Chaos at Coconuts

by Beth Carter

  “Crap,” Izzy said.

  Suzy heard the two-liter of soda fizz and spew.

  “It’s all over the floor,” one friend said.

  “Tell me about it. I just stepped in it,” Izzy said.

  Suzy walked over and noticed Izzy’s shy friend, Paige, attempted to wipe up the entire mess with one-half of a drenched paper towel. Both Izzy and Nelly ignored the spilled soda and were already halfway down the hall juggling pizza, sodas, and plates.

  Paige wiped and wiped to no avail with the soaked paper towel. “Sorry about the mess. It’s sticky.”

  Suzy grabbed a mop. “Accidents happen. Thanks for trying to clean it up. That’s more than Izzy would have—” She stopped herself. “Go enjoy your pizza while it’s warm.”

  “Um, I think I should tell you . . .” Paige glanced around. “Never—”

  Suzy stopped short. “What?”

  “Nothing.” Paige suddenly seemed fascinated with her sparkly silver tennis shoes and avoided Suzy’s gaze. “It’s probably nothing. I think it’ll be okay.”

  “What’ll be okay?”

  “Something the pizza guy said.”

  Suzy placed her hands squarely on the young girl’s shoulders and tipped Paige’s chin up forcing the teen to look her in the eyes. “Tell me. What did the pizza guy say?”

  Paige scanned the room, obviously to see if anyone was within earshot. “The pizza guy said there’s a big party at midnight.”

  “Tonight?” Suzy asked.

  The girl bobbed her head.

  “You girls are spending the night here, right?”

  “Yes,” Paige answered.

  Suzy wondered if she should tell Ken but knew he’d overreact and wouldn’t sleep all night. Sometimes he treated Izzy like she was ten, plus he had told her earlier to let the girls be girls.

  Still focused on Paige, Suzy spoke more sternly than she intended. “Ignore the pizza guy. He’s a stranger, remember? I don’t care how good looking he is. Do not leave the house. Do not answer the door. Do you hear me?”

  Paige’s cheeks turned red. “Don’t worry. I’ve got homework. I’m a little tired anyway.” She stared at her plate. “My pizza’s getting cold. Sorry about the mess.”

  “Don’t give it a second thought.” Suzy watched Paige’s small back as she trod toward Izzy’s bedroom. She wished her stepdaughter were half as polite as Paige. Then she wondered if Izzy had returned her dad’s credit card. She doubted it. Most likely Izzy was thumbing through a catalog and ordering clothes online while wolfing down pizza. Izzy had a nose for money and expensive items.

  Ken’s silky voice penetrated her thoughts. “Suzy, where are you? I thought we were going to watch a movie.”

  God, I love that man’s voice. “Be right there, honey.”

  She and Ken watched Something’s Gotta Give with Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson for the tenth time. They never seemed to tire of the romantic comedy. Suzy nearly fell asleep on her husband’s shoulder. She loved snuggling with him on the couch. It was one of her favorite simple pleasures. She didn’t need to be wined and dined at expensive restaurants. Popcorn and a movie with her husband created the perfect night, especially when they were alone.

  Suzy stretched and yawned. Ken kissed her cheek and smoothed her hair. “Why don’t you get ready for bed? I’ll be right there.”

  “Good idea. It’s been a long day.” Suzy yawned again.

  Ken smiled. “Why don’t you sleep in tomorrow? You’ve worked hard all week. I know you’re disappointed about dinner. I’ll make pancakes for you and the girls in the morning.”

  Suzy folded the chocolate-brown chenille throw that had covered her legs. “That sounds wonderful.” As she walked down the hallway, music blared from Izzy’s bedroom. She wanted to tell the girls to turn it down but decided to avoid the confrontation. The evening had finally turned around and she wanted to keep it that way.

  Before dawn, Suzy got up to use the restroom and noticed Izzy’s bedroom light was still on. I guess they plan to stay up all night. Annoyed, she walked toward her stepdaughter’s room. The curtains flapped in the open window and her bed was empty. “What the—”

  Chapter 65

  Feeling restless, Cheri decided to Skype with her stylish, youthful mom since she missed her jet-setting parents.

