Toots gave her daughter a hug, Frankie gave her several doggie kisses; then Mavis and Coco repeated the actions.

"Mom!" Abby called out as soon as Toots had turned her back. "I haven't forgotten what we talked about. Just do it. You only live once."

Toots paused to hear Abby's words and couldn't help but smile. She'd screwed up a lot in her lifetime, but one thing she had not screwed up-she'd raised a remarkable young woman.

"Thank you, Abby. I'll certainly think about it."

Before Abby could say another word, Toots raced down the pathway leading to the main road. Once she saw it was safe, she put Frankie down and clipped on his leash. Mavis did the same with Coco, even though Coco constantly tugged and pulled at her leash. She wanted the world to know she was queen and did not need restraints of any kind. Mavis maintained a firm grip on her, though.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, but this is probably the only private time we'll have for a while. I promise to keep whatever you say between the two of us."

Though it was late April, Toots felt chilled as the afternoon breeze lifted the hair on the back of her neck. The air still held a slight chill, and she suddenly wished for a sweater as she walked alongside Mavis.

Clear skies, trees burgeoning with newly green growth, springtime in Charleston was Toots's favorite time of the year. Her azaleas were in full bloom and the night-blooming jasmine was just beginning to bud. As they walked, Toots couldn't help but notice that the side of the road was covered with yellow jessamine, its bright green foliage and deliciously fragrant flowers shaped like little yellow funnels. Its sweet, fruity scent wafted in the breeze. She loosened her grip on Frankie's leash, suddenly glad simply to be alive to enjoy nature and its divine delights.

"It doesn't get much better than this, does it?" Toots asked Mavis.

"It's quiet. We need quiet in our lives. The world is always in a hurry, but to answer your question, you're right. It doesn't get much better than this. Makes me homesick for Maine. I take it this means you don't want to discuss your relationship with Phil?" she concluded. Coco continued to trot alongside Mavis as though she were a breed of royalty, her little black nose held high in the air.

Taking a deep breath of the cool air, Toots held it in as long as she could, then exhaled. "Mavis, I feel like such a fake. To be frank, I think I'd rather lose Phil than have him think of me as a liar. I hate dishonesty." Fumbling in one of her pockets, Toots removed her cigarettes and lit up. She hated to taint the pure air, but screw it. She needed something to calm her nerves.

"You're not a dishonest person. You don't need me to tell you that. Just because you haven't revealed your past to Phil doesn't mean you've intentionally tried to deceive him. It's just one of those things that you'd rather not talk about in the beginnings of a new relationship, that's all. You're worrying over something that hasn't even happened and most likely won't."

"You're a good soul, Mavis. When did you become so wise?" Toots asked before taking a big puff of her cigarette.

Mavis blushed. "Oh, I'm not so wise, just getting older. Though I must admit, I didn't have as much fun when I was young as I'm having now. Of course, times were different then."

Toots nodded, lost in thoughts of her own youth. What if John had lived? She often went through that "what-if" scenario in her mind, all to no avail, as she could barely recall John's face without looking at a photograph. When they'd first met, she'd never thought in a million years that she would forget a single line, a single crease, on John's handsome face. Sadly, it had happened, and now it was hard to even imagine their life together. Though she'd married seven times since then, her heart had never felt as light and free as it had when she'd first met John Simpson all those years ago. That is, until now.

Here she was, pushing seventy, and she'd fallen madly in love with Dr. Phil Becker. She hadn't slept with him or married him. Wonders never cease, she thought. As much as it hurt to admit, Toots would have to give him up. Her luck with men-or, rather, their lack of luck with her-really did stop with Leland. It had to.

"We were ornery as h.e.l.l back in the day," Toots said wistfully, then added, "s.h.i.t, Mavis, we're still the same girls we were back then. We've simply refined our ornery ways."

"Yes, I would say so," Mavis acquiesced.

They both cackled as they reached the gates to Toots's beautiful Southern estate. Toots mentally removed herself from her reverie, and knew it was time to get real, make a decision.

She had to tell Phil it was over between the two of them.

If not, he would die.

Chapter 5.

As Toots and Mavis rounded the sharp twist in the drive leading to the house, they were greeted by three police cruisers, their red and blue lights flashing against the lush gardens, making the bold colors appear wild and unnatural.

