Part 3

"Turn here – their house is the deep red one on the left, the one with the hedge along the side," Mildred said, directing Steele from the back seat.

"No lights. Doesn't look as if anyone's home," Laura observed, glancing at her watch. "Do Eunice and Harvey have any hobbies like bowling or square dancing that would take them out of the house at night?"

"Harvey collects coins and Eunice knits. They're homebodies. I can't tell you the last time I called and she didn't pick up the phone, Mrs. S."

"Well, let's knock and see if they answer." Steele pulled the seat back forward and offered Mildred a hand out of the cramped back seat of the Rabbit.

She groaned a little as she unfolded herself and walked stiffly toward the house and knocked.

"No answer," she said.

The three looked at one another and without discussion Mildred and Laura formed a screen with their bodies while Steele swiftly dispensed with the lock.

"Eunice? Harvey?" Mildred called out as they entered the house. "Anybody home?"

A swift search the house confirmed the occupant's absence. Laura and Steele met Mildred in the master bedroom, where the apprentice detective was contemplating the open closet. She turned and took in the rest of the room. Wordlessly, she led her employers down the hall to the bath, where she opened cabinets and drawers. The group continued into the living room,where Mildred silently opened the coat closet and stared. The three turned and Mildred slowly and carefully examined this room. Pursing her lips, she continued through the kitchen toward the family room in the back of the house. Steele and Laura looked at each other and then silently fell in step behind her.

Mildred finally sat down on an overstuffed sofa facing a large console television. The Steeles separated to sit on either side of her. The plump blond seemed lost in thought and her companions were loath to break her concentration. Slowly she rose and walked to the wall behind the television, reaching out to touch a small brass nail that protruded from that smooth surface. Her hand wandered to three more nails. As she walked to the next wall, she touched two other small brass nails. The wall behind the sofa boasted an additional three.

A slow smile crept across Mildred's face, Laura and Steele smiled in response.

"I like that gleam in your eye, Mildred," Steele said.

"OK, Mildred. Spill," Laura encouraged.

"You know how I said Harvey collects coins? Unless I miss my guess, those nails used to hold some of his framed collections." Mildred was thoughtful. "Eunice always has a knitting bag sitting around the house. Bupkis, no bag. Her favorite blue coat is missing from the closet, there aren't any toothbrushes or toothpaste in the bathroom, and the trash cans are all empty."

Steele's grin widened. "She's got the makings of a superb detective, doesn't she, Laura?"

"I'm sorry, Mildred." Laura shook her head. "All that's good, but there are still a few holes here. Like, where are Eunice and Harvey?"

"That part's still a little fuzzy. But even though Harvey hasn't willingly spent a dime on travel in thirty years of marriage, it sure looks as if they just went away for a few days. Eunice is friends with the lady next door. Let's see if she's talked to them," Mildred suggested.

"Mildred! What are YOU doing here?!" A shocked voice interrupted Mildred's suggestion.

"Eunice – Oh!" Mildred flew to wrap her arms around her shocked sister. "I've been so worried! I've been trying to reach you for days! The Boss and the Mrs. came with me to check on the two of you!" In her joy at having Eunice appear, Mildred missed Laura's pained expression at being referred to as 'the Mrs.'

"How did you get into our house?" Harvey asked as he suddenly appeared behind the two sisters, dropping several small suitcases to the floor as he glared at the Steeles. "And where are my framed coins that were on the wall behind you when we left here three days ago!"

Harvey continued to stare suspiciously at Steele across the small kitchen table, apparently not swayed by the detective's most disarming smile. Steele found himself sliding closer to Laura and taking cover behind her earnest personage.

"So you went to your friends Arlene and Leonard's lake cabin for a few days?" Mildred asked.

"Well, I've never met Leonard, but Arlene and I go to the same beauty shop. She's been raving about the views at Crystal Lake and offered to let us stay at their place. They weren't going to be there anyway since they were visiting their kids, so she dropped the keys and a map off here, and away we went." Eunice chattered on, saying, "It was wonderful! Guess I never imagined you'd worry about us. We'd just talked, after all, and I figured it would be a few weeks before you called again."

"Probably would have been, except I was waiting to hear from you about that knitting pattern – remember?!"

"Oh, yeah! Congratulations, you two, on the baby! Sorry, Mildred. It just flew right out of my head."

"Thank you. How long have you known Arlene, Eunice?" Laura asked in her most professional manner.

"Oh, quite awhile now. We get our hair done at the same time every Friday at the Cut 'n Curl. Such a nice place – and real reasonable, too! We get plenty of time to talk during those visits. I've heard all about her kids, her grandkids, her bursitis . . ."

"Do you have her home phone number or address?" Mildred asked.

"Come to think of it, no, I don't think I do. They might have it at the Cut 'n Curl, but Arlene's gonna be gone a few weeks visiting the grands."

"We'll head over to the beauty shop in the morning, Eunice, and see what we can come up with. I think you'll need to talk to the police, as well," Mildred continued earnestly as Laura looked down, smiling. "Harvey, check around and make a list of everything that's missing."

"Well, you two, we're delighted to find you safe at home. We've spent a rather long day traveling. Perhaps you could direct us to a motor lodge of some sort," Steele said, backing farther away from Harvey's antagonistic glare as he spoke.

"Don't be silly. You can stay here. Mildred can stay in Bernard's room, and we've got a real cozy fold out sofa in the family room. You two will be snug as two bugs in a rug," Eunice chirped cheerfully.

"Sorry, Chief," Mildred said apologetically as she, Steele and Laura contemplated the newly made-up sagging sofa bed with its decided slope to the center. "We'll get this wrapped up tomorrow pronto and hit the road back to LA. You'll be back in your own bed in no time."

"No problem, Mildred." Laura assured her with a smile. "You did a great job tonight putting all the clues together."

"Yes, top notch work, Mildred," Steele added with a grimace as he bounced a bit on the squeaky edge of the fold-out couch. He leaned in toward Laura and whispered, "Remind me never to get us involved in family matters in the future, Laura."

"Isn't it a little late for that warning, Mr. Steele?" Laura said, raising one eyebrow as she tapped both of her hands on her stomach.

"What's that, Mrs. S.?" Mildred asked.

"I said it's getting a little late. Tomorrow morning we'll try to find those missing coins for Harvey."

"Right - O. Night, kids!" Mildred said as she wandered back toward Bernard's room.

"I'm a little disappointed. I thought she might be planning to kiss us good night." Steele settled back on the bed only to fall into the pit in the center, just as Laura did the same from the other side. Giggling as they settled unavoidably against one another, Steele wrapped his arms around Laura and leaned in to kiss her, murmuring, "Then again, perhaps we'll be able to manage on our own."