  As Victoria Van Buren’s image appeared on the screen, Cheri leaned forward and frowned. “Did you have plastic surgery, Mom?”

  Her mother threw her head back and roared. “Just a minor tune-up. Nothing serious, darling.”

  Cheri groaned. “Please don’t get carried away. Remember Jane in New York?”

  “Darling, Jane looks more like Tarzan now.”

  “Mother.”

  “Relax. I’d never tell Jane that.” Victoria Van Buren waved her hand, as if shooing a fly. “Don’t worry about my face. Besides, it’s nothing. A little this and that.” She shrugged. “How’s it going at Grandma’s house?”

  “Fine. I’m getting settled and am either on the phone or emailing my crew at Fifth Avenue Catering nearly daily. So far, I’ve been able to manage it from afar.”

  “Good, darling. We’re proud of you.”

  Cheri grinned. “Also, I’ve met three new girlfriends.”

  Victoria perked up. “Tell me all about them. What do they do? What do they look like?”

  Cheri discussed Alex, Suzy, and Hope in great detail and told her mother she had invited them over for drinks and appetizers. Before she finished, Victoria gave a breathy sigh. “They sound simply adorable. I’d love to meet them some day. I’m happy you’ve made good friends, darling. My friends are, well—”

  “Are what?”

  Her mother paused. “Not really friends, I’m afraid. More like clingers but they’re at least fun to dine and shop with.”

  Cheri felt sorry for her mom and decided to change the subject. “Where’s Daddy? Is he on the computer again?”

  “Do you really have to ask? He can’t miss out on day trading, you know.”

  Cheri frowned. “Doesn’t he have a stock broker who does that?”

  “Of course. We have several but Tom’s really gotten into this. He’s making tons of money.”

  Cheri paced. “You already have tons of money.”

  “Can you have too much?” Victoria asked, obviously bemused.

  As Cheri studied her mother’s frozen forehead and overly arched brows, she made a mental note to rethink any future plastic surgery, Botox, or fillers. “We’re lucky, I guess.”

  “You guess?” her mother asked.

  Cheri forced a smile. “We have a fantastic lifestyle. But there’s more to life.”

  “More to life than clothes, shoes, parties, and wine?” Victoria laughed. “Like what?”

  “Simple things are nice, Mom. Really nice. I love it here in Crystal City and Branson.”

  “Darling, I think that fresh air is getting to you.”

  Cheri shrugged. “It’s helping me put everything in perspective, plus, remember, I don’t have to fight off the paparazzi.”

  Victoria made a face. “Those bloodsuckers.” She glanced at her gold Rolex and waved it close to the screen. “Like my new watch? I thought I deserved a present.”

  “It’s pretty but did you really need another Rolex?”

  “What’s gotten into you? You know you enjoy the good life. We’ve worked hard for what we have.”

  Cheri detected an edge to her mother’s voice and felt a lecture coming on. Silence filled the uncomfortable void. Since being apart for months on end, their mother-daughter bond had begun to fray. It wasn’t perfect to begin with. Cheri felt her forehead crease and she wasn’t sure why. “Tell me about this day trading Daddy’s doing.”

  “Ah.” Victoria w
aved her hand again. “You should see his office. He has huge computer screens plastered on three walls. It looks like NASA. I don’t know how he keeps up. He rarely comes out during the day, just for a quick lunch, if that. He’s obsessed with it, really. He might be a workaholic but that’s much better than a girlfriend on the side.”

  “As if. You two are the perfect couple. You’ll never have to worry about that.” Cheri studied her fading pedicure and made a mental note to find a nail salon in Branson. “How are you occupying yourself since Daddy’s so busy?”

  “How else? Shopping. I bought a gorgeous six-foot Murano glass sculpture in Venice. You should see it. The swirling colors are extraordinary. It’s like a towering glass red, white, and gold Picasso. I’m having it shipped to our penthouse in New York this week.”

  “The freight will cost a fortune,” Cheri said.

  “True. Shipping is almost as much as the sculpture but it’ll look perfect next to our white fireplace. Do you suppose it’ll look lopsided, darling? Maybe I should commission a second piece for the other side.”