"What the f-?" Toots shouted. She scooped Frankie up and ran as fast as she could. Mavis followed suit. Something must have happened to Bernice! Oh no, not now. She was not ready to lose her. h.e.l.l no, she inwardly screamed.

"Something's happened!" Mavis shouted the obvious.

Racing to the steps leading inside, Toots pushed the door aside. The murmur of voices led her to the kitchen.

Seated around her kitchen table were four men and two women she did not know. Half of them wore dark suits; the other half wore the police officer's standard uniform.

Toots let Frankie loose and stepped into the room. "Would someone tell me what's going on? Where is Bernice? I want to know, now!"

"Oh, for cryin' out loud, I'm in the pantry looking for something to serve these officers."

Relieved to hear that Bernice was her usual b.i.t.c.hy self, Toots's heartbeat returned to something close to normal, but only a little bit. It wasn't like she came home every day to a houseful of blue suits. "Someone want to tell me exactly what's going on?"

The back door to the kitchen opened. Sophie, followed by Goebel, entered; both wore somber expressions.

"If someone doesn't tell me what's going on, I'm not going to be held responsible for my actions! Now, d.a.m.n it, why in the h.e.l.l are these . . . strangers sitting in my kitchen?" Toots knew she sounded a bit hysterical, but at that moment, she just didn't care.

"Sophie?" she asked, turning to her longtime friend. "Are you in some sort of trouble?"

"Shut the frig up, Toots. No, I'm not in trouble, but you may be," she said as she stood at the head of the table. She gave Toots a wink, letting her know she wasn't completely serious. Still, Toots knew there was more of the brown stuff headed her way.

Goebel, ever the gentleman, spoke. "Toots, two kids have disappeared, a brother and sister. The place they were last seen was The Sweetest Things. The officers want to speak to all of us. Jamie and Lucy are on their way."

It took several seconds for Toots to gather herself. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled and reached for a cigarette, then thought better of it and put her pack of cigarettes on the counter. "I don't . . . I don't know what to say! Dear G.o.d, this is horrible!"

At her words, one of the men seated at the table stood. He wore a dark charcoal suit, a collared white shirt, and a royal blue tie, with a ship emblazoned in gold in its center. He had close-cropped brown hair and clear gray eyes. He was all business as he held out his hand to her. "I'm Detective William Howard."

Toots wished she'd had a few minutes to make herself half-a.s.sed presentable, but she hadn't. She shook hands with him. His grip firm, his gaze direct-Toots liked him immediately. "Teresa Loudenberry."

"Ms. Loudenberry," Detective Howard spoke kindly, his voice that of a genteel Southern man, quite the opposite of what you'd expect. "Early this afternoon, Jeremy Dunlop and his sister, Kristen, were seen leaving the aforementioned bakery."

He is all business, Toots thought, but she kept it to herself. This wasn't time for any smart remarks. "Were they alone?"

"Yes. Jeremy is twelve and Kristen is nine. Their parents are visiting relatives in Charleston. Apparently, they were touring some of the local sights on the waterfront. The parents stopped for a coffee break at The Daily Grind, which is just down the street from the bakery. The kids asked their parents if they could go to the bakery. Of course, being as it was only a few doors down, they let them. They waited for half an hour, then got distracted while they were talking with another couple, who'd been on a tour with them. Another hour pa.s.sed, and they went to the bakery, searching for the kids. According to the parents, that was the last time they were seen."

"I don't know what I can do to help, but just say the word and consider it done," Toots said, a wave of sadness overcoming her. Those poor little kids . . . and the parents. They must be going through h.e.l.l right now. She recalled when that sc.u.mmy b.a.s.t.a.r.d, Rodwell Archibald G.o.dfrey, kidnapped Abby last spring. She'd wanted to strangle the life right out of him. Luckily, she'd had a happy ending. Toots hoped like h.e.l.l these parents got their happy ending, too.

Detective Howard nodded, shook hands with Goebel, then Sophie, as they stood next to Toots.

"You're Sophia Manchester," the detective acknowledged as Sophie took his hand.

"The one and only. Now, tell me, what can I do?" Sophie asked.

Okay, now this was making a bit of sense to her, Toots thought.

"As you know, when a child disappears, the first forty-eight hours are the most critical. We've asked your employees to close the bakery and leave the premises. Two of our best bloodhounds are there as we speak. Mrs. Manchester, the parents know of your . . . success in locating missing people. Once the children's parents learned that you had relocated to Charleston, they asked us to contact you. They've given me some personal possessions that belong to Jeremy and Kristen. If that's how you work." He stopped, then directed his gaze back to Toots.

