Chaos at Coconuts

by Beth Carter

  Cheri nodded. “Thank goodness.”

  Hope plunged three fries into her mouth. “How do you want to go about this?”

  Cheri pushed her tray aside. “Easy. If you’ll take me to the new construction, I’ll take photos of each room. Then, I’ll go to my sources, order furniture, accessories, and appliances. It’ll be beautiful, I promise.”

  Hope sucked in her breath. “That’s extremely generous of you, especially since you’re from New York. I can’t imagine what it will cost to furnish three homes.”

  Cheri waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter. I want to give back. I love it here. You, Alex, and Suzy have made me feel very welcome. It’s the least I can do for my newly adopted city.”

  Hope set her burger down. “I can’t finish. I’m too excited. I’ll give you a tour of the houses right now. Leave the food tray here. I’ll put it away later.”

  Cheri stood. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 71

  Suzy’s cell rang. She raced to get it off the counter. According to the caller ID, it was Lt. Montgomery. After putting him on speaker, she waved madly to get Ken’s attention.

  Ken bolted off the couch and ran across the room. “Any news?”

  “I have the girls,” the cop said.

  Suzy put one arm around Ken’s waist as tears flowed down her cheeks. Chest tight, she almost couldn’t breathe.

  Ken’s jaw unclenched ever so slightly. His eyes flickered but he didn’t smile. “They had better be alive and unharmed.”

  “They’re very alive and appear to be fine. Be there in five.” Lt. Montgomery hung up before Suzy or Ken could ask further questions.

  Suzy tried to read Ken who remained stoic. “This is great news, hon. They’re okay. Izzy’s okay.”

  “I’ll see just how ‘okay’ they are.” He crossed his arms and stared icily ahead. Obviously, she wasn’t going to be forgiven easily. They stepped outside, stood on the front porch, and waited in silence.

  Lt. Montgomery pulled in front of the house. Both girls were in the back seat. He jumped out and opened the back car door. The teens walked toward them with heads bowed. Suzy noticed a chocolate ice cream stain on Izzy’s shirt.

  All business, Lt. Montgomery shook Ken and Suzy’s hands. “Glad to have a good outcome.” He shot the girls a stern glance. “This time.”

  Izzy ran to her father. Ken wrapped his arms around his daughter and kissed the top of her head. “Thank God you’re okay. Thank God you’re home. Thank God you weren’t—” His voice broke.

  Izzy sobbed uncontrollably as she buried her head in her father’s chest. Her friend, Nelly, stood silent. Nelly’s face was pale and Suzy noticed she had dark circles under her eyes. They must have stayed up all night.

  Ken turned to the cop. “What happened? Where did you find them?”

  “Within an hour after the AMBER Alert was issued, we received numerous leads. Most were dead ends. Officers scoured the city. I followed one anonymous lead to Crystal City Park. Sure enough, the girls were sitting in swings beside a twenty-something suspect.”

  Lt. Montgomery paused, obviously for dramatic affect. With an annoyed tone, he said, “They were eating ice cream. Looked innocent enough, but as soon as I approached them, the man ran. I called dispatch and stayed with the girls while patrol officers caught him.” He crossed his arms. “Pizza Guy is now the proud new resident of the Crystal City Jail. I’ll deal with him later.” He glanced at Izzy and Nelly. “I hope you two learned a valuable lesson leaving with a stranger in the middle of the night.”

  The girls didn’t make eye contact with the officer. Instead, they bobbed their heads, sniffled, and stared at their feet, obviously not willing to anger the cop further.

  Suzy extended her hand to Lt. Montgomery. “Thank you for finding them—” Her voice trembled. “For rescuing them.” She turned toward her husband. “Ken, they’re okay.”

  Ken clung to Izzy. “Thank God.” He squeezed her tighter. Izzy cried, and Ken blew his nose into a handkerchief. Suzy tried to hug Izzy from behind but felt like an outsider. It was very clear this moment was between father and daughter.

  Suzy beamed at Lt. Montgomery. “You’re a hero. Thank you again. We’re so relieved.”

