Running on Empty by Sandra Balzo Read Free Book Online

Pepper asked AnnaLise.
    'I didn't know what to do, but the moment only lasted for... well, a moment. Then
     she was Daisy again.'
    'Weird.'
    'You're telling me,' AnnaLise said.
    'Like she was possessed or something.' The two old friends were sitting in the parlor
     of Sheree's bed and breakfast, the Sutherton Inn.
    Sheree had redecorated when she bought the place, each room now virtually museum-quality.
     The parlor featured bright yellow walls, whitewashed woodwork, a floral couch and
     one cherry red chair.
    Sheree — the third corner of what Mama had called AnnaLise's social triangle — unwound
     her tanned legs and stood to retrieve an opened bottle of Cabernet from the sideboard.
     'More wine?'
    'It is past noon, so what the hell. Thanks.' AnnaLise held out her glass, wondering
     for the umpteenth time why Chuck Greystone had preferred tiny, brunette AnnaLise to
     statuesque, red-headed, sexpot Sheree. 'I know there's some rational explanation for
     Daisy's behavior, but it was downright spooky.'
    'Rational is as rational does,' Sheree said. 'Just what are you thinking? Alzheimer's?'
    'God, no.' AnnaLise shivered involuntarily at the thought. Her friend always had
possessed a knack for voicing scenarios that AnnaLise would be trying hard not to
     envision. 'More like a vitamin deficiency. Something easy. Daisy's too young for Alzheimer's.'
    Sheree remounted her chair with the grace of a ballerina. 'Early onset, maybe? I've
     heard about people getting it while they were still in their forties.'
    Getting
it
, AnnaLise thought. Like catching a cold.
    Another shiver told AnnaLise that she couldn't get her head, or even body, around
     the idea that something serious could be wrong with Daisy. AnnaLise looked at the
     antique schoolhouse clock on the wall. 'It's nearly three and I haven't heard back
     from Dr. Stanton.'
    'Give the guy a break, huh? It's the Saturday of a long weekend, and you called him
     all of an hour ago, right when you came through my front door. We haven't even finished
     this bottle of wine I popped to calm you down. Besides, Daisy's OK now, right?'
    'Fine, so far as I can tell. Or I wouldn't have left her.'
    Even as she said it, AnnaLise wondered whether Daisy was indeed 'fine', or prodigal
     daughter had just convinced herself of that so she could escape to the normalcy of
     the inn. Bobby Bradenham's mother wasn't the only one capable of ignoring things in
     hopes they would just go away.
    But the fact was, Daisy had shown no embarrassment at her haunted — if brief — detour
     down memory lane. After an awkward hesitation, AnnaLise — partly from nerves, partly
     in disbelief that her mother could be serious — had simply laughed off Daisy's panic.
     'Are you kidding? Tucker playing a bongo in our old market? Daddy would have loved
     it!'
    Daisy squinted at her, as though it had been AnnaLise who'd departed from the main
     line, then broke into a laugh herself. They'd gone into the apartment, Daisy to start
     lunch and AnnaLise to unpack.
    So... could
Daisy have been kidding? Maybe she was sitting at Philomena's right now, telling Mama
     about AnnaLise's brain-fart, the way AnnaLise was discussing Daisy's with Sheree.
    'This place looks great,' AnnaLise said, trying to be casually social with her old
     friend.
    'So you've told me. Twice.' Sheree was many things, but sensitive wasn't one of them.
     She leaned toward AnnaLise. 'Now you listen to me, honey. You'll talk with Dr. Stanton
     when he calls you back. Until then, there's nothing―'
    Neither of them had heard the door open, but suddenly in the room appeared a man,
     the same one AnnaLise had seen at the restaurant.
    'Jim,' Sheree said, hand to her heart. 'You scared me near senseless.'
    A look of apology on the handsome face. 'I'm sorry. I thought all the other guests
     were off on a frolic.'
    He extended his hand to AnnaLise. 'I'm James Duende. Didn't I see you at Mama's this
     morning?'
    Despite the Latin surname, there was no accent