"The girl"-he removed a black leather notebook from inside his jacket, flipped through several pages-"Jamie says she remembers the kids because she gave them an extra praline. She told us the kids were extremely polite, and she'd said this to Lucy as soon as they left the bakery. Now, my questions to you . . . What do you know about Jamie Cooper and Lucy Rice? How long have you known them? Where did you meet them? We need some connection, and we're not coming up with anything."

Toots felt a moment of anger; then she regretted it. These people didn't know Jamie or Lucy. It was simply part of their interrogation process, or whatever they called it. "You're not coming up with anything because Jamie and Lucy have absolutely nothing to do with those children's disappearing. I've known Jamie for three years. And Lucy, about two years now. I met Jamie when she first opened her bakery, which was later shut down due to bad publicity."

Toots wasn't going to mention the superst.i.tions that were running rampant that day. Some guy, heavy and out of shape, had stood in line waiting to purchase some of Jamie's cupcakes. He'd died of a heart attack while standing in line. Nor was she going to mention the haunting at the bakery. If he accepted Sophie as a psychic, then that was enough for now. She didn't need to add any more suspicion to an already disastrous case.

A sharp knock on the kitchen door was followed by Jamie and Lucy, both still wearing their pink-and-red ap.r.o.ns. "Toots! Oh, my gosh! Those kids. I swear I . . ." She stopped when she saw all of the police officers in the kitchen. "Have you found them? The dogs went wild as soon as they entered the store."

Mavis, ever the nurturer, came into the kitchen and took Jamie in her arms. "It's all right, sweetie. We know you didn't have anything to do with their disappearance." As soon as the words were out of Mavis's mouth, Jamie pushed out of her embrace, astonishment causing her face to turn as white as the flour she used.

With a hand over her mouth, and an index finger pointed to no one in particular, Jamie finally got her bearings. When she spoke, they all had to strain to hear what she was saying. "You think I had something to do with those kids disappearing?"

The other officers had remained silent the entire time. The two women, one in plainclothes attire, the other wearing the traditional cop uniform, walked over to stand beside Detective Howard. "This is Officer Dawn Furdell and Detective Shannon O'Banyon. Officer Furdell responded to the call. Shannon heads up our Missing Child Unit."

Jamie nodded, "Uh, okay."

Detective Shannon O'Banyon exemplified her Irish name. Rusty hair cut into a neat pageboy; clear green eyes oozing sincerity; a smattering of freckles across her pale face, which gave off an air of confidence, with a quiet authority. "I know this isn't easy for you, but if you could tell me what you told Officer Furdell."

Jamie made a halfhearted attempt to smile at the officer she'd met earlier, but she failed. Tears ran down her cheeks. Toots grabbed a kitchen towel and handed it to Jamie.

It took her a few seconds to compose herself. Detective O'Banyon waited patiently, as though they had all the time in the world; in reality, every minute counted.

Jamie sniffed, blotted her eyes, then proceeded to repeat what she knew. "As I said, it was a bit after lunchtime. We always have a lull then. Lucy and I took a break, as we'd been swamped all day. We were sitting at one of the tables, having lunch, when the two kids came in. You could tell they were excited when they looked in the display cases and saw them filled with all the goodies. I got up and went behind the counter and asked them if I could help them. They took a couple of minutes to decide. Then both of them asked for a bubble-gum-flavored cupcake. It was the flavor of the day. We do that sometimes," Jamie added, even though this information was of no importance. "They paid for their cupcakes, then stood in the store and ate them. They thanked me and told me they were the best they'd ever had in their lives. Lucy and I laughed. That's when I offered them a praline. They said they didn't have any more money, but I told them it was on the house. They finished their pralines, and after thanking me again, they left. That's all I can tell you. They were nice kids, very polite. They used several napkins and were very careful not to get crumbs on the floor or themselves. Usually, kids just plow right into whatever they're eating, not caring one way or another about making a mess."

Detective O'Banyon smiled. "That would be my two. Twins. Boys, they're seven. When they have food in their hands, they leave a trail."

Toots listened to the exchange between Jamie and the detective, thinking of Hansel and Gretel. If only Jeremy and Kristen had been messy and left a trail of cupcake crumbs behind, maybe they wouldn't be here now discussing a parent's worst nightmare.

