes closed. No. Cole would not intentionally stand her up. There had to be an explanation.
She straightened and faced the window over her kitchen sink. Maybe he just had things to do at his farm. He’d been spending a lot of time in town with her. It was spring after all. There must be hundreds of things to do on a farm. Still, why hadn’t he called?
He’d probably show up tomorrow as usual for lunch with a plausible explanation. After all, they’d only been seeing each other for less than a week. He didn’t have to check in with her. She turned the class ring in her hand. She had no real claim on him.
*
The next day, Josie hardly made it through the morning. She was so anxious to see Cole that she had to force herself not to run to the Town Square at noon. When she reached the angel monument, she again found him missing.
She sat heavily on the wood and wrought iron seat next to it. Where could he be? She looked around town, at the faces of those milling about. The one face she ached to see was curiously absent.
Think, Josie, think. Who might have seen Cole? Maybe Mr. DeFoe had seen him.
She hurried down the block to the hardware store that’s exterior had seen few changes in the last hundred years. Its long brick façade took up most of the block. A new, dark green awning with the name of the business in white letters extended over the sidewalk. A bell tinkled as she entered the cool interior.
“Howdy-do, Miss Josie,” Mr. DeFoe called out a cheerful greeting.
“Hello, Mr. DeFoe.”
“Beautiful day to be alive and livin’ on the ridge, ain’t it?”
Was it a beautiful day? She hadn’t noticed. The sunshine seemed to have disappeared with Cole. “Mr. DeFoe, I was wondering if you could tell me whether or not you’ve seen Cole Craig?”
“Sure I’ve seen him. Everybody sees Cole. But I can’t say as I seen him this week.”
Josie blinked. “I’m sorry. Did you say you had seen him?”
“Sure,” the ancient old man nodded.
“Have you seen him this week?”
“No, can’t say as I have.”
“Is that unusual, Mr. DeFoe?”
“Well, now that you mention it . . . let’s see, this is Tuesday. Uh-huh. And Cole, he normally comes in on Monday or Tuesday to get his supplies for the week. That’d been yesterday or today.”
“Right,” she agreed, thinking to help him along. “Did Cole come in yesterday or today?”
“Nope. I ain’t seen him. Why?” He leaned across the counter, his eyes narrowed. “Was he supposed to do something up at your place?”
“No, it’s just—”
“Now mind you, it ain’t unusual for Cole to disappear for weeks at a time, but it is unusual for him to say he’s gonna do somethin’ and then not do it. You see, he was supposed to fix the front door on the church. We can’t git the dang thing to lock. And the preacher said Cole told him on Sunday he’d take a look at it, but he ain’t showed up to fix it yet. And I did see the preacher yesterday. He’s in a right fine state what with not bein’ able to lock the church and all. So, if Cole turns up at your place—”
“I’ll mention it to Cole if I see him. Thank you, Mr. DeFoe.” Josie retraced her steps to the door, but before leaving, turned and said, “Mr. DeFoe? How do you usually contact Cole when you need him? Do you call him?” Maybe he could give her Cole’s phone number.
“Nope. Like I said, I always see him around town. No need to ever call.”
“Well, thanks again, Mr. DeFoe.” Josie stood motionless on the sidewalk outside the hardware store.
Where could he be? She again scanned the streets of the town, hoping to see him strolling along. A host of familiar faces greeted her, but none that made her heart race. Ferguson’s was right across the street. Maybe he’d been by there.
Josie crossed the street, walked in the open door of the diner, and went straight to the counter. There was barely room for her to elbow her way through the lunch crowd filling the place almost to capacity.
“Well, look what we have here. Our newly-crowned town librarian comin’ in for lunch. Will wonders never cease? She finally stopped working to eat. Shove over, Fred.” Dixie smacked the library’s maintenance man with her order pad. “Give that seat up to this hungry woman.”
Josie touched Fred’s shoulder as he started to rise. “That’s not necessary, Fred. I’m not here for lunch,” she said to Dixie.
“What?” Dixie consulted the oversized, fuchsia dial of her watch. “It is lunchtime, and I feel sure you haven’t eaten. >From the looks of it, you’ve not had much sleep, either. Still burnin’ the midnight oil over at the library?” She leaned in closer and continued so only Josie could hear. “Or is that fine lookin’ Cole Craig keepin’ you up to all hours?”
She wished. “That’s why I came by. I was hoping that Cole might be here.” She scanned the crowded confines of the diner, praying she’d catch a glimpse of him.
“He’s not here, hon. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him since church on Sunday.”
