Excerpt: In Full Glory

Excerpt No. 1

Kal grabbed his cell phone from the night stand. Before flicking it open, he glanced at the time. 8:09 AM. Who the hell was calling him at eight o’clock on a Saturday morning?

A M Stafford. Allison? That was the last name he expected to see showing up on his Caller ID.

“Hello?” He tried to keep the yawn out of his voice.

“Jimmy?”

Kal grimaced. He’d long ago given up trying to get his sister to call him by the correct name. “Yeah, it’s me.” He turned from his left side over onto his back, crooking his right arm behind his head. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean? How do you know something is going on?” Jesus. They’d been talking less than a minute and already it felt like an interrogation.

“We haven’t talked in . .. what, six months?" he replied. "Not since Christmas. Unless you’re calling me at 8 AM just to catch up on old times?”

Her voice was sharp. “There’s no need to be nasty.”

“I’m not being nasty. I’m asleep. Or was.” He took a breath and remembered his pledge to himself. “Let’s start over. How are you, Allison? How are Tom and the kids?”

Charlotte, his eight-year-old silver-furred cat, jumped up onto the foot of the bed and made her way up to the pillow. She rubbed her head against his elbow. He scratched her behind the ears as he heard his sister sigh.

“I’m fine. We’re fine. It’s Ma ….” She broke off.

“Gloria?” Now he was awake. “What’s wrong with Gloria?”

“Nothing’s wrong with her. Well, I don’t know if anything’s wrong or not. She’s not here. I went to have a cup of coffee with her this morning, and she didn’t answer the door. When I let myself in, she wasn’t there. I couldn’t find her bag – she never goes anywhere without that big thing, the one with all those damned rainbows on it – and her suitcase wasn’t in the closet where it usually is. She’s gone.”

“Gone?” Kal didn't know whether to feel stunned or not. “Are you sure? Where would she go?”

“I don’t know. I … I thought maybe she might have gone to see you.”

“Ah. No, we're planning to get together next month, but she’s not here now.”

There was silence for a moment. “What for?” asked Allison.

“ ‘What for’ what?” Kal said.

“I mean, why are you getting together with her?”

Can’t I have a visit with my own mother? was what he wanted to say. But he didn’t. “I think she's feeling lonely. She’s been talking about Dad lately. It’s their anniversary this week, remember? Listen, Allison, if you're worried about it, have you called the police?”

“They said they can’t do anything until she’s been missing for 48 hours. Unless it looked like foul play, and it doesn’t. Praise the Lord for that, at least. This is so frustrating. I told them my mother wouldn’t just take off like that, but they said she’s an adult and has the right to do what she wants.”

“They have a point.” He could feel the temperature drop at the other end of the line after he said it.

“She wouldn’t up and leave without telling me, James.” He heard a click. “That’s Doug. I need to talk to him.”

“OK, Allison. Keep me posted. Let me know what’s happening.”

Replacing the phone on the bedside table, Kal swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Charlotte butted her head against his thigh, then raced out of the room. “Yeah, you lucky girl. Breakfast is early today.” He shook his head. “Damn it, Gloria. What are you up to?”