Lemon Tart by Josi S. Kilpack Read Free Book Online Page A

cover for me so
that I could go home but I don’t want to go home with a psycho on the loose and
his wife always makes such a mess of my files and then I remembered that the
kids will be coming home from school and I don’t get off until five so I asked
if I could leave at three and Dr. Paxton said I could. So I’m leaving at three
and he won’t have to call his wife in—his nurse can cover for
me, thank goodness—but I have a fifteen-minute drive
and the kids will beat me home and so I wondered if I could call their schools
and tell them to go to your house and then pick them up when I get off work so
that they aren’t home alone. Would that be okay?”
    Sadie couldn’t process what was being said as fast as Mindy
could say it. It was one reason why she and Mindy weren’t particularly
close—and why Sadie assumed Steve Bailey liked to work
overtime. What did she ask me?
Sadie repeated in her mind as she tried to pluck out the question from all the
other stuff. Kids—my house—after school.
    “Sure the kids can come over, I’ll be here. They get home about
a quarter to three, right?”
    She heard Mindy take a breath—ammunition for
the next round. “Yes, the bus drops them off at 2:47. They’re the first
drop—well, Caleb and Gina that is. Brandon, Sheri, and Chris
are on the elementary bus and they don’t get home until 3:04. Oh, thank you, I
can’t tell you what a relief it is to know you’re there. I hope they don’t hear
about Anne at school. I know it will be so disturbing and it makes me wonder if
Carrie doesn’t have the right idea—I heard she was going on
vacation, you know. I wish Steve could get time off and we could all disappear
for awhile until things get worked out. So do you know what happened? I mean,
it’s just incredible that something like this could happen in Garrison, let
alone in our neighborhood, ya know? Do the police know who might have done it?
Have they come and talked to you? I wonder if Carrie saw anything.”
    Sadie had opened her mouth to answer Mindy’s questions a few
different times, but finally just closed it and waited for her to finish. As
soon as Mindy paused for air, Sadie broke in, talking as fast as Mindy had to
ensure she got all the words out. “They’re still investigating; I’m not sure
what direction they’re going.” She kept her own suspect status to herself.
“I’ll look for the kids after school.”
    “Thanks, that would be wonderful. Tell them I’ll be right
there—but if they don’t know about Anne, don’t tell them, okay?
I don’t want them to be scared or anything not having me there. Hopefully they
haven’t heard already—would they tell the school? I don’t think
so, since Anne didn’t have any kids there. Oh, I’m just sick about this. Maybe
I should come home? But I’d hate to be alone too—I guess I
could come to your place but—”
    “No,” Sadie quickly interjected. She couldn’t imagine having
Mindy at her ear all day. Things were bad enough already. “At a time like this
it’s better to have something to keep you busy. I’ll watch for the kids.”
    “Oh, thank you, Sadie. I knew I could count on you. I’ll call
the schools and tell them to tell the kids to—”
    “Okay,” Sadie broke in again, “that sounds great. I’ve got to
go, Mindy.”
    “All right, thanks again. I just don’t know what I’d have—”
    Sadie hung up the phone. It was out of character for her to be
so impatient, but she didn’t have the energy to keep up with Mindy today.
    Sadie went back to her applesauce, arranging the cooling jars
on the dish towel. Trevor’s painting kept catching her eye over and over,
causing a pang in her gut each time she saw it. She walked to the fridge and
turned it over, but after another minute, she flipped it back, the bright blues
and reds crisscrossing the paper. Tears filled her eyes once again before she hurried
to get out the vacuum. She had to stay busy! She thought of calling her kids,
but