A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1)(63)

“Mom. Stop,” she said after an eternity. “This is serious. I need to skip school.”

Her mom sobered, but it would take her voice a little while longer to recover fully. “Sorry. That had nothing to do with you. I just swallowed wrong.”

“Right. So, can I skip school?”

“Absolutely not.”

“I can help with the search party. She’s my friend.”

“Still thinking absolutely not. Not only would you be more hindrance than help—”

“Mom!”

“—but your asthma has been sketchy lately. We can’t risk an episode.”

“But I feel fine.”

“All the more reason to keep you healthy.”

“Oh, wait,” Auri said, flattening a palm on her chest. “I think you’re right. I think I’m having an episode.” She gasped, then coughed for good measure.

“Good try, kid. What’s his name?”

Auri sank against her chair. “Cruz.” She ducked her head. “Cruz De los Santos.”

“Really?” she said as though impressed. “Is that Chris’s son?”

“Yeah. I met Mr. De los Santos last night. He’s super nice.”

“Yes, he is. And as soon as a I run a complete background check on this kid, including his credit report and his immunization history, you can go to Caffeine-Wah and have coffee with him.”

“And have your spies report our every move to you?” she asked, the betrayal cutting deep. Ish. Not like a gaping chest wound or anything. More like a really painful paper cut. Then she thought about the owners of Caffeine-Wah and melted. “How are Richard and Ricky? Have you seen them yet?”

“Saw them yesterday. They send their love.”

Auri drew in a deep breath, crossed her fingers, and asked, “The eyeliner trick?”

Sun’s shoulders sagged. “Not yet.”

Auri wilted right along with her. “You’re just going to have to bring them in on charges of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit murder. Then you can force them to show you.”

“That’s a great idea. Nothing like abusing my position for personal gain.”

“Exactly. Why else be a sheriff?” she asked with a snort.

“Are you sure you’re okay after yesterday?”

One shoulder rose of its own accord. “I’m okay. Another day, another dollar.”

Her mom’s brows did a squiggly thing. “And how does that apply to this situation?”

“I don’t know. It just sounds light and carefree, like I’m going to be today. Nary a care in the world. No skulking in the shadows for me.”

After putting her cup down, Sun put a hand on Auri’s arm. “You know, you don’t have to pretend to be okay, sweet pea. Not ever.”

Discomfort prickled along Auri’s spine. She didn’t like it when her mom worried about her. She did everything in her power to make sure that didn’t happen. “I know. Can I at least help with the search after school?”

“How about you help your grandma and the rest of the Book Babes hand out coffee? If you get your homework done first.”

“You’re trusting Wanda Stephanopoulos to hand out coffee to a bunch of law enforcement officers?” When her mom nodded, Auri’s jaw fell open. “Mom! You know what uniforms do to her.”

“I know. It couldn’t be helped. If she does impede the search in any way—”

“Like wrapping herself around Quincy?”

“—I’ll have to ask her to leave.”

“No. You’ll have to take her away in handcuffs.”

Her mom laughed at that. Hard.

“Mom, this is serious. Wanda could give the whole town a bad name.”

She wiped a tear from underneath her eye. “You are such an old soul.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, what time did you get in?” she asked, putting her mom in the hot seat for once.

“You do not want to know.”

She looked at the map her mom was poring over.

“Why are you searching for Sybil there?”

“Didn’t your grandparents tell you? Jimmy Ravinder is missing, too, and we got a tip that he’s been seen hanging out with a girl who matches Sybil’s description.”

Alarm rocketed through her. “Jimmy Ravinder? How long has he been missing?”

“Since Sunday afternoon.” She stopped and focused on Auri. “Why?”

“Who said he’s been seen hanging out with Sybil?”

“Not Sybil, but a girl matching her description. And with them both going missing around the same time . . .” Her mom caught on. “Come to think of it, you match Sybil’s description, too.”

Auri sank into her chair. “It’s me.” She said it so softly, she was worried her mom didn’t hear her, so she said it again. “It’s me. The girl Jimmy’s been hanging out with.”

She had been friends with Jimmy since she was seven, but with the way her mom felt about the Ravinders, she’d never told her. While her mom worked, she’d spent the summers with her grandparents. She’d gone to the lake, taken up hiking the trails of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and hit up all the coffee shops almost every day with Jimmy. That was why she’d never really gotten to know any of the local kids.