The Missing Party-Girl: A Rags-to-Riches Cozy Mystery Romance by Nhys Glover (read after .txt) 📗

Sadie laughed. “They seem to concern the fate of people she knew. Or that’s what the first two are about. I expect I’ll be doing most of my sleuthing on the internet.”

“Which is maybe why that awful man has a hacker working for him. Maybe you could hire someone… a private detective who specializes in finding people.”

“Possibly. But I think my aunt wanted me to do as much of the searching myself as I could. It wouldn’t be a game to entertain me, otherwise.”

The old lady’s head bobbed a few times, her gaze turning skyward. “Of course, of course.  I’m not suggesting you’re not capable. No one in the village thinks of you as an ‘ignorant Yank’, I can assure you. I only told you that part so you knew the kind of things he was saying about you. Not that they were true.”

Adie wanted to pat the other woman’s shoulder to ease her anxiety. The plexiglass prevented her from doing any such thing.

“You’re just trying to help, I get that. And I thank you. I’m starting to realize Dave was right about the people in this village. It’s good to have people watching my back.”

The smile was back, relieved and sunny. “We do have your back. You’re one of ours now. And we’re glad to have you and that very good looking man of yours.”

Adie laughed. “Cage isn’t mine. Not romantically speaking. He was hired by Minerva to help me and keep me safe.”

The look of disappointment was comical. Maybe Sadie liked her Romances as much as her detective shows.

“Oh, good. That’s good that he’s looking out for you.”

Adie couldn’t help but agree.

2

“He thinks the digital files are in the farmhouse, that’s why he’s trying to break in?” Cage checked, once Adie had finished reporting her discoveries at the post office.

They both sat at the kitchen table drinking their mid-morning coffee. Adie wished she’d bought a sugary treat at the Co-Op. It was always her go-to when stressed. But Cage’s disappointment in her would have made it taste like sawdust in her mouth. It just wasn’t worth it.

“As far as Sadie is concerned, yes,” she answered, sipping at her black coffee. “So he doesn’t know anything specific about the mysteries yet. Or he didn’t. The fact there was no attempt to break in while Jig was at the vet seems worrying, though,” Adie said.

“It is. Although maybe finding out I gave the cops the security footage showing him leaving the bait might have stopped him. I was fairly vocal about passing that tidbit on and naming names,” Cage said with a gleam of vindictive pleasure in his eyes.

“I suppose he can’t be sure his face didn’t turn up on any of the cameras well enough to identify him,” Ade said thoughtfully.

“He wasn’t arrested, so he must realize we have nothing concrete on him. But maybe the cops knocked on his door and scared him a bit. Or maybe he was waiting to see if the cops did come knocking on his door before taking further action. Then again, knowing the cameras are there might be enough to make him wary.”

Adie grimaced. “I doubt it will stop him for long. I hope Hugo is taking pains to secure his copy of the files.”

“He is. And not on the cloud. And I’ve hidden mine as well. Even the most thorough search won’t unearth them.”

“Not in your underwear draw then?” she snarked, trying to lighten the increasingly somber mood.

“Nope. Do you want me to tell you?” he asked, wanting to show his trust in her.

She shook her head, smiling cheekily. “No. Who knows what I might confess under torture.”

Cage’s expression hardened. “Don’t joke about it. He may know he can’t kill you, but he could kidnap you.”

“And go to prison for it? Hugo won’t pay up if anything happens to me. Winsley knows that,” she assured him.

It was Cage’s greatest fear that he wouldn’t be able to keep her safe.

“I can’t live in fear,” she told him. “Been there, done that, and won’t do it again. I have you and Jig and a village of nosy people keeping me safe. Worrying solves nothing.”

“He could have an accident of his own,” Cage suggested, his tone only half-joking.

Or I hoped it was a joke. Nearly losing Jig had Cage out for blood. Who knew what extremes he might go to for those under his protection?

“And who would be the cops’ prime suspect? No, we keep our heads down and get on with our lives. He’ll give up sooner or later.”

Cage nodded reluctantly. “In the meantime, you need to get started on this second mystery. Hugo has arranged for us to meet up with a detective at New Scotland Yard. Detective Chief Inspector Adams. He has the Missing Person’s file on Georgie and we can go down to see it when it suits us. Normally, the records need to be a hundred years old before the public can access them, but my credentials and Hugo’s contacts have eased our way a little.”

Adie’s eyes opened wide with excitement. Getting to see the original police report on Georgie’s disappearance was more than she could have hoped for. Hugo must have some really good contacts. Some kind of Old Boys Club arrangement?

“Do we have to fly down?” Adie moaned, even though the idea of seeing London was tempting.

“No, we can take the train. We can do it in one day if we want to. But having a wander around the city, taking in your aunt’s flat, and any other locations Georgie may have frequented, would be a good idea. There won’t be many people who’ll remember that time, but you never know. Someone in their seventies or eighties might remember something.”

Adie rubbed