by A. L. Jambor
Where’s Audrey?
A.L. Jambor
ISBN:978-0-9903636-7-5
Copyright©2014 Amy L. Jambor
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and scenes are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely unintentional.
The replication, uploading, and distribution of this book on the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the author is illegal and punishable by law. Please only purchase authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
Cover Design by Design by Amy Jambor
Photo Credits
Copyright: ksym / 123RF Stock PhotoCopyright: hanaschwarz / 123RF Stock Photo Copyright: iimages / 123RF Stock Photo
This book is dedicated to my mother, Grace. She passed on her love of reading to me.
I want to acknowledge the contribution of my friend and editor, Loraine O’Connell. Loraine’s suggestions and knowledge have helped shape my books for three years. Her assistance is priceless.
Author’s note
The following story is fictional. It is, however, based on an incident which occurred in a Largo, Florida mobile home park in 2007.
Chapter 1
Mel Jones tapped the keys on the keyboard searching for a flight to Tampa. Every flight had a layover in Atlanta.
Shit, she thought. Six hours to fly from New Jersey to Florida. She hadn’t planned on taking her vacation there, but her great-grandmother had called and asked her to and Mel didn’t have the heart to refuse her, especially when Nana Grace offered to pay her airfare.
“I haven’t heard from Audrey in weeks,” Grace said. Audrey was Mel’s great-great-aunt.
“Where does she live?” Mel asked
“In Largo. It won’t take long, dear. All you have to do is go to the trailer and see if she’s all right.”
Mel didn’t know her aunt. She had only met her once, when she was six. She wondered how Audrey would feel if she just showed up on her doorstep. “Did you call the police?”
“They won’t do anything until she’s missing for two days, and I don’t know for sure that she is missing.”
Mel wanted to protest again, but something in Grace’s voice stopped her. She was genuinely concerned about her sister, and Mel was her only family.
Well, that wasn’t exactly true. But Mel’s mother, Linda, was out on the West Coast and Mel’s grandmother, Grace’s daughter, Laura, was on crutches. Besides, Mel had taken her two weeks of vacation and her best friend, Lisa, was using her dad’s time share condo on Clearwater Beach. She had invited Mel to join her, but at the time, Mel couldn’t afford a plane ticket. Now, she could cruise by Audrey’s trailer and then head on over to Clearwater Beach.
“You can stay with my friend, Vera,” Grace said. “She lives in a park down the road from Audrey’s.”
“Why hasn’t she checked on Audrey?” Mel asked, seeing a chance to opt out.
“They haven’t spoken in years. I can’t ask Vera to check on her.”
Mel rolled her eyes. “Okay. I’ll go.”
Now, as she looked at the flights, she thought about driving to Florida. She would save money on a car rental and…no. She couldn’t drive straight through alone. So she began scrolling through the flights again.
Spirit left from Atlantic City and offered nonstop flights. She’d get to Tampa in two hours; she could visit Aunt Audrey and spend, say, an hour or so, then go to Clearwater Beach. It would work.
Mel lived alone. She had since she graduated from Brookdale Community College with a two-year degree. She still didn’t know what she wanted to be, but working as a manager in Starbucks suited her for now. It paid better than most retail jobs, and Mel was a morning person, which meant she didn’t mind getting up at five a.m. every morning.
Getting two weeks off at Christmas was unheard of in retail, but Mel hadn’t taken a vacation in three years. Someone at corporate noticed and told her supervisor she’d have to take two weeks off. If there was no one else available, he’d just have to cover her hours.
Mel wasn’t thrilled with the idea of taking time off since she couldn’t afford to actually go anywhere, but now she was grateful she’d pushed herself so hard. Two weeks in Florida was just what she needed.
She went to her closet and looked at her clothes. Everything in it was for work. She didn’t have normal clothes anymore. Her shoes, too, were for work. Mel sighed. She’d have to buy something to wear. At least a bathing suit. She went back to her computer and began searching for clothes in brick and mortar stores.
Mel’s body was one of those hard to fit bodies that drive women crazy. The waist on this pair of pants fit, but her ass wouldn’t fill the seat. Finding a pair of pants that fit right was nearly impossible without having someone take them in at the crotch. Grandma Laura was good at that, but since her accident, she’d been taking it easy and Mel didn’t want to ask her to do a rush job. She’d have to look for dresses or skirts.
She found two cute dresses at Forever 21 and checked availability at the mall. They had her size! She grabbed her purse. She looked in her wallet. Both her credit cards were maxed out and her checking account held her two weeks’ vacation money. That was for bills. Shit. Now what would she do? Just as she was contemplating calling the whole thing off, her phone rang. It was Nana Grace.
“What will you need for the trip?” she asked.
“The ticket will be kind of expensive because I’m making it at the last minute.”
“I’m going to give you two thousand dollars. Will that be enough?”
Mel began to salivate. She could get the dresses and maybe a pair of cute shoes. “More than enough. Are you sure you can afford that?”
“Yes, dear. Did you find a flight?”
“Yup. I just have to book it.”