  The cop lowered his voice. “I asked the girls if they needed to be taken to the Crystal City Hospital for a rape kit but they both vehemently assured me that wasn’t necessary. He turned to the teens. “Right, girls?”

  Both Izzy and Nelly bobbed their heads, still inspecting the ground.

  Suzy gasped at the thought of potential rape.

  Ken held Izzy’s shoulders and tipped her chin up so she had to make eye contact. “Did he touch you because if he did, I’ll kill—”

  Lt. Montgomery narrowed his eyes. “We take care of those matters.”

  Ken obviously got the message and didn’t press.

  The cop continued, “I’m happy to be the bearer of good news—this time.” He glanced from Ken to Suzy. “You need to keep a closer eye on your daughter. Next time might not have a happy ending.”

  Ken shot Suzy a look as Lt. Montgomery strode toward his car. The cop shouted over his shoulder. “I’ll let you know if I need anything else after I write up my report.” He wagged his finger at the girls. “Crystal City spent a lot of time, money, and effort on this. I understand the school was involved as well and I’ve seen the “Missing Person’s” posters all over town.” He climbed inside his car and made air quotes. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a certain ‘pizza guy’ to interrogate.”

  After he drove off, Suzy blew out her breath. “Isn’t that their job to spend time and effort on missing people? Tony can be a real jerk. Sometimes I wonder what Alex sees in him.”

  “But he found Izzy,” Ken said.

  Suzy knew Ken would be more protective of his daughter than ever.

  Nelly spoke. “Mom is on her way here. I texted her while the cop was lecturing us.”

  “Oh, my goodness,” Suzy said. “I should have called her immediately.”

  Izzy broke the uncomfortable, tension-filled silence on the porch. “What’s the big deal? He didn’t hurt us. He didn’t even touch us. Weren’t you rebels once? A flowerchild, skipped school, took a joy ride, or something?”

  Suzy crossed her arms. “No, I wasn’t a rebel. I followed the rules. Besides, I’m a little young to be a flowerchild.” She put her arm around both girls. “I’m glad you’re okay. You and Nelly were very lucky.”

  Ken blubbered. “My baby. I was so worried. Don’t ever do that again.”

  “I won’t, Daddy. I promise.”

  They walked inside where the smell of stale coffee greeted them. Minutes later, the doorbell rang and Nelly ran into her grateful mother’s arms. Suzy greeted Nelly’s mom and told her what had transpired. They exchanged hugs and left.

  Suzy entered the family room where Ken and Izzy were snuggled on the couch. Izzy leaned against her father’s shoulder while he smoothed her hair. She felt her blood pressure rise. “Izzy, don’t take this the wrong way. I’m thrilled you were found and are okay but do you realize how many people were scared out of their minds? Do you know how many people dropped everything to find you? The school even canceled first hour so students could help with the search.” She shook her head. “And to think, all the while, you were eating ice cream in the park.”

  Ken glared at his wife. “What’s wrong with you, Suzy? Aren’t you glad she’s home?” He pulled Izzy closer. “This isn’t like you.”

  Izzy turned and snickered at her stepmother. “We rode around, listened to music, and ate ice cream in the park. We’re teenagers. We do things like that. What’s the big deal?”

  “What’s the big deal?” She ticked off her fingers. “Where should I begin? You scared us half to death. Your dad almost had a coronary. W
e made posters and hung them all over town. Students and faculty from school canvassed Crystal City. The police got involved. Want more?”

  Ken held up his hand. “That’s enough, Suzy. I don’t like your tone.”

  Izzy made a face at Suzy behind Ken’s back.

  Suzy bristled. “Izzy, you and Nelly should take all of the posters down. You also need to apologize to Paige who was traumatized, call the principal, and at least attempt to act contrite when you go to school tomorrow.”

  Ken put his arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “I’ll take the posters down and call the school. I’m happy to have my baby back.”

  Suzy threw her arms in the air. “I’m glad the girls are back too, Ken, but they need to take responsibility for their actions or they’ll never learn anything from this.”

