Kiss Me Hello by L. K. Rigel Read Free Book Online Page B

to hell!”
    The back door flew open with another bang, and Bonnie Norquist stood at the top of the porch stairs, hunger flashing in her eyes. “Where is it, Amelia?” she said. She was eight feet tall. Her face was white, painted like an actor in a kabuki play. She had fire engine red lips and wild black cartoon eyebrows. “Where is it?” she repeated.
    Aunt Amelia ignored Bonnie and held both her hands out to Sara. “Take it.”
    Sara couldn’t see what Aunt Amelia meant, her palms flat as if she was holding an open book.
    “Keep it safe,” Aunt Amelia said.
    Bonnie stomped down the porch steps and burst through Aunt Amelia who dissolved and disappeared like a ghost.
    “Ack!” Sara yelled and woke herself up. As if her dream refused to let go, the slam of a door echoed in the air. A chill had come over the room, and though it felt like Sara had barely slept, the day was gone. It was dark outside. What a wild dream.
    She picked up a shawl draped over the chair in the corner and wrapped it around her shoulders. Outside a car engine turned over. It sounded close enough to be on the property, but she couldn’t see much out the window until a pair of headlights came on, cutting through the fog at the end of the driveway. A car turned out onto Turtledove Hill Road and sped off.
    Sara shook her head, still disoriented from her dream. She was imagining things. The driver probably just took a wrong turn in the fog and was trying to get back to the highway. She gripped the shawl for comfort as much as for warmth and went downstairs, careful to step lightly on the bad tread.
    Everything was where she’d left it, her purse and key ring on the kitchen counter, her overnight bag on the floor. The house key was also on the counter, close to the edge away from her purse. She was exhausted before, and she didn’t remember putting the key anywhere in particular, but it just felt wrong.
    She locked the back door and grabbed her stuff, half expecting to see Aunt Amelia’s lover in the hall. The light switch was at the base of the stairs. She chuckled as a flood of light from overhead made everything bright and cheerful.
    Great. Now that she’d had some rest, she wanted to check out the attic. She took the house key with her and dropped off her things in the guest room. The attic stairs were truly unstable, especially the second tread from the top. Tomorrow she’d insist Aunt Amelia let her look into having both sets of stairs fixed.
    The key wouldn’t go into the lock, let alone turn in it. She hadn’t noticed before how unique the hardware was. It must be original to the house. Well, there was nothing to do about it now. She went down and changed into her pajamas and found an extra blanket in the chest at the foot of the bed.
    It must be wonderful here in the summer. The heat at home was worse every year. Hot Heat. The thought of Bram’s book made her want call him, but he was at work now. Besides, she couldn’t get a signal on her cell, and she didn’t want to go down to the kitchen again.
    She plugged in her phone and set the alarm app for seven o’clock in the morning. She had some questions for Aunt Amelia, and she wanted to ask them before Bonnie Norquist got there.

- 7 -
Coffee Spot
    T HERE WAS NOTHING IN the cupboards but a box of macaroni and cheese, a nearly empty jar of peanut butter, and a can of ground coffee. The Mr. Coffee machine on the counter looked willing enough, but after one whiff of the ancient grounds, Sara decided to take her caffeine craving to Pelican Chase.
    She parked in the lot the nursing facility shared with a few other businesses, including a local mom and pop grocery store. She’d pick up a few things to take to the house after seeing Aunt Amelia, but first she walked up to The Book Beak, hoping for a latte.
    Peekie was inside the store toward the back restocking the bookshelves, but it was only 7:45 and the shop hours on the door sign said 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. It was going to have to be