  Cheri suppressed a yawn. Oh, to have another sculpture be her daily worry instead of clients changing menus at the last minute, sous chefs quitting on the spot, or red wine spilled on a celebrity client.

  “I’m sure the sculpture is gorgeous and one should be enough. Listen, it’s good to hear your voice but I’ve got to run. Give Dad my love. And to you too. I’ll call soon.”

  “Love and kisses from Daddy and me. Ciao.”

  Cheri watched as her mother’s image faded from the screen. After powering off the computer, she felt disconcerted since she thought she detected loneliness in her mother’s voice. Glancing around the gleaming kitchen, she perked up. Cooking always calms me. I’m going to try new fig recipes.

  Opening the cabinets and fridge, she found a jar of fig mustard, fresh figs, peppered bacon, garlic, ricotta cheese, rosemary, and a loaf of sourdough bread. There’s nothing like a discussion with Mom to drive me to create a new bruschetta. If this turns out, I’ll put it on Fifth Avenue Catering’s menu.

  Chapter 66

  Suzy scanned Izzy’s bedroom. Her bed hadn’t been touched. After peering underneath the bed and in the closet, Suzy ran down the hall to the kitchen. She returned out of breath. Izzy and Nelly appeared to be gone. Gone.

  Izzy’s friend, Paige, snored on the floor with her head mostly covered by a purple sleeping bag. One of Izzy’s stuffed animals was by her side. A textbook lay open near her.

  Heart pounding, Suzy sprinted back to the bedroom to wake Ken. She shook his shoulder hard. “Wake up. WAKE UP. Izzy’s gone.”

  Ken sat upright in bed and rubbed his eyes. “What?”

  Suzy swallowed. “Izzy and her friend are gone. Her bedroom window is open.”

  Ken threw on sweatpants and bolted for his daughter’s room. Paige was still sound asleep on the floor. Ken’s voice boomed, “Paige. Get up.”

  The young girl’s eyes widened when she awakened to Ken leaning over her. He nudged the teen’s shoulder. “Listen to me. Where is Izzy? Where is Nelly?”

  Paige held the stuffed animal as she glanced from the empty bed to the window. “I don’t know. I was asleep.”

  Ken’s voice rose to umpire level. “What do you mean you don’t know? How could you have slept through the commotion of the girls crawling out the window?”

  Suzy tugged on his arm when she saw Paige’s face turn ashen. “Ken, calm down. Let her tell us.” Suzy squatted down beside Paige. “Honey, did you hear or see anything?”

  The young teen’s eyes filled with tears as she shook her head vehemently. “I didn’t see anything. I promise. We listened to music and studied. We tried to pull an all-nighter before our tests today but I guess I passed out. I’m—” Her voice wobbled. “I’m sorry.”

  Suzy sat on Izzy’s bed. “Take a minute. Think about this. Where could they have gone?”

  Paige scratched her head. “I don’t know.” She avoided eye contact with Ken who paced like an angry tiger.

  Realization hit Suzy. “Wait a minute. That pizza delivery guy. Didn’t you say he invited you girls to a party?”

  Ken bellowed, “Pizza guy? What party?” He glared at Suzy. “You didn’t think I’d want to know about this? What pizza place? Call them. Call them right now.”

  “Let’s hope they called that new 24-hour pizza place.” Suzy ran to the kitchen and found the discarded pizza box smashed in the trash. She yanked the coupon off the front and dialed. After listening to the stupid menu three times, she finally got through to an actual person and asked for the name of the delivery driver.

  The impatient voice on the other end requested the home address and phone number. After what seemed like forever, she said, “We show a female delivery person in your area.”

  “Are you sure?” Suzy asked.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Suzy hung up and turned to Paige. “I heard you girls saying he was hot. You specifically said ‘he.’”

  Paige lowered her head. “I don’t know. There was a female too.” She shrugged. “The guy walked up the sidewalk about the same time. I thought she was training him, you know?” Paige locked eyes with Suzy. “After the pizza woman was paid, I came into the kitchen with the sodas. It spilled, remember?”

  “Let me get this straight. This ‘hot guy’ was not delivering a pizza?” Ken asked at several decibels.