“Is that typical?” Josie asked.
Dixie shook her head. Her spiked, mahogany tresses didn’t budge. “Not if he’s in town. He’s by here for breakfast and lunch most days.”
“If he’s in town. What do you mean by that?”
“You know, if he has things scheduled to do for people. Otherwise, he don’t come into town.”
Josie propped her elbows on the counter and rested her head in her hands. She’d grown up in Angel Ridge. Why hadn’t she noticed before now that no one here spoke in comprehensible sentences?
Dixie came around the counter, took Josie’s arm and walked her into a back office. “There now, that’
s better. I could barely hear myself think out there. You want to have a seat?”
“No. I should get back to the library. Dixie, I know this seems a strange question to ask, but do you know how to get in touch with Cole?”
“No. I don’t think I’ve never had to call him. If I need him, I just catch him when he comes in to eat.”
Josie nodded. That seemed to be a recurring theme, troubling her even more. Why hadn’t he been into town?
“Thanks, Dixie. Sorry to have troubled you. I know you’re busy.”
“No trouble. Let me give you a sandwich to take back to the office.”
“Thanks, but—”
Dixie held up a hand, halting her words. “Never let it be said anybody left Ferguson’s hungry.”
She opened the cooler and pulled out a bag containing what Josie guessed was a chicken salad sandwich. She’d bet her last dollar on it.
“Thanks, Dixie.” Josie reached for her purse and realized she didn’t have it. She raked a hand through her hair. She’d never been this out of sorts in her life. She didn’t like the feeling.
“I’ll put it on your tab,” Dixie offered.
“Thanks. Dixie?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you know where Cole lives?”
“Well sure. He doesn’t live too far from my folks’s farm.”
“Can you tell me how to get there?”
“Well, I could, but I don’t know that I should.”
“Dixie, I really need to see him. I’m afraid something’s happened to him.”
Dixie hurried over to the doorway and called out, “Blake? Come here a second, would you?”
“Now listen here, Josie. Like I said, it ain’t unusual for Cole to stay out at his place, sometimes for days, even weeks at a time.”
“But we were supposed to meet yesterday for lunch. He didn’t show up and he didn’t call.”
“Well now, that is strange. That’s not like Cole at all.”
“Yeah, Dixie?”
Blake Ferguson joined them. He was what most would describe as tall, dark and handsome in a James Bond kind of way. But he didn’t appeal to Josie at all. She preferred tall, golden, and sexy as sin.
“Seems Cole Craig has gone missing and Josie wants directions out to his place.”
Blake shook his dark head. “You don’t need to be goin’ out that way by yourself, Miss Josie.”
Blake shifted his weight and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He avoided making eye contact with her. Josie thought he looked uncomfortable. Was she imagining that?
“Why not?”
“Because, you have to drive through Shady Hollow.”
“So?”
“Well, you know Old Man Crane’s place is out there, and he shoots at strange cars.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Oh no ma’am. It ain’t safe. Now he wouldn’t bother me. I’ve done some work on his house. Put in a central heat and air system for him a few years back.”
“Maybe you could take her out there,” Dixie suggested.
Hope bloomed in Josie’s heart.
Blake looked at his watch instead of her. “Well, I wouldn’t mind to, but I’ve got an appointment up in Maryville at one.”
Josie’s hopes shattered. “That’s okay.”
He touched her arm. “My guess is you’ll see him soon enough.”
Josie wished she had his confidence. To Dixie, she said, “If you see Cole, would you ask him to come find me at the library?”
“Sure, but I agree with Blake. If he shows up in town, I’m guessin’ you’ll see him before anyone else.”
Josie elbowed her way through the diner and stepped out into the bright afternoon sunshine. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
She hurried back to the library, hoping against hope she’d run into Cole on the way. With no sign of him, she entered the quiet library. The smell of books usually soothed her, but not today.
She bypassed the hallway to her office and went directly to the reference section. Stopping in front of one of the shelves, she pulled down the city directory and carried it to her office. Maybe Cole’s phone number would be listed in this.
Teresa stood and said, “Josie, there’s a messenger waiting for you in your office. He has a delivery.”
Impatient, Josie asked, “Why didn’t you sign for it?”
“He said he had specific instructions that only you were to sign for it.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Josie entered into her office. She didn’t have time for this.
A uniformed courier stood and said, “Dr. Josephine Allen?”
“Yes, yes,” she took his clipboard and said, “Where do I sign?”
“Line two.”