"Did you notice anyone lingering about the bakery that day? Before they came in? After they left?" Detective O'Banyon asked.

Jamie shook her head. "Like I said, we were slammed, and I didn't really pay that much attention. It's just Lucy and me. We fill orders, work the register, and run back and forth to the kitchen when we run out of whatever is selling the most."

Detective O'Banyon took notes as she spoke. "Thanks, now, uh"-she hurried through her notes again-"Lucy, could you tell me what you told Officer Furdell?"

Lucy, who'd been hired after Bernice's heart surgery, had been quiet the entire time. She'd worked with Jamie in the bakery at Publix. Jamie and Toots took exactly two minutes to hire her; or, rather, Jamie had, as Toots had been out of town at the time. Lucy was a few years older than Jamie, and was far more experienced when it came to decorating the cupcakes, cakes, and anything that required something extra. A bit on the quiet side, Lucy stood shyly by Jamie as she recalled the events of the day. "Like Jamie said, the kids were friendly and polite. Once they finished their pralines, they said good-bye and left."

O'Banyon jotted something down; then she addressed the officers, who remained seated at the table. "Okay, you all have heard as much as you need to. Go ahead and return to your a.s.signments." The unnamed police officers left without sampling the box of stale Fig Newtons Bernice held in her hand.

Toots trailed behind Detective O'Banyon and Officer Furdell as they followed the other officers to their vehicles. The four police officers made fast work of getting inside the two cruisers parked directly in front of her house. With only one left, Toots was surprised when she saw headlights heading toward the house. Not completely dark, with sunset minutes away, she thought of the missing children and prayed wherever they were, they were safe and warm. The vehicle coming toward the house was a long, sleek black limousine.

"s.h.i.t! It's Ida," she said out loud.

Ida had spent the past three days in Wilmington, North Carolina, where The Home Shopping Club recorded its programs. She'd had such overwhelming success with her new line of skin-care products that she was now featured at least once a month to update the world on what was new at Seasons, Beauty at Every Age. So successful, Ida had even been featured on The Today Show. Toots was beyond thrilled for her, but the notoriety simply fed Ida's already giant-sized ego. Ida removed something, Toots a.s.sumed it was cash, from her Chanel bag, placed it in the driver's hand, said a few words, then walked up the stairs to the veranda, where Toots, Officer Furdell, and Detective O'Banyon were waiting.

"I pa.s.sed two police cruisers on my way in. What in the world has happened now?" Ida asked. As usual, she was dressed impeccably. Wearing cream slacks with a matching silk shirt, low heels, which Toots knew were exclusively made by hand for that particular outfit, and carrying the Chanel handbag, Ida looked as though she'd stepped right off the runway. Her silver-blond hair was now cut short in the back, and the sides were cut at a sharp angle. She looked sleek and s.e.xy, and she knew it.

"Nice to see you, too," Toots smirked; then she remembered now wasn't the time for her or any of them to start their usual smart-a.s.s banter.

Once the introductions were made, Toots suggested they all go back inside. Bernice had brewed a pot of that new Kopi Luwak coffee, for which she paid almost two hundred dollars a pound.

Sophie and Goebel were putting cups and saucers on the table. Bernice poured the coffee into a carafe, placing it in the center of the table, with a small pitcher of cream and a bowl of sugar. Jamie came through the back door with a box of baked goods from The Sweetest Things, which she had at the guesthouse. Lucy took the box of pastries and put them on a dinner plate. Though it wasn't a formal occasion, Bernice used Toots's good crystal dessert plates. What the h.e.l.l, Toots thought. You only live once.

"Detective, Officer, please sit and have some coffee. It's the best money can buy," Toots said, for lack of anything else to say.

"Thanks, that does smell good," Detective O'Banyon said, then poured herself a cup before taking a seat at the head of the table. Officer Furdell filled a cup and sat next to her superior, with another little black notebook placed in front of her.

Toots and Mavis scurried around the kitchen for napkins, while Sophie and Goebel made themselves comfortable. Bernice was busy looking out the back door for Robert, their neighbor. His brother, Wade, was out of town on business, and that left a bereft Mavis waiting anxiously for his return.

They took a couple of minutes to gather themselves; then Detective O'Banyon prepared to remove two items from a small leather pouch, which appeared out of nowhere. Before removing the contents, she took a pair of latex gloves from her back pocket and snapped them on.