“Well, come and get the money so you can put it into your bank.”
“Thanks, Nana. I’ll be right over.”
Two thousand dollars. Mel wondered if she’d ever be able to give her future granddaughter that kind of money without a second thought. Not working at Starbucks she wouldn’t. She decided to use this time off to rethink her career choice and figure out what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.
Nana Grace let Mel into her apartment. The year before, Laura had helped Grace move into the senior complex she herself occupied. They lived on the same floor. Grace was spry and had been helping her injured daughter recover from a car accident that had left Laura with a broken leg. She cooked for Laura and made sure her clothes were clean.
“Hello, dear,” Grace said.
“Hey, Nana,” Mel said. She gave Grace a hug. “You look tired.”
“I’m all right. I just got done doing laundry is all. I have a check for you here.”
Grace went to her small roll-top desk and got the check. She brought it to Mel. When Mel took it, Grace held her hand.
“I do appreciate you doing this.”
“It’s no problem, Nana.”
“I’ve very worried about Aud. I tried calling and writing, but she hasn’t responded.”
“Doesn’t she have a neighbor you could call?”
“I’m ashamed to say I don’t know them. And when I call the park office, it rings and rings. No one answers.”
“That’s weird.”
“Indeed. So, do you have clothes to take with you?”
Nana had helped Laura raise Mel. She was always concerned about what Mel wore.
“I’m going to the mall to buy a couple of d
resses.”
“I can take in your pants if you buy them.”
“No. It’s Florida. It’s warm. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” Nana leaned over and hugged Mel. “Call me as soon as you get there. I want to know everything that happens.”
“I will,” Mel said. “I’m gonna check on Grandma while I’m here.”
“I’ll go with you. I have to take her clean clothes over there.”
Mel carried the basket and followed Grace. Grace used a four-wheeled walker with a shelf for sitting or carrying things. She moved quicker than Mel expected. Laura was three doors down and when they got to her door, Grace opened it without knocking.
Laura was in her recliner with her legs up. She smiled when she saw Mel and put out her hands. Mel put the basket down and went to her to accept a big hug.
“I hear you’re going to Florida,” Laura said.
“Yeah. Nana’s sending me.”
“I’m worried about Aud, too. She didn’t send me a birthday card. It isn’t like her to forget.”
“How long has it been since you guys heard from her?” Mel asked.
Nana put her finger on her cheek while she thought. “I talked to her in September.”
“That was what, three months ago?” Mel asked. “Why have you waited so long to find out what happened to her?”
“Well, I had the accident, and Nana was in the hospital in October.”
“But still, no one called during all that time?”
“We’ve been busy,” Laura said. “You get busy, don’t you?”
“Why all the sudden do you want me to go look for her?”
Nana sat on the sofa near Laura’s recliner. She looked embarrassed. “I had a dream about her.”
“Mom thinks she’s in trouble.”
“Oh. Okay. So you had a dream,” Mel said to Grace.
“Don’t pick on her,” Laura said. “It was a terrible dream.”
“She was hurt. I couldn’t get to her.”
Nana Grace looked dejected. Mel bit her lower lip. She went to the sofa and sat next to Grace.
“I’ll need her address and her phone number,” Mel said.
“Go to my desk and get my address book,” Laura said.
Mel got up and went to the desk. Laura was a neat person, and the address book was perfectly aligned next to the faux leather blotter.
“Bring paper and a pen, too.”
The pens were in a faux leather cup that matched the blotter, and there were Post-its in a cube. Mel took a pen and one Post-it back to Laura.
Mel envied Laura’s penmanship. She had graceful, female handwriting, while Mel’s resembled a doctor’s scrawl. When Laura was done, Audrey’s name and address looked like the script on a wedding invitation.
“Do you have a picture of Audrey, Laura?” Grace asked.
“I think there’s one in that photo album in the bookcase.”
Laura pointed and Mel looked to where she was pointing. A small bookcase sat against the wall between the living room and the kitchen. She went to it and pulled out the large photo album, then brought it to Laura.
“It’s in here somewhere,” Laura said, flipping through the pages. “Here.”
She pulled it out of the black corner holders and handed it to Mel. Audrey was leaning against a tree.
“That was when she first moved down there,” Laura said.
“Let me see it,” Grace said. Mel handed it to her. “Oh, yes. I think she sent me that one too.”
“Do you have one that’s more recent?” Mel asked. “That was what, twenty years ago?”
“That’s the only one I have. She didn’t send any after that.”
“Didn’t you ever go and visit her?” Mel asked.
“I wanted to go,” Grace said. “But I just couldn’t find the right time.”
“In twenty years, you couldn’t find the right time?” Mel said.
“It’s harder to travel when you get older,” Laura said.
“But you weren’t that old,” Mel said.
“I have a job,” Laura said.
“Okay,” Mel said. “So, I guess I’ll be going. I have stuff to do.”
“Call me as soon as you get there,” Laura said.
“I’ll call you both.”
After bidding them both goodbye, Mel headed to Grace’s bank. She cashed the check, then deposited the cash into her own checking account. She went to the mall, bought the cute dresses, found a pair of shoes in Payless, and went home.