  Ken ignored his wife. “Want breakfast or lunch out? Anyplace you want, sweetie. Name it.”

  He’s rewarding Izzy for her bad behavior. I give up. Suzy felt like an outcast in her own home. She stormed from the room. “I’ll be back later.”

  “When?” Ken asked.

  “Later.”

  Chapter 72

  As Suzy left the house, tears streaked her cheeks. How is it possible to be both angry and relieved? As difficult as she makes it at times, I still love that girl but gee whiz. Her car practically drove itself as she steered aimlessly. When she spotted a Starbucks, she parked, put her head on the steering wheel, and bawled.

  After she got control of herself, Suzy called Alex. Before her friend could say hello, Suzy blurted out, “You won’t believe what happened with Izzy. She and her friend left in the middle—”

  “I heard. Tony told me, plus it was all over Facebook, and the AMBER Alert went off on my phone.” Alex said. “Thank God they were found. I’ve been so worried. I bet you were sick.” Alex blew out her breath. “How’s Izzy? I can’t believe the girls left with some strange guy. That gives me chills. It could have gone so—”

  “Trust me, I know how it could have gone.” Suzy shook her head, even though she was the only one in the car. “It’s every parents’ nightmare. Ken is a wreck. He’s clinging to Izzy. I’m not sure he’ll ever let go.”

  “You can’t blame him. I’m sure Izzy won’t pull that stunt again.”

  Suzy wiped the tears off her cheeks with her free hand. “That’s the problem. I don’t think Izzy learned anything from this scare, plus I think Ken blames me.”

  “Why would he blame you?”

  Suzy rubbed a smudge on the steering wheel. “Izzy’s other friend, Paige, who was asleep when the girls left, told me some hot pizza guy invited them to a party earlier. I didn’t relay the info to Ken because I knew he’d overreact. I told Paige not to go to the party and not to trust the stranger. Apparently, she didn’t bother telling Izzy and Nelly—that or they ignored my warning.

  Suzy sighed. Paige and I put up two hundred posters and half the town searched for the girls.” Groaning, she said, “I don’t want to discuss it any more. I’m ready for a drink and it’s barely afternoon.”

  Alex laughed. “It sounds like we both need a Coconuts fix.”

  “You can say that again.” Suzy took some cleansing breaths in an attempt to calm her nerves. “Before we hang up, there’s more.”

  “What?” Alex asked.

  “I discovered Ken’s wife moved to Hollywood with some young guy.”

  “Ooh,” Alex said.

  “Not ‘ooh.’ This means we’ll have Izzy full time.”

  “Gotcha. Now what?” Alex asked.

  “I don’t know. I can barely tolerate her on the weekends. My wedded bliss may be circling the drain.”

  “Oh, hon.” Alex laughed. “I sound like you with the ‘hon’ bit. Listen, if anyone can handle Izzy, it’s you. Sorry but I’ve got a business call coming in. Gotta run. I’m glad there was a good outcome. Love you, Suzy Q. Hang in there.”

  After they hung up, Suzy weighed whether to go through the drive-thru or walk inside the coffee shop. She needed time to defuse and chose the latter. After ordering a grande decaffeinated latte, she sat at a corner table. I’m too wound up to have the real stuff. I’ve got to calm down before going home.

  Chapter 73

  After touring the tornado victims’ houses under construction with Cheri, Hope returned to her office and checked her messages. She frowned as she read multiple texts from Alex about Izzy and her friend. Her heart raced as she tried calling Suzy multiple times to no avail and was told Alex was in a meeting.

  Hope stared at her computer. She Googled the Crystal City Police Department and Izzy’s name. When she saw a big ribbon announcing “Found” across the two teens’ photos, she leaned back and put her hand across her chest. Thank goodness.

  After her pulse returned to normal, she studied the waning school calendar and jumped when her phone rang. Maybe that’s Suzy. It wasn’t but she felt a flood of happiness when she saw the name on the caller I.D.: Paul Taylor. Paul was her biological father discovery after her parents’ untimely death—or at least what appeared to be her adopted father’s death.

