Be My Valencrime

by Amy M. Reade

  But Laurel wasn’t there.

  Chapter 7

  Lilly’s heart raced. She knew she hadn’t gotten a text from Laurel telling her she was going out, but she checked her phone just to be sure. Nothing.

  “Laurel?” she called out. No answer. She went downstairs and looked in the living room, thinking perhaps Laurel had fallen asleep on the sofa. But she wasn’t there, either.

  Lilly opened the door to the basement and called out Laurel’s name again. No answer. She hadn’t expected to find her daughter in the basement, since it scared the hooey out of her, even when Lilly was home. She wouldn’t have gone down there when Lilly was out.

  Lilly whipped out her cell phone again and called Laurel. Laurel’s phone went straight to voicemail. Next Lilly tried the Find My Family app on her phone, but Laurel must have had the phone turned off, since the feature wasn’t working.

  Lilly had Nick’s number. Should she call him? She didn’t want to wake him up if Laurel wasn’t there, but this was too important for texting. She dialed Nick’s number and his sleepy voice answered.

  “Hlo?” he mumbled.

  “Nick, it’s Mrs. Carlsen. I’m sorry to wake you up,” Lilly said hurriedly. Now she felt bad for calling him. “Laurel isn’t home and I thought she might be at your house. I guess not?”

  “No,” he said, a little more clearly. “I went out with my brother and didn’t see her tonight. Do you want me to make some calls, see if I can find out where she is?”

  “Do you mind?” Lilly asked. “I don’t have the numbers of any of her friends besides Vanessa, so you might have more luck than I would.”

  “Sure,” he said. “You call Vanessa and I’ll start calling some other people. I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”

  “Thanks, Nick.” Lilly hung up and quickly dialed Vanessa’s number.

  She, too, answered the phone with a sleepy voice.

  “Vanessa, it’s Mrs. Carlsen. I don’t know where Laurel is. Have you seen her? Is she at your house, by any chance?”

  “She’s not here, Mrs. Carlsen. I didn’t see her tonight. Do you want me to call some people to see if they’ve heard from her?”

  “No, that’s okay. I’ve got Nick making some calls. Thanks anyway, Vanessa. If you hear from her, will you tell her to call me?”

  “Sure, Mrs. Carlsen.”

  “Thanks.” Lilly hung up and dialed Tighe next. She doubted Laurel had gotten in touch with her brother, but it was worth a try.

  “Hi, Mom,” Tighe said when he answered the phone. Lilly had known he would be awake.

  “Hi, honey. Listen, I’m looking for Laurel. Have you heard from her?”

  “No. But don’t worry, Mom. You worry too much. I’m sure she’s out with Nick.”

  “She isn’t. I just talked to him.”

  “Vanessa?” Tighe suggested.

  “No. I talked to her, too. Have you talked to Laurel lately?”

  “Not in about a week. Why?” Tighe asked.

  “I was just thinking she might have mentioned something to you. She wasn’t happy with me earlier today because I gave her some pushback about the cost of the prom dress she wants and I thought she might be staying away from the house just to upset me.”

  “I doubt it, Mom. She might have been mad, but she gets over stuff. I can call her if you want.”

  “I’ve tried. Her phone goes right to voicemail. It’s either off or the battery is dead.” Lilly swallowed hard.

  “Call Uncle Bill. Maybe he can help.”

  Bill. Why hadn’t she thought of calling him?

  “Good idea. I’ll talk to you later, honey.”

  “Call me when you hear from her,” Tighe said. Lilly hung up and dialed Bill. He answered on the first ring.

  “What’s up?” he asked.

  “I don’t know where Laurel is.”

  “Have you tried calling her?”

  “I’m not stupid, Bill,” Lilly said testily.

  “I know, I know. I was just asking. Sometimes people don’t think to do the most obvious things when someone is missing. How long has she been gone?”

  “I don’t know. She wasn’t here when I got home from dinner, and the Find My Family app isn’t showing me anything, and her phone is going to voicemail.”