She signed her name and handed the clipboard back to the man. He took it, gave her a tube along with a flat, business-size envelope, then left.
Josie tossed both on her desk unopened and thumbed to the C’s in the city directory.
“What is it?” Teresa asked.
“Teresa, can’t you see that I’m busy!” Josie’s voice was a bit sharper than necessary, and she immediately regretted her loss of control. “I’m sorry. I’m a little on edge.”
“Ya think?” Teresa’s smile softened her reply. “What are you looking for?”
“A phone number.”
“Did you order a map or something?” her secretary asked, studying the cylindrical tube on Josie’s desk.
A map. That’s exactly what she needed. Maybe there was a way to circumvent Shady Hollow. When she looked up, her secretary was still hovering. Josie gave her what she hoped was a warning look.
“Sorry. Mind if I open it? I’m dying of curiosity.”
“Please,” Josie said, then silently added, just leave me alone.
Craig. Josie dragged her index finger down the list of Craigs until she stopped on Colen. Colen MacAllister Craig. Two twenty-three Craig Hollow Road. No phone number listed. “I need a road map,” she said.
“It’s a blue print.” Teresa rolled the contents of the tube out on the surface of the small, round conference table in Josie’s office. “I didn’t know the library was building a new wing.”
“We’re not. We can hardly afford to execute Phase One of the cataloging program. That’s why I’ve been trying to write a grant for computers all week while you scan data for the special collections. ”
“This has a computer room,” Teresa said. “And look at all the computers!”
Josie frowned and walked over to where Teresa oohed and ahhed over the drawings. There were two color computer models. One, an outside view of the wing, the other of the inside. She was looking at all the computer equipment she needed to fully implement her system. This was what she’d envisioned, knowing that it would take years before the McKay’s would let go of enough cash to do anything of this magnitude.
“Oh my gosh! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a check with this many zeros!” Teresa exclaimed. She’d opened the flat envelope and now extended a check to Josie.
It was a cashier’s check made out to the Angel Ridge Library for an obscene amount of money. More than enough to build and equip the dream that lay before Josie. “Is there a letter?” Josie asked.
“No. Nothing. Just these drawings and the check,” Teresa replied.
She must have made more of an impression on Mrs. McKay than she realized the other night. She couldn’t believe the board had done this. Josie returned to her desk, picked up the phone, and hit her speed dial for Mrs. McKay.
“McKay residence,” the maid answered.
“Hello, this is Dr. Josephine Allen. May I please speak with Mrs. McKay?”
“Certainly. One moment.”
“Yes, hello?” Mrs. McKay’s clipped voice snapped through the line.
“This is Josephine Allen.”
“Yes, yes. What is it?”
Josie bristled at the woman’s tone. Ever cordial. “Blueprints just arrived for a new wing to
the library along with a cashier’s check which I assume is funding for the project. I wasn’t aware the Board had approved funds for a new wing. There was no mention of it in yesterday’s meeting. I’m, thrilled, of course—”
“I beg your pardon? Have you gone daft, young lady? The Board has approved no such thing, and as I am sure you are aware, funds for such a venture are not in our immediate future. As I’ve stated, you will have to make do with the computers you have.”
“But I have architectural plans and a check.”
“You must be mistaken. Perhaps this delivery was made to the library in error.”
“Mrs. McKay, I can assure you there is no mistake.” Josie further explained the drawings and the amount of the check made out to the library.
“Well, I’ve never.” Mrs. McKay sounded outraged. “The funding for the Angel Ridge Library has been fully endowed by the McKay family for more than a hundred years. Who in the world would make such a donation without first consulting my family?”
“I am sure I have no idea, ma’am.”
“Well, we shall have an immediate meeting of the board thirty minutes hence in the conference room of the library. Have your secretary make the necessary arrangements.” The line went dead.
“Great,” Josie mumbled, and hung the phone up. She’d have to postpone her trip to Cole’s.
She gave Teresa her instructions and found a road map while her secretary organized the emergency board meeting.
*
The meeting began precisely thirty minutes after Josie’s call with Mrs. McKay had ended. Josie should be excited. The realization of her dream for the library she would run lay in the middle of the long mahogany conference table, but she found she couldn’t concentrate.
While the board members debated . . . Who could have made such a donation? Who would presume to have plans drawn up without asking for the board’s input? All Josie could do was wonder what had happened to Cole? Where could he be? Had he lost interest? Had he, in the end, considered her just another snob from the ridge?
“Dr. Allen, please inform this young man that we are in the midst of an important meeting,” Mrs. McKay was saying.
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