Perry > Recent Status Updates

Izzy’s voice rose in excitement. “Girl! We were first solving one of these-- finally!”

Emily whooped and pumped her fist. “What else does it say?”

Promising herself she’d come back to the news sites, she clicked the article that said, “Scavenger Hunt Enthusiast Missing with No Leads— Connection? The Police Don’t….”

Reminding herself it was probably clickbait, she was surprised when the blog loaded without the approximately 1 million scammy-looking ads she’d been expecting.

She glanced around, feeling a sudden sense of freedom. Nothing in her sparse apartment mattered to her as much as the few items in the laundry basket and the person standing in her living room.


She was ready to go.

14 of 16 chapters written!!! Izzy just might be catching on slightly...


“Maybe they’re searching for us now.”

Izzy typed a message.

*Don’t you think we’d be hearing stuff like commands? You know: ‘fan out!’ and ‘Jones and Smith you go that way’?*

Emily couldn’t help but smile a little at her friend’s imaginative text.

Brent said nothing as they walked away, and Emily forced herself not to look back. She had never been a slumper, but she’d observed enough of them in high school that she knew just how to sling her body into a spine-aching slump and shuffle.

This is definitely how Goth-Emily would move.

Poor Emily has to be a bit bossy in this chapter. XD

“Good thing my best friend is a super spy with high-tech tracking equipment and a lethal skill set,” she shot back, rummaging through the drawer.

There appeared to be an entire clown costume stuffed in it, but once she’d tossed a multi-colored wig and several brightly-polka-dotted clothing items behind her, she found better things to work with.

A smile—slightly grim, but a smile nonetheless—grew crookedly across his face.
“Eidetikers… you’re somethin’ else.” He opened his eyes, and in a smooth motion picked Emily up around the waist and swung her in a jubilant half-circle before setting her on her feet and pulling her into a jog in the opposite direction.

“Wait, you’re not wearing a skirt are you? No—that’s right. You’re in capris today. Good. Rope ladders and skirts don’t mix particularly well unless they’re skirts designed by Derrick.”

Emily laughed quietly. “That’s for sure. You’ll catch me and make it look cool if I have some kind of impressive balance issue on my way up, right?”

“Pff—of course I will!” Brent said.

“How does one of their guards take her away and they have no record of it? And it’s almost dark. Why does that make the whole thing seem so much more scary?” She shivered despite the air still being hot.

Emily has a point...
XD

"Besides, what are we gonna do? Just keep standing awkwardly to the side looking like you’re trying to intimidate me with your tallness or like we’re trying not to be seen?"

A security officer in a dark blue uniform and dark, slicked-back hair approached, making eye-contact with the vendor over their heads. Izzy glanced at Emily, confusion in her eyes.

Emily looked back at the vendor and saw him point to Izzy.

The security officer nodded and folded his arms, standing in front of Izzy. “Ma’am, can I see your hand, please?” he demanded. 

Confused, Izzy held up one of her hands.

Emily felt the prickle of being watched climbing up the back of her neck. She glanced furtively from side to side and assured herself nobody there was staring at her. She looked ahead and found, to her relief, Izzy was approaching, bearing frybread.

“You won’t tell?”

“Pff—no. I’m gonna keep you to myself,” Emily said. “Next time I’m in a scrape, I’m gonna call you to be my ‘guy in the chair.”

Izzy grinned, finally. “What—are you about to confess to being a superhero or something?”

She handed Marge her coffee, and the older woman leaned in conspiratorially as she took it. “Handsome boys over there, aren’t they!” she said in what was supposed to be a whisper, but was more of a gravelly proclamation. Emily felt herself blush.

THE END!
On to edits and then sending this super fun story out into the world on MARCH 23rd!

"She wore a simple polo and black pants with her uniform apron, the only remnants of the beautiful, teal party dress were the tiny silver sparkles she kept finding stuck to her skin, even now–several days after she’d worn it.

*It’s like glitter. I bet I’ll still be finding them a year from now.*"

"You'll need a codeword to let us know when he's safely away from everyone and you're ready for us to move in."

"So, something like... 'pancakes'?" Emily whispered, feeling the corners of her mouth lift a little, despite the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Death by coffee. Not a pretty way to go. XD

In her surprise, Emily somehow managed to inhale coffee instead of swallowing it. This led to a sudden fit of coughing. Donati rushed to her, mid-sentence, backed up by the the bodyguard who was still holding her tiny plate of tiny food.

Guys. Brent is the cutest worrier, I think...


He shrugged, giving her a crooked half-smile. "Be careful, Emily, please? This guy is--" he stopped mid-sentence and clapped a hand to his forehead, making a harsh, exasperated sound.

Emily sniffed. “If you think you can win me over with a cup of coffee and a charming smile, you’re wrong.”

The smile she’d just referenced broke forth and he straightened. “So you find me charming, then? We’re making headway already!”

*Yep, definitely a villain. Sheesh. God, give me patience.*

Brent's disguise is... really something in this book. XD

"She met the eyes of the man pulling the cart--and blinked.

They were Brent's familiar blue eyes, but framed by glasses. She dragged her gaze down his face to the most horrible black mustache she'd ever seen.

*Oh, my word, Brent.*"

Vehicle disguises... Oooo...!

" Agent Faraday placed a magnetic placard on the van’s door before closing it.

Emily cocked her head. The placard bore the library’s name and logo and the words, "Library Services.”

“So ICS is in the inter-library loan business now, huh?” she asked, grinning and running her fingers over the magnetic placard. "

* happy sigh *
My spies (both intentional and accidental) are in the same city again, and all is right with the world.

"Two days later, although she hadn't heard a word from Brent, Emily was still grinning. She tried to wipe it off her face every time she passed a mirror, but the delight in knowing he was in town and safe for the moment couldn't be stamped out, no matter how self-conscious it made her."

Emily took the phone and stared at the screen. It was cracked—badly. “It’s busted,” she said. “Let’s use mine. This is just like old times, isn’t it!”

Brent laughed softly and then sucked in a breath, squinting his eyes.

“Sorry, I’ll quit being funny,” Emily said. “I don’t want to hurt you with my humor.”

Brent bit his lip to stop a smirk. “It’s not working. You’re still funny.”

In a moment, her father’s friend stood in the bathroom doorway, carrying a duffel bag. He was in his 50s, tall and lean. His skin was tanned and his hair was whiter than it seemed it should be for his age. He wore it pulled back into a ponytail. The crow’s feet around his eyes deepened grimly as he took in the scene on the floor.

After several rings, the man picked up, speaking loudly over the rumbling background noise of the semi-truck he drove. “Yello!”

“Um, hi,” Emily said, “This is Emily Abbott—do you—do you remember me?”

“Oh, you bet I do. You’re Abbott’s kid. Small as a grasshopper last time I saw ya. Your old man okay?”

Emily Abbott #7 is in progress!!!

Excerpt:
As she left the parking garage, she turned on the car’s radio, wondering if the talk show hosts would be discussing the mysterious, valley-wide scavenger hunt. Sometimes, when a new clue was discovered, the local news or a talk show host would pick up the story and run with it for the day.

After a fabulous brainstorm with Kate The Mahvelous, (aka, my sister who's also an author), I can now tell you the next Emily Abbott book will feature a very zany and spy-y visit to the Arizona State Fair.

The plans I have, guys.
Oh man.

Just cracking myself up with a way for Mia to TOTALLY scare Keith. XD