All eyes were focused on her and the contents of the bag. Carefully she pulled out a worn stuffed rabbit, which looked as though it had seen far better days. A dirty white, the fur was all but gone. One bright blue eye and one black eye. Someone had sewn the blue eye on because it looked new and didn't match the original eye. Limp ears hung on either side of the mismatched eyes. With care, she placed the bunny on the table. Next she took a Nintendo Game Boy out of the bag and placed it beside the stuffed animal.

"The parents told us that Kristen takes this old bunny with her everywhere they go, because she can't get to sleep without it. Like most twelve-year-old boys, Jeremy doesn't travel far without this electronic gadget, either." Detective O'Banyon looked at Sophie, skepticism hardening her features. "So, is this something you can . . . will pull up images with, or whatever it is you do?" Her voice was not kind as she spoke.

For the first time since she'd returned from Abby's and met Shannon O'Banyon, Toots saw her other side and knew why she'd made detective. She was by the book, no bulls.h.i.t. And Toots was sure she thought Sophie's abilities nothing more than a great big pile of it.

Sophie, being Sophie, was quick to cut the detective off. "First of all, let's make one thing clear. I don't give a big rat's a.s.s if you believe in what I do or not. Second, I did not come to you volunteering my services. The parents of these poor children asked you to contact me-which you have done. And third, I don't perform on command. I'll take the items now. And I am not doing this for you. I will do what I can for those kids and their parents. But I won't do anything here in front of you. I need to be alone. And I make no promises, either."

Toots had never heard Sophie tell anyone this before and wondered if that was a bad omen already.

She needed to work her magic and do it fast. It was dark outside, the kids would probably be scared and hungry, and who knew what had befallen them?

"Sophie, take their things to my room. I'll make sure you're not disturbed," Toots said, loud and clear.

Chapter 6.

Sophie took the worn-out stuffed animal and Game Boy upstairs to Toots's room. Taking a deep breath, she sat on the edge of the bed and did her best to clear her mind of all negative thoughts, especially those she had let loose downstairs in the kitchen. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she held it; then she slowly released her breath through her mouth. She did that a few more times until she could feel the negative energy leave her body.

She took both objects, holding the rabbit in her right hand and the Game Boy in her left. She waited for an image, a feeling to come over her, but nothing happened. Sophie hadn't practiced clairsentience, the power to use one's psychic abilities by sense of touch. Though she'd had many physical reactions using this method in the past, her abilities to pull up real-time images had never been tested. She knew what the parents expected of her, and she was going to do her best to help them locate their children.

Sophie put the bunny and the Game Boy in the center of Toots's bed; then she turned her back to them. She walked across the room and peered outside. Twilight gave the gardens below a surreal appearance, as though a gauzelike haze blanketed the surroundings. Focusing on the giant oak trees that canopied the path in front of the house, Sophie did her best to clear her mind to open it for a message of any kind-an image, a feeling, anything that would help in the search-but she continued to come up empty. Impatient with herself, she took the rabbit and the Game Boy off the bed and held them against her heart. Eyes closed, Sophie suddenly felt a jolt, as though she'd placed her hand in an electrical outlet. Startled, she opened her eyes. Expecting to see the bedroom, Sophie's heart raced. Blinking rapidly to dispel the image didn't work. A deep breath. So this is clairsentience!

The detective downstairs hadn't mentioned what the children looked like, or what they were wearing when they disappeared. Now she knew why.

With her eyes wide open, Sophie watched the scenario take place as though she were watching a film.

A young boy who appeared right on the precipice of reaching his early teens had an arm around a small girl. He wore a dark blue shirt with a cartoon character on it. The little girl wore a pink skirt and a top with a kitty on it. Her long brown hair was plastered to her cheeks from crying.

Back to the boy.

Sophie could hear his thoughts, see his face as clearly as if he had been standing right in front of her.

His eyes were glazed over with tears, but he wouldn't cry. He didn't want to scare Kristen any more than she was already. He was going to be in so much trouble when his parents found him. If they found him. He'd just helped that old man, or that's what he thought. He stank of alcohol and urine. Jeremy felt sorry for him. His mom and dad told him and Kristen about the homeless, but they'd never really seen a real-live homeless person until now. As soon as they left the bakery, the old man had asked for their help. They followed him for a few blocks away from the coffee shop, where his parents were waiting, so he didn't think it was a big deal. Besides, he had an excellent memory. He rarely got lost.