Monthly Cozy Mystery Section

The office was already buzzing at 9:00 a.m. Lois looked around for Daphne, but she couldn’t see her at her desk. Maybe she was in the kitchen getting some coffee and the usual morning pastry. If there was one plus, and there were more plusses than one, to the office it was that H.R. always provided morning pastry. The fact that the office also supported a health and fitness before hours session was the irony that made all of the office workers laugh. However Daphne was slender. Somehow those pastry calories seemed to melt off her. Lois, on the other hand, had to count her calories and did. She religiously noted every piece of food that she put in her mouth. It was tedious, but it worked for her. The two ladies could take advantage of sample size sales and were always dressed in the latest fashion. 

The magazine they all produced, Home Working, had moved with the times. When the magazine had begun it was a paeon to women working in the house doing household chores with a smile on their face. It featured articles that talked about the best cake recipes to make your husband smile, spring cleaning tips, what chores could be done while the washing machine ran a regular cycle, and how to plant the flower bulbs stored in the cellar or garage. Now it featured how to care for your toddler while entering your billable hours from your home office. In truth, the chores were pretty similar, but cake was no longer a concern. Instead mutual exhaustion and finding time to talk had been feature articles last month. This month the magazine was featuring tips on finding caretakers for elderly relatives who live in the home and adding a ramp for an entrance to the house within the landscape design. 

Lois and Daphne had desks near one another. A three quarter partition separated them and gave the illusion of private space. The space was not private. Daphne could hear Lois and vice versa. They knew each other’s personal stories and bought birthday presents for each other at the after Christmas sales each year. So, how long did it take Daphne to get and begin chewing a pastry from the kitchen? What on earth is taking Daphne so long?

Just as Lois considered hunting down her friend Daphne walked into Lois’s office space. “Did you hear the news? It just went out on Slack. Joyce is missing. Her husband called the office to see if she had checked in. He’s calling the police.”