Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 07 - Missing Milt by Hope Callaghan Page A

Detective Agency or such.”
    Lucy nodded.  That would be cool.  It would make Gloria’s investigative work more legit and it would save Gloria from having to scribble her name on scraps of paper.
    “Are you gonna start charging a fee?”
    Gloria blinked rapidly. It was a thought.  She had built a reputation for her sleuthing.  Perhaps there were people out there willing to pay for her services.  At the very least, she could cover some of her expenses.  Write them off:  gas, dining out when under cover and maybe even buy some detective supplies.
    “I need to track down my cousin, Millie.  You know, the one that works on the cruise ship.  She and her husband had a detective agency.  Maybe she could give me some pointers on how to set up shop. I can ask her about booking a cruise at the same time.”
    She made a mental note to fire off an email to Millie.
    “Do you have time to make a run by Dreamwood with me and see if Frances is around?” Gloria backed out of the parking space and headed out of town.  “I have a few questions now that we’re delving into this mystery.”
    Lucy buckled her belt and nodded.  “Sure.  I haven’t seen your sister, Liz, in a while.  Maybe we can all meet up and go over what we have so far.”
    Gloria stepped on the gas and they sped off down the road.  “Say, I was thinking of having a fall party: a hayride, apple cider, bonfire, kind of thing the first weekend in October.”
    Lucy smiled.  “That would be fun.  Why, its been years since we had one.  Not since the kids were all home.”
    The more Gloria thought about it, the more excited she became.  It would be fun.  She’d invite all the girls and their spouses. She gave Lucy a sideways glance.  Maybe by then Lucy wouldn’t be alone. 
    Not only that, but this would give Brian the perfect opportunity to pop the question to Andrea. 
    Gloria pulled into an empty visitor parking spot not far from Liz’s place.  Her car and Frances’ car were both in the lot.
    “Let’s try Liz first.” Gloria made her way across the manicured lawn to the back door.  She peered in the window and tapped on the glass.  Liz didn’t answer.  “She’s not home.”
    The girls wandered across the grassy strip that separated Liz’s building from the one that Frances lived in.  She made her way under the small covered porch and lifted her hand to knock.
    She could see Frances – and Liz – inside.  They were sitting at the kitchen table.
    Liz caught a glimpse of Gloria out of the corner of her eye.  She waved her in.
    Gloria opened the door and held it for Lucy.
    “Were your ears burning?” Liz hopped out of her seat.  “We were just talking about you.”
    Gloria plopped her purse on the table and pulled out a chair.  “Good, I hope.”
    Frances eyed Lucy suspiciously.  Her eyes narrowed. “You look familiar.”
    “This is my friend, Lucy.  I think you’ve met her before,” Gloria said.
    Frances frowned.  “Say, you weren’t one of those loose women that Milt was running around with right before he disappeared…”
    Gloria rolled her eyes.  “Good heavens, Frances!  Lucy’s never even met Milt,” she snapped. 
    She immediately regretted her sharp reply when Frances’ eyes filled with tears. 
    Frances stared down at her hands.  “I-I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean that.  Of course you don’t know Milt.”
    Lucy patted Frances’ arm.  “It’s okay.  I have one of those faces that look familiar.  People get me confused all the time.”
    Gloria pulled a small pad of paper from her purse and slipped her reading glasses on.  “Do you ever remember Milt mentioning a man named Vinnie?”
    Both Liz and Frances shook their head “no.”
    “What about a guy named Johnny that owned a fast cash place called Integrity Loans?”
    Again, they both shook their heads. 
    It was Frances’ turn to ask questions.  “Did you ever talk to Clyde Ward or Trudy over on Wisteria Way?”
    Gloria tapped the end of