  “Do you think she would have gone to Mom’s house?” Bill asked.

  Lilly spun around as the kitchen doorknob rattled and the door swung open. Laurel walked into the kitchen, shaking her hands from the cold.

  “Never mind, Bill. She just walked in.”

  “Where was she?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll figure it all out and let you know tomorrow. Thanks.”

  She hung up and swung around to face her daughter.

  “What?” Laurel asked.

  “Where have you been?” Lilly tried to keep the anger out of her voice and to remember how worried she had been just moments before, but it wasn’t easy.

  “At Nick’s.”

  “You don’t say.”

  “What?” Laurel asked again. “Sorry about my phone. The battery was dead. I really need a new phone.”

  “I’m surprised to hear you were at Nick’s,” Lilly said, ignoring the comment about a new phone. “I talked to him a few minutes ago. Woke him up, in fact. He said he hadn’t seen you tonight because he spent the evening with his brother.”

  Laurel stared at her mother for what seemed like ten minutes, but was really only a few seconds. “He’s lying.”

  “One of you is,” Lilly said. “Go upstairs and get ready for bed. We’ll discuss this in the morning, once I’ve had time to calm down and think this over.”

  Laurel stomped up the stairs.

  “And don’t storm around here like that!” Lilly yelled up behind her. “You’re not three years old!”

  Laurel slammed her bedroom door in response.

  Lilly took a deep breath. “Come on, Barn. Time for bed.” The dog, who had sat watching the exchange from the corner of the kitchen, apparently decided everything was all right and bounded up the stairs ahead of Lilly.

  Lilly was in a foul mood the next morning. And since it was Sunday, the shop was closed and she had the whole day to ruminate over the previous day’s events. She didn’t know who was lying to her, Laurel or Nick. She wanted to believe that Nick had lied, but she was pretty sure he had been asleep just before he answered the phone. She didn’t want to believe that Laurel had lied to her, but she had to admit that it was the more likely scenario.

  When Laurel came downstairs, she said a tentative “good morning” to Lilly.

  “Morning,” Lilly replied. “Laurel, have a seat. We need to talk about a few things.”

  Laurel heaved only half a sigh before she stopped herself. She probably figured it wasn’t the wisest way to begin a conversation with her mother.

  Lilly set a plate of Noley’s blueberry muffins on the table and sat down across from Laurel.

  “You know, whatever you were doing last night, you can tell me,” she began. “It’s better to tell the truth now, even if it’s bad, than it is to be caught in a lie later.” She waited for Laurel to say something, but when there was nothing but silence, she asked a question. “Were you really with Nick?”

  Laurel shook her head.

  “I didn’t think so. Where were you?”

  “At a coffee shop.”

  “With whom?” Lilly asked.

  “Karley and Bella.”

  “So why didn’t you just tell me that?”

  Laurel looked down at her hands. “Because I didn’t think you liked them.”

  “Really?” Lilly asked. “I barely know them. They seem like nice girls. Why would you think I don’t like them?”

  Laurel shrugged. “I dunno. That’s just what I thought.”

  “If you had just left me a note saying that you had gone to the coffee shop with Karley and Bella, this entire mess could have been avoided. I was in a panic, I woke people up, I had your friends looking for you. There
will be consequences for this, you know.”

  “I know.” Laurel’s response was barely audible.

  “You’ll give me your phone for one week. And you’re grounded today.”

  “That’s not fair,” Laurel whined.

  “I’ll tell you what’s not fair.” Lilly pushed her chair back and poured herself another cup of coffee at the counter. “It’s not fair to cause me to worry the way you did just because you didn’t feel like telling me the truth. It’s not fair that I woke up Nick and Vanessa last night to ask them to help find you.”

  “All right,” Laurel snarled.

  “And don’t you dare use that tone with me. You can head right upstairs and do some studying today.”

  Laurel didn’t stomp up the stairs as she had the night before, but Lilly was pretty sure she wanted to.

  Chapter 8

  That afternoon Lilly went over to Bev’s house with some cleaning supplies. Nikki opened the door with a surprised look on her face.

