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who were now pushing and shoving each other near the water fountain. “A woman in line at the rental counter said she was headed there. Told everyone she was in a big hurry, but she just kept on talking. Held all of us up.”
    “Was she wearing huge diamond earrings shaped like Texas?” Summer asked.
    “Don’t know what they were supposed to be,” the woman said. “But they were big and sparkly, all right.”
    “Yes, that might have been my friend,” Dorothy murmured. “More of an acquaintance, really.”
    “Pauline, get a move on!” Louis called from the wooden walkway that led to the beach. “The kids got away from me!”
    “Sorry,” Pauline said, with a sigh. “Gotta go. Good luck on your trip.” She adjusted the wooden bead to tighten the chin strap of her hat and hurried away over the sandy parking lot.
    “Those children certainly are rambunctious,” Dorothy said. “I hope their parents are able to catch up with them before they reach the water.”
    “I swear, I am never having kids.” Summer pushed the ignition button.
    Maddie used to say that, Dorothy told herself. Sadly, there was no way to know now whether her daughter might have changed her mind. “Surely you don’t mean that, dear.”
    “Yes, I do,” Summer said stubbornly, but she didn’t sound quite as emphatic this time. “So, where are we headed? Guess we can forget catching up with Trixie and Ray now.”
    “Not necessarily,” Dorothy said. “Why don’t we pay a visit to Cinderella Coaches? Maybe the rental agent there can tell us something about those two. Every little detail counts.”
    She tried not to grip the car seat as Summer backed out of the parking space in one fell swoop.
    With luck, Trixie and Ray’s motor coach had turned into a pumpkin somewhere along the road.
    * * *
    Summer tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. The highway was a total mess. Traffic. More traffic. Annnnd...yep, more traffic.
    Spring break must have started early. Now there’d be a bunch of underage kids jamming the clubs every night, and all the decent restaurants would be packed with tourists.
    Whoa. Did she really just think that? She used to love spring break in Cabo, and that wasn’t so long ago. Or...maybe it was.
    Jeez. She was getting old.
    She glanced at Dorothy beside her in the passenger seat. Her friend had to be broiling in this heat. They should have grabbed a lemonade or something from the Benton Beach snack bar.
    “Hey, can you see who that is?” she asked as her cell rang. “Might be Donovan. But if it’s anyone else, don’t answer, okay?”
    “Hello?” Dorothy said, into the phone. “Oh yes, how are you? She’s right here. But she’s driving, I’m afraid.”
    Summer sighed. “Put it on speaker, please.”
    “Hold on just a moment, Dash.” Dorothy fumbled with the screen, then looked triumphant as the deep voice of Summer’s best friend crackled into the MINI.
    “Hey, Cali Girl, where are you?”
    “Not home. What’s up?” She loved Dash, of course, but she couldn’t help feeling a tiny bit bummed that he wasn’t Detective Donovan. Not that she’d expected the caller to be him, or anything. But the guy had to question her soon about finding Mrs. Caldwell, right? It was his job, for crying out loud.
    Maybe he could interview her over coffee. Or drinks. Even better.
    “Well, I would have asked you this sooner, but Mother just called,” Dash said. “She’s shown up a few days early, gods help us, and she’s already on her way from the airport. Do you and Dorothy want to come over tonight for dinner? Mother is expecting a party.”
    “Thanks, but I may not be able to make it,” Summer told him. “Dorothy and I are on a new case. I’ll fill you in later, but—”
    “You mean the librarian lady who just got murdered?” Dash said. “The Pointe is in quite an uproar right now. Cops and TV crews everywhere. I’ve been trying to peel Juliette-Margot away from the windows.”
    “Poor Jennifer,”