  “I-I guess not,” Paige said. “I thought he was. I don’t know.”

  Ken rubbed the stubble on his chin. His eyes flickered. “Is this ‘guy’ some kid from your high school?”

  Paige shrugged. “I don’t think so. He looked a little older. He was friendly, though.”

  “Not the answer I wanted.” A deep-blue vein pulsed on Ken’s forehead. “I bet he was friendly. He’s probably getting real friendly about now. Dammit. Suzy, we’ve got to call the police.”

  “On it.” Suzy punched numbers into her phone. “I know exactly who to call. Alex’s boyfriend is a cop.”

  “Why don’t you just call 911?” Ken asked.

  “Tony is 911. He’s a Crystal City Police Department officer, a lieutenant, I think. Since he has met me, maybe he’ll give this case special attention.”

  Ken shook his head. “Case. Izzy is a case. I can’t believe this.”

  Suzy called the local station and asked for Tony Montgomery. “Damn. It’s going to his voicemail.” She explained the urgent situation, left her number, and hung up.

  Ken grabbed his phone. “We can’t wait for him. I’m calling 911.”

  Suzy stared transfixed at her phone. “Wait. Someone’s calling me. It says CALLER UNKNOWN. This must be Tony.”

  Chapter 67

  Before Suzy could answer, Ken snatched her phone. “Let me talk to him.”

  “You’re too emotional. Let me explain the situation.”

  Paige huddled in a corner and cried while Ken stood defiantly, arms crossed.

  Talking fast, Suzy informed Lt. Montgomery about the pizza guy, the alleged party, open bedroom window, and the two missing girls. After she explained, she asked, “Mind if I put you on speaker so my husband can hear?”

  “Go ahead,” Lt. Montgomery’s said. “This is Lt. Montgomery. Who’s speaking?”

  “I’m Izzy’s father, Ken. Suzy is her stepmother.” He paused as his voice wobbled. “Please find my daughter.”

  “Where’s Izzy’s biological mother?” the cop asked. “Could she be with her?”

  Suzy couldn’t wait to hear the answer to this. Izzy’s mother was like a ghost, never seen and rarely discussed.

  Ken took a deep breath. He turned away from Suzy and lowered his voice. “Izzy’s mother is out of the picture for now. Izzy is going to be living with us full time.”

  The lieutenant presse
d, “Are you sure Izzy isn’t with her?”

  Ken became even more agitated. “Not unless Izzy became a young, muscular guy from Hollywood.”

  Suzy’s heart nearly stopped. Hollywood. With us full time? Since freakin’ when? And why didn’t I know this? She rubbed her throbbing right brow. I wonder when Ken planned to tell me about this little revelation. She knew she couldn’t confront him now. Not with his daughter missing.

  The cop continued with his line of questioning. “Exactly where in Hollywood are they?”

  Ken’s tone became testy. “I don’t think we need to pursue this line of thinking. Izzy doesn’t get along with her mother and certainly doesn’t approve of her new boyfriend, plus why would she take her friend with her?”

  “Stranger things have happened. And I’m not interested in your ex’s relationship. Just give me the facts.” Lt. Montgomery repeated, “Do you know exactly where her mother is staying in Hollywood?”

  Ken stiffened. “Last I knew they were staying at a Hampton Inn in Burbank. We aren’t exactly on speaking terms. That’s all I know.”

  “I’ll contact the hotel. Does Izzy have a boyfriend?”

  “No,” Suzy said. “She’s with her best friend, Nelly. They’re teenagers. Please find them.” She paused. “At least I don’t think she has a boyfriend. Like I said, a pizza guy came to the door last night and mentioned a party according to their other friend who is still here. Can you file a ‘Missing Persons’ report?”

  “I’m filling it out as we speak. I’ll also issue an AMBER Alert if we determine she’s in imminent danger. How old are the teens?”

  “Fifteen,” Suzy and Ken echoed.

  Ken’s voice shook. “Who is notified of the AMBER Alert?”

  “Basically everyone,” the cop said. “Alerts will appear on cell phones, highway signs, and broadcast on radio and television.”