Chapter 2
The flight to Tampa was uneventful. Mel wore one of her new dresses and the shoes she’d bought. She had checked her suitcase and breathed a sigh of relief when it appeared on the carousel. The rental car was also waiting for Mel when she arrived. So far, so good.
The GPS on her iPhone led her directly to Audrey’s mobile home park. As Mel turned into the park, she noticed how nice it looked. She had imagined one of those broken down parks where large pit bulls guarded rusted-out single-wides with old swing sets in the front yard. This was nothing like that.
Large palm trees and ancient oak trees lined the road. Each house had its own generous lot, and they were all pruned and plucked to perfection. Everyone she passed waved at her, and she felt compelled to wave back.
The homes were decorated with strings of lights, blown-up snowmen in bubbles with snow blowing all around, and lots of candy canes. The festive atmosphere was depressing. It served to remind Mel that Christmas was coming and nothing could stop it.
Audrey lived at 298. Her road was a cul-de-sac. Her home was the second one in. Mel parked in front. She noticed an old Mercury sitting in Audrey’s driveway and saw her last name on the mailbox, “Glenn.” She got out of her car and grabbed her purse. She threw it over her shoulder and walked to the door leading into the porch.
The home had a screened porch and a carport. There were no decorations adorning Audrey’s home. Either she, like Mel, didn’t feel the need to cover her abode in tinsel, or, at her age, it was just too hard to hang the lights from the carport roof.
Mel rang the bell next to the screen door and heard footsteps approaching. They were fast and heavy, unlike those of an elderly woman. She heard the sliding glass door open and a man stuck his head out.
He was gorgeous, and Mel felt her cheeks grow hot. His blue eyes under black lashes were mesmerizing, and his black hair fell in soft layers as if he hadn’t had a haircut in a while. It suited him. He looked surprised when he saw her, then caught himself and smiled.
“Yes?” he said.
“Hi,” Mel replied. “I’m looking for my aunt.”
“Um, you sure you have the right house?”
“Her name is on the mailbox and that’s her car.” She had no idea if it was Audrey’s car or not, but Mel pointed to the huge Mercury parked in the carport, thinking that would add weight to her assumption that this was her aunt’s house.
He came to the screen door. He was wearing some sort of cologne and the scent wafted through the holes in the screen. Mel liked it. She also liked his white, even teeth.
“What’s your aunt’s name?”
“Audrey Glenn.”
“Audrey never mentioned having a niece. Well, not one your age,” he said. He smiled.
“My grandmother asked me to stop by. Audrey’s her sister. She hasn’t heard from her in a while and is worried.”
“Your grandmother, huh? You got some ID?”
“What are you, a cop?” Mel said.
“Naw. I promised Audrey I’d look after the place. I’m just being careful.”
Mel reached into her purse and took out her Jersey license. She held it up.
“That doesn’t help much. You have a different last name,” he said, but he unhooked the lock and let her in.
She hesitated while he held the screen door open. What if this guy had hurt Audrey? What if he killed Mel and cut up her body? The other homes were close by. She could scream and someone would hear her. She shook the thoughts ou
t of her head and followed him inside.
The home was a double-wide. The porch led into a long living room. Next to that was a dining room, and the kitchen was off the dining room. Mel assumed the bedrooms and bath were in the back.
She looked at the pictures on the built-in shelves and saw her high school graduation picture.
“You knew who I was,” she said.
He glanced at the photo. “I know. I just wanted to see what you’d do.”
Very funny, she thought. “So, where’s Audrey?”
“She went on one of those holiday cruises. She won’t be back until after New Year’s.”
“Is there any way to get in touch with her?”
“She’s out at sea. I don’t think you can call her there.”
Mel didn’t believe there was no way to get a message to her aunt.
“What cruise?”
“She’s going to Europe.”
“Europe? Did she go alone?”
“She went with a friend.”
“What’s the friend’s name?”
Mel wasn’t backing down. Something about this didn’t feel right, and she was getting frustrated with his answers.
“Ginny,” he said. “She’s a widow who lives in another park.”
How convenient, Mel thought. She looked around the room. There was a built-in desk in the inner wall that divided the living room from the kitchen. She walked over to it and began pulling out drawers.
“I don’t think you should be doing that,” he said.
“What’s your name?” Mel asked.
“Jason. That’s Audrey’s stuff.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me looking in here.”
He walked over and gently pushed her away.
“I’m responsible for her stuff. I think she would mind.”
His voice wasn’t as friendly as it had been. Mel didn’t like the way he’d touched her. And this time, she noticed his eyes were bloodshot.
“Fine,” she said. She wrote down her phone number. “If she gets in touch with you, give her my number.”
“Sure. No problem.”
She took one last look around. The place hadn’t been vacuumed in a while and there was dust everywhere. Dishes were on the dining table, a lot of dishes, like it had been months since they were taken to the kitchen and washed. If Audrey had gone on a holiday cruise, she would have left a few days ago. Mel doubted she would have left her house in such disarray.