LITMIR.BIZ

      “The only thing left to do is call the police,” Dillon told everyone an hour and a half later.

      They had called everyone they could think of who might possibly know where Deidre and Blake went. Friends, family, coworkers. They called the local hospital to see if anyone matching their descriptions had been admitted, and checked CNN just in case any accidents or unidentified tourists had been found. They had covered all the bases, and they had come up with nothing.

      Deidre and Blake were gone.

      “We shouldn’t be so quick to jump to conclusions,” one of the Tweedles said. Dillon still couldn’t tell them apart.

      “Yeah,” the other one added. “I’m sure they’re fine.”

      Everyone else was worried, while those two had done nothing but sulk. Probably because the attention was no longer focused on them.

      Ivy was handling it the worst. She couldn’t sit still. Dillon would convince her to sit down and relax, and she would be back up again in a minute or two, peering out the window for a sign of their car. Checking her cell phone for a missed call, even though it hadn’t once left her hand.

      “We should make the call,” Dale said, and Calvin nodded in agreement.

      Dillon flipped open his phone and was getting ready to dial when they heard a car coming up the driveway.

      Ivy dashed to the window. “They’re back!”

      Relief hit Dillon hard and swift, like a sucker punch in the gut. He snapped his phone shut and slipped it back into the holster. Blake had better have had a damned good excuse for scaring them all half to death.

      Tweedle number one followed Ivy to the window and peered out. “See, I told you they were fine.”

      Ivy turned and shot her a look. One that would have scared Dillon had he been on the receiving end.

      “She’s got a lot of nerve just taking off,” number two said indignantly. “Does she think we actually want to be here?”

      No, Dillon thought, they had made it pretty clear they were there under duress.

      Ivy didn’t say a word, but he could see her temper rising. Her cheeks were getting red and blotchy and her fists were clenching and unclenching. And her foot was tapping. Bad sign. If those two knew what was good for them they would quit while they were ahead. Especially with Ivy standing within swinging distance. He knew from experience that you could only push her so far before she blew, and she looked as though she was more than halfway there already.

      “Enough, Heather,” Dale said.

      They actually had names. Go figure. And he was getting kind of attached to Dum and Dee.

      “Why are you getting mad at me?” Heather snapped back. “I’m not the one with the problem. You should have seen the way she flipped out the other night.”

      “Yeah,” number one agreed. “It’s not our fault that she’s too fat to fit in her dress.”

      The last word had barely left her mouth and Ivy was already in midswing. Dillon scarcely had time to cringe before she connected. One quick, solid right jab, and Tweedle number one was on the ground, holding her jaw.

      Everyone else stood in stunned silence. Even number two, aka Heather, didn’t seem to know what to say. Or May be she just didn’t want to be the next one to go down.

      Then the door flew open and Deidre burst through, Blake close behind. “Hi, everyone! We’re back!”