  “What’s all that?”

  “I’m having a bad day. I thought cleaning Mom’s house might calm me down.”

  Nikki laughed. “If you say so.” She helped Lilly carry a bucket of supplies inside.

  “Lilly, dear, what are you doing?” Bev asked from her armchair in the living room.

  “I came over to clean for you, Mom.” Lilly grunted as she set the rest of the supplies on the floor.

  “You don’t have to do that,” Bev said.

  “I know, but I want to.”

  Bev shrugged. “All right, then. Suit yourself.” She turned her attention back to the television, where a black and white movie was playing.

  “Do you want some help?” Nikki asked.

  “No, I’m good. But thanks, anyway.”

  Nikki settled onto the sofa to watch the movie with Bev.

  Lilly was heading up the stairs to start in her mom’s bathroom when the front door opened. She turned around to see who was there.

  Bill stood in the foyer looking at the cleaning supplies. He looked up at Lilly. “What’s all this?”

  “I’m cleaning.”

  “Oh. I’m on a lunch break, so I thought I’d come over to say hi to Mom. How did things go last night with Laurel?”

  “She’s grounded for one day and she lost her phone for a week. She went to a coffee shop with a couple of girlfriends.”

  “That sounds pretty harmless. Why is she grounded?”

  “Because she didn’t tell me where she was going and she knows that’s the rule.” Lilly closed her eyes and looked at her mother. “Mom, do you mind if I get a cup of coffee? I’m starting to get a headache.”

  “Sure. Just help yourself.” Bev used the remote control to pause the movie and invited Bill to sit down. Lilly went into the kitchen, where there was already half a pot of coffee in the coffee maker on the counter.

  “How’s work going today, Billy?” Bev asked.

  Bill settled into his favorite armchair. “Not bad. I’m working on a vandalism case over by the town square.”

  “Like what kind of vandalism?” Lilly asked, returning to the living room with her coffee.

  “Someone threw a brick through a back window of a store.”

  “Was anything stolen?”

  “No. Just property damage.”

  “How are you ever going to figure out who did it?”

  “We’ll just get some security camera footage from a few of the shops around the area and nab the people who did it in no time.”

  Bev shook her head and Lilly walked toward the stairs. “I’m going to get started upstairs.” She turned around and looked at Bill. “Do you need help with Valentine’s Day this year? It’s tomorrow, you know.”

  “I know,” he answered with a smirk. “Just because you had to remind me last year doesn’t mean I’m totally incompetent. I’ll have you know that I got Noley something really nice.”

  “What is it?”

  Bill shook his head. “No way. I’m not telling you before I tell Noley.”

  “Come on, please?” Lilly was wheedling now.

  “No way.”

  “Just give us a hint.” Lilly took in her mother and Nikki with a hand gesture. “We all want to know, don’t we?” She looked at the other two women to encourage them to pester Bill with her. They both nodded.

  “All right, but it doesn’t leave this room.” Bill grinned. “It’s a cooking class.” He glanced around at his sister, his mother, and her nurse. Lilly frowned and Nikki screwed up her mouth with a confused look. Bev shook her head again.

  “You know she already knows how to cook, right?” Lilly asked finally.

  “Sure I do. But this is Italian food taught by an Italian woman. It’s authentic.”

  “I don’t know, Billy,” Bev said in a skeptical tone.

  “No? Should I have gotten her something else?” Worry now creased Bill’s features.

  Lilly grimaced as sympathetically as she could. “Maybe she would like something that the two of you can do together. Valentine’s Day is about love and togetherness, after all.”

  “I could offer to take the class with her,” Bill suggested.

  “I’m sure she could teach you how to cook Italian food and it wouldn’t cost you anything,” Nikki spoke up. Lilly nodded.

  “How about making a baby for me?” Bev chimed in. Everyone turned to stare at her.

  “Inappropriate, Mom,” Bill said. “Besides, I’m too old to have kids.”

  “Mom, they’re not married,” Lilly reminded her.

