Missing Pieces Read Online Free

me we needed to love her and not argue, but that was hard.
    I wanted to tell her she shouldn’t judge all Christians by a few jerks and that calling people hypocrites is an easy way to ignore your own faults.
    Instead, I got two plastic bags from under the sink and went on poop patrol.

Chapter 21

    I parked my ATV at Mrs. Watson’s house and walked into town to the Black Bear Bakery.
    I don’t think there’s a better smell in the world than fresh bread, unless it’s when you mix it with cakes and cookies and pies. I’d pay for a slice of the air in that bakery.
    I picked out the cookies I wanted and waited my turn. As the woman at the counter placed them in their own little box, I asked if Mrs. Garcia was still here.
    “Went home early,” she said. “Don’t think she was feeling well.”
    I decided to take a shortcut behind the bakery back to my ATV, but as I headed that way, another woman caught my eye. She sat on the back steps of the bakery taking long draws from a glass of iced tea. Her hair was as white as wedding cake, her face deeply lined, and her apron had bits of dough stuck to it.
    “Excuse me,” I said. “Do you know Mrs. Garcia?”
    She nodded, eyeing me evenly. “What do you want with Renee?”
    “She works at my school. I’m just . . . well, I’m kind of worried about her. She said something about yesterday being the anniversary of something she didn’t want to talk about.”
    The old woman looked like an alligator had jumped out of her tea. She gulped, coughed, then patted her chest. Finally she managed, “You mean the fire?”
    “Fire?”
    “Years ago, before she moved to Red Rock.” She looked away. “If Renee wanted you to know, she would have told you herself.”
    One thing I’ve learned is that when people are through telling you something, they’re through. You can push, but usually people clam up.
    “Where did she live before?”
    “Pueblo,” the woman said, as if this was her last word.
    “Well, thanks,” I said.
    “You’re welcome.” She looked a little scared. “But next time ask Renee, and don’t tell her I said anything.”

Chapter 22

    Leigh wasn’t dressed up enough to be going out with Randy, but I didn’t want to ask where she was going. When you have an older sister, sometimes it’s better to just try to imagine where she’s going.
    “If Randy calls,” she said, “tell him I went over to Dawn’s. There’s a dance tonight, and she asked me to help with her hair.”
    I wondered why she and Randy weren’t going and how she was getting to Dawn’s, but I didn’t ask. She’d only sneer at me.
    A car pulled up and honked. Leigh grabbed her purse and some hair stuff and left.
    A few minutes later the phone rang, and it was Randy. “Is Leigh there?”
    Randy didn’t even acknowledge that I was breathing. Ashley and I called him The Creep, and right then I thought it was pretty accurate. “She went to Dawn’s,” I told him.
    Randy paused. “Do you have that number?”
    “Nope. Sorry.”
    “Well, give her a message,” Randy said. I heard someone laugh in the background. “Tell her I can’t go out tonight. Something came up. I’ll call her tomorrow.”
    “Okay,” I said. “She’s going to ask what happened.”
    “Just tell her it was kind of an emergency.”

Chapter 23

    Leigh was upset with Bryce when she got home. I guess he hadn’t asked the right questions or something, because she kept asking where Randy had gone. Of course, Bryce had no idea.
    I ran upstairs and sat with Bryce on Dylan’s bed. “You think we ought to tell somebody what we know about Randy?” Bryce said.
    I shook my head. “If you had seen the video, maybe, but we don’t really know anything yet. I’d kind of like to believe The Creep wouldn’t do something like this.”
    “What’s it going to take to convince you?” Bryce said. “I could go back and get the tape. He’s obviously not home tonight.”
    Dylan just watched us, perched on his bed and yawning.