Chapter 12

“Three weeks, Cynthiamae,” Zoe said. “It’s been three weeks! I think you better call Surprise.”

“That hussy!” she responded. “Why?”

“Your brother is missing,” Zoe said.

“He’s not dead ... Mel would know,” Cynthia said. “He’s not even in distress.”

“What?”

“When Surprise fell overboard ... we knew. When I broke my arm ... they both knew. When I got laid ... they knew ... every-time.”

“That’s just weird,” Zo said. “Never mind. I’ll do it.” She held out her hand.

“What?” Cynthia asked.

“Your phone,” Zoe said.

“Use yours.”

“Nope ... yours. Mine doesn’t have Surprise on Speed Dial.”

Cynthia fished out her phone.

Zoe punched in One.

“Surprise?”

“Speak up.”

“Noisy ... you at a bar?”

“A party?” “At the lake? Sounds like a big one. How many?”

“Eleven hundred? That’s a lot.”

“Zoe.”

“JW went to Chaos ... he took Billy and Cassie.”

“How long?” Zoe said, “Three weeks.”

“They left the day after you did.”

“Yes, we read the Journals.”

“Nobody ... no bodies ... nothing.”

“A ring or a portal.”

“Use your watch.”

“Who is Junior?” “How about The Powers that Be?”

Zoe hung up laughing.

“What?”

“Powers scared the piss outta her.”

Cynthia laughed.

“It’s not funny,” Surprise said. Sure enough ... damp jeans.

She glared at Cynthia, “This is all your fault.”

“What?”

“You slipped this damn watch into my bag when I left. I don’t want it ... I don’t need it ... and I sure don’t know how it works.”

“How did you get here?” Zoe asked.

“They did it.” That was said with the guilty finger pointing in ‘their’ general direction.

And we all know who ‘They’ are ... yeah ... them.

“Now Mom ... don’t be like that.” Mary grinned.

“Will you guys quit that ... and stop discombobulating. It makes me dizzy.”

“Hi Mary,” Tyche greeted.

“Tyke! I hear you inherited your grandmother’s powers.”

Surprise looked at the little girl. “You didn’t.”

“Yup ... no sapphire. In and out at will.”

“I’ll bet that was a big hit on Crossroads.”

“They have my daddy and I want him back.”