High Strung: A Glass Bead Mystery (The Glass Bead Mystery Series) Read Free Page B

else.
    It ’s funny, but in my family, we had the same situation as Tessa’s. We had two sisters close in age—Connie and I were a year apart. Our brother Andy followed Connie by seven years. I’m sure my parents were disappointed that their eldest had turned out to be an artist, and not something important like lawyer Connie or computer genius Andy.
    “ Dylan, do you want me to take your beads over to the shop?” Tessa asked.
    “ Sure, that’d be great.”
    “I’ll grab them when I go. Thanks for watching the shop while I’m gone,” Tessa said.
    “Hey. Yeah. No prob.” Dylan was a man of few words, and a big appetite. I noticed he was already on his second bagel. Poor guy, he didn’t have much money for food.
    “ Do you need any more help getting things set up for tomorrow’s demo?” I asked.
    “ I think I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be. Plus, I’ve got some time before the demos start. You’ll come for some last-minute scurrying around in the morning?” This was Tessa in her super-efficient mode; she didn’t wait for a response. “Judy from JOWL wants everyone to check-in their inventory to her by two o’clock, so we better get going.”
    “Ashley, you promised to babysit Joey and Rosie’s son Benny at our house tonight. Izzy, since you don’t have anything better to do, you can help your sister.”
    Both girls glowered at their mother and groaned in unison, crossing their arms and tipping their heads back with an attitude only teenage girls can pull off.
    Tessa grabbed her box and Dylan’s and was ready to head over to the bead shop.
    “ Ashley, you come with me. Jax and I need to drop our boxes off at Aztec Beads, and then we can pick up Rosie’s son.” Joey and Benny hadn’t spent much time together, but they were already becoming fast friends, as only four-year-olds can do: one minute having just met and shyly saying “Hi,” and then a moment later, sharing a popsicle and pretending to be tigers.
    In her no-nonsense style, Tessa continued. “Izzy, you take my car, and we’ll meet you at home a little later.”
    A big smile burst across Izzy ’s face. Ashley continued to scowl, but now it was directed at her sister. She was jealous.
    “ An d, Izzy, get some gas, will you? The tank’s almost empty,” Tessa continued, pressing a wad of bills into her daughter’s hand as we headed out the door. “Use it all on gas—not snacks.” Tessa watched as her daughter pocketed the cash.
    “ Sounds good to me,” said Izzy, trying not to sound too excited, fearing it would make her look uncool in front of Dylan. I’m sure she was thrilled because it was a chance for her to drive around in a car without her parents.
    We put Tessa and Dylan’s boxes of beads and necklaces into the trunk with mine. Izzy pulled up next to us in the van. “Bye, Mom. Thanks for the car. I promise to drive safely.”
    “ If you get in trouble, call me,” Tessa called after her, as Izzy waved and pulled away. Even with her bossy attitude, Tessa was really just a big softie inside.
    We waved as we watched the van move extremely slowly down the road and turn the corner. Ashley, standing next to the Ladybug, wistfully watched Izzy drive away in her mom’s minivan. I’m not certain, but just after we couldn’t see the van anymore, I heard what sounded to me like squealing tires and burning rubber.
    “ Good thing I put a GPS monitor on the van,” said Tessa calmly.
    “ What?”
    “ A GPS monitor. I can use my phone and track her location.”
    “ But, you can’t press the brakes if she’s going too fast.”
    “ No, but I can at least make sure I know where she is.” Tessa worried about her girls, like most parents do.

     
    FOUR
    “Shotgun!” shouted Ashley, as we turned to get into the Ladybug.
    “ Seriously, Ashley? You thought that would work? Get in the backseat,” commanded Tessa.
    Ashley grumbled as she wedged herself into the back. The space was cramped back there, and tiny Tessa would