Chapter 23
When Jade finally returned home, the house was empty—no Belle wailing away, no note, nothing missing except their mother’s car. He knew at once where it was.
So he drove up to the manor house, where he found the old beige Buick parked in the drive, along with a police car. Two policemen were waiting on the porch. So were Paris and Señor. She looked lost, shell-shocked. Señor for once was calm, his face an impenetrable stone mask.
“There he is, officer. Arrest him,” Señor demanded.
“Arrest me? For what? Putting up with all your crap?”
“Sir,” one of the two officers said, “I’m afraid this is no time to be joking. You’ll have to come with us.”
All his life, whenever Jade was faced with petty annoyances, like the officer’s supercilious tone, he gave full voice to his indignati
