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“Yeah, she must have hit her head and is suffering from amnesia,” Harriet said.

“Amnesia?” asked Dooley. “Is that lethal?”

“No, amnesia isn’t lethal, Dooley,” said Harriet. “It’s just very annoying.”

“Oh,” said Dooley, casting a worried glance at Marge, possibly wondering if she was going to die soon now that she was suffering from amnesia.

“Strange things keep happening, don’t they?” I said. “With the lottery thing and Marge disappearing and then returning, having lost a chunk of her memory, and Uncle Alec’s kidnapping.”

“Oh, and you don’t even know the best part,” said Harriet. “Buster is moving to Florida. Fido inherited his uncle’s winery down there.”

“And Ted Trapper won a hundred million dollars in the Powerball,” said Brutus.

“So weird,” I said. “As if a cloud of good fortune has suddenly descended upon Hampton Cove.” Or Santa Claus arriving early this year, handing out gifts all over. Only Santa had taken on the form of a woman this time, and her name was Madame Solange.

Just then, Odelia’s phone started belting out its ringtone. “Can you pick that up, Mom?” Odelia asked.

Marge took her daughter’s phone and picked up, sounding a little hesitant as she said, “This is Marge Poole speaking?” She listened for a moment, then said, “Thank you, sir. I’ll tell her,” and hung up again.

For a moment, no one spoke, then Odelia asked,“Who was it?”

“Oh, um, a gentleman named Chase Kingsley,” said Mom.

“Mom?” said Odelia, glancing over. “You’re starting to scare me.”

“Why, honey?”

“You honestly don’t remember who Chase is?”

“No. Am I supposed to know him?”

“Mom!”

“He said your grandmother has been arrested,” said Marge, flicking a piece of fluff from her blouse. “She and Scarlett Canyon were caught trying to break into Charlene’s house just now.”

“What is happening!” Odelia cried.

I knew just how she felt.

Chapter 34

Charlene glanced around and for a moment had no idea where she was. Then she remembered. The hospital. Of course. But why? She was feeling fine. In fact she was full of vim and vigor, her energy levels off the charts and ready to hit the road running!

So she practically hopped out of bed and found her clothes neatly folded on a chair in the corner of her hospital room and started getting dressed, humming a tune as she did.

Moments later a nurse walked in and said, alarmed,“Madam Mayor! What do you think you’re doing!”

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m getting out of here,” she said good-naturedly.

“But you’re not well!” said the nurse.

“Says who?”

“But—”

“Look, I’ve wasted enough time already, don’t you think?” said the Mayor, placing her hands on the nurse’s shoulders and giving the woman a reassuring smile. “I have work to do, places to see, people to meet!” And with these words, she walked out, leaving the slack-jawed nurse to stare after her.

Stalking through the squeaky-clean corridors of the hospital, she smiled before herself. She’d never felt this good in her life—what was that silly nurse talking about? And when she fished her phone from her purse and got in touch with her secretary, she barked, “Can you send a car to pick me up at the hospital, Imelda? Thanks!” She was already envisioning great things for HamptonCove. She would boost the local economy with new projects and a plethora of happenings and festivities. She’d tackle the local housing issue, she’d build a new childcare center—she’d put this town on the map!

She only had to wait five minutes before a car arrived and took her straight to Town Hall, the place where it was all happening! And as she stalked into her office, Imelda got up, a startled look on her face.“Madam Mayor!” she said. “Are you all right? I heard about the hospital and I thought—”

“I’m fine,” said Charlene, waving away her secretary’s concerns. “Now let’s schedule another council meeting, shall we? I have a lot of announcements to make. A lot!”

“But, Madam Mayor…”

“What?” she said, halting in her tracks to shoot her secretary a bewildered look. She didn’t understand the woman’s reticence. It was almost as if… Imelda had something on her mind. Which of course was impossible. If you worked for a can-do mayor like Charlene Butterwick, only a can-do attitude would do! “Well? Spit it out, woman!”

“I heard about Chief Alec,” said Imelda, giving her boss a look of uncertainty. “Is it true? Did the Chief get… taken?”

Charlene frowned.“The Chief? What Chief? What are you talking about?”

“Chief Alec, ma’am. Your… boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend, woman. Don’t talk nonsense!” And with these words, she walked into her office and slammed the door. What she really needed, she thought as she took a seat behind her desk, was a new secretary!

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Vesta and Scarlett didn’t have to languish in jail for too long. In fact they didn’t have to languish in jail any time at all. Barely had Officer Flunk brought both women in for questioning before Detective Kingsley had taken them off her hands.

“Good luck,” said Sarah with a wink, and Chase returned the wink with an eyeroll.