  As she answered, her tenor rose a happy notch. “Hi, stranger. It’s good to hear your voice.”

  “Long time no see. Sorry I haven’t been around much lately. I’ve dealt with a messy court trial for over a month. Jurors have been sequestered and I’ve barely left my office. All I’ve had is take-out or vending machine food.” He groaned. “I’ve missed our talks and dinners. What’s new?”

  Hope’s mind raced. Should I tell him about the new janitor? She paused as she considered exactly how to break the news. “What’s new would require a face-to-face meeting.”

  “Uh-oh. Bad news?”

  Hope weighed her response. “Not bad. More like strange. Beyond strange, actually. Can you meet at Rosa’s Mexican Restaurant tonight?”

  “My favorite,” Paul said.

  “Our favorite.” Hope was happy to find any connection—even if it was burritos—with her newfound biological father.

  They settled on a time to meet and Hope hung up, restless about how she’d tell Paul the shocking news. She would have informed him much sooner but didn’t want to break his concentration during his challenging trial.

  ~ ~ ~

  After school ended, Hope freshened up, arrived at Rosa’s Mexican, and chose a corner booth. When she spotted Paul at the door, she raced across the restaurant, and gave him a bear hug. He wore his familiar brown suit with a yellow tie. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you.”

  Paul embraced Hope and kissed her cheek. “That’s the kind of reception I like. It’s been far too long. Let’s have margaritas to celebrate.”

  Hope nodded. “Good idea.” She paused. “We’re both going to need one.”

  Paul’s eyebrows shot up. “You’ve got my attention, mystery daughter. For now, let’s order. I’m starving. I couldn’t escape the office for lunch again today.”

  Hope frowned. “I’m sorry you’re working so hard.”

  “Part of an attorney’s life, I’m afraid.”

  Paul waved the server over to place their orders. He and Hope exchanged small talk while munching on chips and salsa. After the margaritas arrived, Hope made a toast. “To us, no matter what.”

  Paul’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean ‘no matter what?’ Of course, no matter what.” His face fell. “I don’t know if I like where this is going.” He dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “Please tell me you’re not moving away after we finally reconnected.”

  She shook her head. “No, nothing like that. Don’t worry.” She pointed toward his margarita. “You might want to take a few sips of your drink first.” She also took several swallows for fortitude. Wanting to get the shock over with, Hope jumped in with her astonishing story about Larry-Mac. She studied her
biological dad as she endeavored to explain the unbelievable situation concerning the man who had raised her, yet didn’t remember her.

  She began with the tornado, the bump on the head, and the hippie janitor giving her CPR. Then blurted out, “He’s my dad. I know he is. I mean, you’re my dad but he’s the dad I grew up with.” Hope put her face in her hands. “You know what I mean.”

  Before Paul could respond, Hope continued. “It’s complicated. Problem is, he doesn’t remember the accident, Montana, nor his past. He doesn’t even remember me.” When she finished the implausible story, she leaned back and waited for Paul’s reaction.

  His mouth had fallen open mid-chip and stayed there. After several seconds of silence while he likely tried to process the information, Paul asked, “Are you sure it’s Larry? I don’t know how he could have survived the train accident. The authorities said there were no sur—”

  “I know. I know. He looks older, thinner, and has a new tattoo on his arm, but other than that, I’m sure it’s him. I’m sorry. I know you and I just reconnected and are figuring out our father-daughter roles.”

  Paul waved his hand. “Don’t be sorry. If it’s true, this is great news—almost impossible to believe—but wonderful.”

  Hope blew out her breath. “I’m glad you see it that way. I think so too. Get this. He’s dating a colleague from my school. Her name is Willow. She’s the art teacher and also a hippie.”

  Paul chuckled and took another sip of his margarita. “I’m happy for him. Too bad Montana didn’t make—”

  Hope grimaced. “I know. How sad that he doesn’t remember me nor his wife. I guess the only bright light is that he can make a new life for himself. Start over, in a way.”