No Way Home by Patricia MacDonald Read Free Book Online Page A

since childhood. “I can’t believe it. I can’t.”
    “Believe it,” Lillie said in a soft voice.
    “Sit down here,” said Brenda, guiding a reluctant Lillie to one of the kitchen chairs. “Gray, are you all right, honey? That’s buttermilk fudge,” she said, pointing to the plate she had dropped on the table. “I know you like it, honey.”
    “Gray’s been a good boy,” Lillie said absently, as if she were describing a tot. “A big help to me. He helped me to get these curtains down. He’s gonna help me get them back up when I’m done.”
    Lillie was drumming her fingers impatiently on the table. Brenda took her friend’s restless hand and kneaded it. “How is Pink coping?”
    Lillie shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s…he went back over to the…there this morning.”
    “Why? Oh, my God, how could he stand to be near there?”
    “He wanted to see the sheriff. I guess he just wants to know if they’ve found anything. You know, you feel so helpless. You just can’t quite believe that there’s someone out there, you know, taking a walk, or reading the paper, or enjoying his lunch, that did this thing.”
    “I know,” said Brenda, “I know. I’d kill him myself. So they still think it was that Ronnie Lee Partin. That’s what the TV said.”
    “I don’t know, Brenda. I suppose it’s possible. But why? Why?”
    “Because he’s an animal,” Grayson said, picking up a piece of fudge.
    “Well,” said Brenda, glancing apologetically at Gray, “was she…you know…molested?”
    “The coroner examined her at the scene last night. He didn’t think so, according to the sheriff,” Lillie said in a tight voice. “They can tell more when…the autopsy. But no, probably not.”
    “Thank God,” said Brenda.
    “This is great fudge, Aunt Brenda,” said Grayson.
    “I’m glad, darlin’. You enjoy it. But what was she doing over there at the Arches at that time of night? Grayson, do you know why she would have gone down there?”
    Grayson put the fudge plate down on the table and stared into it. “She was supposed to come home with me. I was just hanging around with some kids. I didn’t see her for a while. I figured she went home. I don’t know why she went down there. It’s in the opposite direction from home.”
    “Unless she was coming home,” said Brenda, “and someone picked her up.”
    “I don’t know,” Lillie said wearily. “I can’t think now.”
    “Of course you can’t,” said Brenda. “I’m sorry.”
    The front doorbell rang. “Gray,” said Lillie.
    “Yes’m.” He was on his feet and out the door before she had finished. She smiled sadly at his disappearing figure. “He’s running interference for me. I can’t face people. And it started hours ago. I don’t know how people found out so fast.” Lillie gestured vaguely to the counter, which was dense with covered dishes and plates of food. “People want to help,” she said.
    “I know,” said Brenda. “I had to come when I heard from Pink. But why didn’t you call me last night, honey?”
    Lillie smiled weakly at her friend. “I know you and your beauty sleep.”
    Brenda began to cry again, weeping into the soggy Kleenex in her hand. “It just can’t be, Lillie. That little smidge of a thing. And all you went through. Before you married Pink you and I took her to that hospital in Pittsburgh, remember?”
    Lillie nodded and her narrow shoulders started shaking. Tears twinkled in her dark eyes and ran down her cheeks.
    Brenda clasped her friend’s hands. “You go ahead and cry, honey. You have to cry. You need to.”
    “I need to finish these curtains,” Lillie said, weeping.
    “Oh, for God’s sakes, you crazy woman,” Brenda exclaimed. “I’ll finish the damned curtains. Washing the curtains,” she fumed, getting up and extracting the tangled wad of fabric from the basket.
    Grayson appeared in the kitchen doorway, his face set in a stony expression. “You’ve got company,” he said.
    Lillie