  “If you say so. But that doesn’t mean they can’t have a baby.” Bev let out a long sigh.

  “That’s really up to them, Bev,” Nikki said gently. Bev scowled in response.

  “Well, I don’t want to get her another teddy bear.”

  “God, no.” Lilly hadn’t meant to sound so horrified.

  “What do you mean by that?” Bill asked.

  “Nothing. I just think you should get her something from the heart,” Lilly answered. She hoped she hadn’t hurt his feelings.

  “What do you suggest? I’m running out of time.”

  “How about a weekend getaway?” Lilly suggested.

  “That’s a great idea,” Nikki agreed. “That’s what Beau and I are getting for each other.”

  Spare me, thought Lilly.

  Bill gave both women a dubious look. “That sounds like more than I can afford,” he said.

  “It’s surprisingly affordable,” Lilly said. “All you have to do is go online and find a weekend rental. There are tons of places right here in Colorado, I’ll bet.”

  “Can you help me?” Bill asked. “I’ve got to work and I won’t be off duty until late tonight. I don’t even know where to start looking.”

  “I’ll go online and try to find some places for you later this afternoon,” Lilly promised. “As soon as I finish cleaning, I’ll get right on it. Just text me some possible dates so I can put them in the websites and get accurate prices.”

  “I’ll do that. Thanks.”

  Lilly went upstairs with her now-tepid coffee and got started on her cleaning chores. It wasn’t long before she had finished—Nikki was doing a great job keeping Bev’s house clean.

  When she went home she was pleased to see that Laurel was sitting at the kitchen table with books and notebooks spread out in front of her.

  “You look so studious,” Lilly said with a grin.

  “I’m studying for a test I have this week. I think I’m going to get a good grade on it.”

  “That’s what I like to hear.”

  “What are you and Hassan doing for Valentine’s Day?” Laurel asked, setting her pencil aside and stretching.

  “We’re going to dinner at The Water Wheel,” Lilly said. “What are you and Nick doing?”

  “I don’t know yet. We might just go to the movies.”

  When Laurel returned to her studying, Lilly busied herself on the computer. She spent over an hour perusing vacation rentals that would be
perfect for Bill and Noley.

  When Bill finished his shift that night, he called Lilly. She told him to sit down at his computer while she forwarded to him all the places she had found. He opened them one by one and it seemed to Lilly that each place impressed him even more than the previous one. She had limited herself to fifteen places, figuring that even that number might overwhelm her brother.

  She was right.

  “How am I ever going to choose? I’ll be up all night.” He let out a groan.

  Lilly made some suggestions and Bill hung up feeling a little more in control. While she was getting ready for bed just a short while later, he texted her that he had chosen a place and made reservations. She didn’t ask which one so she wouldn’t be tempted to spill the beans to Noley.

  She crawled into bed and called Hassan. They didn’t talk for long; He was exhausted from days and nights of mixed-up schedules. When he had a lot of calls with suppliers, vendors, guides, and other gen hunters in Southern Asia, his hours became topsy-turvy due to the time differences between those places and the United States.

  “I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow,” Hassan said just before they hung up. His tone was warm, just like the way he made Lilly feel.

  Chapter 9

  Lilly awoke to sunshine and blue sky on Valentine’s Day. A great start, she thought.

  Harry was already at work when she got there. They unlocked the vault and began setting out the displays. Before Lilly unlocked the front door, Harry picked up the pink sapphire ring he had had his eye on.

  “I’m ready to get this,” he said. Lilly smiled.

  “I’ll write up the receipt,” she said. When she was finished and he had paid for the ring, she reached under the counter for an empty velvet box. She placed the ring in it with great care and handed it to Harry.

  “Are you excited about tonight? Or nervous?”

  “A little bit of both,” Harry said. “I’m meeting Alice for dinner at seven. I’m taking her to Treetops and I’m going to ask her just as we finish dinner. I’ve talked to the people at the restaurant and they’re going to serve dessert if she says yes. If she says no or she doesn’t know, they’re not going to serve the dessert. I’ll want to get out of there fast.”