The Big Chili by Julia Buckley Read Free Book Online

lovely.”
    Then I heard the first knock at the door. “It’s open,” I called, and my visitors came in—an older man and womanwho, I could tell from experience, were here out of curiosity, not because they were looking to buy. They probably lived on the same street and had always wanted a peek into their neighbors’ place. That happened all the time. “Feel free to look around, and let me know if you have questions,” I said brightly. “I have brochures here with all the pertinent information.”
    They each took one, then wandered upstairs.
    Another couple came in, and to my surprise, I recognized this one. It was Hank Dixon, Alice’s ex-husband, and his girlfriend, Tammy, whose strawberry-blonde hair was pulled into a casual and graceful ponytail and whose shoes looked like they had cost more than my monthly rent. She wore a brown skirt with a little matching jacket, and her gaze was focused not on the house but on her boyfriend’s face. She seemed genuinely smitten with Hank.
    Dixon himself was a relatively handsome man, although he was clearly too old for Tammy, who couldn’t have been more than thirty. Dixon was closer to fifty, and today his face looked lined and tired. I wondered why they were even here while he was still reeling from the shock of his ex-wife’s death.
    Then again, I had been at the bingo night, and I was here. Perhaps Tammy had her heart set on this house.
    â€œHello,” I said, moving forward and extending my hand. “I’m Lilah. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about the house today.”
    Tammy looked at me and gasped. “Oh my gosh! Weren’t you there last night, at the bingo thing?”
    I nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry for your loss.” I directed this atboth of them, although that felt weird. Tammy, despite her little-girl appearance, proved to have good manners.
    â€œThank you, Lilah. Hank is taking it pretty hard, but he was sweet enough to bring me here today because he knows I’ve had my eye on this place.”
    Trained by my savvy parents, I knew an opportunity when I saw one. “Perhaps a distraction is the best thing, and this place is a beautiful distraction. You have to check out the master bedroom—it has a walk-in closet, a Jacuzzi, and a skylight. And the whole place has far more closet space than the average home around here.”
    Hank Dixon nodded, looking around. His hand sat on Tammy’s shoulder, and his fingers played nervously with her silky hair. “New roof?” he asked.
    â€œYes—two years ago. And you’ll note the lovely hardwood floors throughout, natural wood trim, art glass windows—it’s a piece of art in itself.”
    Dixon nodded again. “Go ahead and look at the master bedroom, honey. I’ll be up in a minute.”
    Tammy went prancing off in her high heels, and Dixon gave me an intense look. “You were there last night. Did anything seem funny to you?”
    I stared, not sure how to answer. Of course something had seemed funny.
    He shook his head. “I mean,
before
Alice ate the food. Anyone acting weird or skulking around?”
    I shook my head. “Not that I recall, Mr. Dixon.”
    â€œHank.”
    â€œHank. I got there just before the event was supposed to start—my mother and I did. We looked around the room andeveryone seemed to be in good spirits—including the ladies who were preparing the food and filling the tables. Father Schmidt was cracking his jokes, as always. And Alice—”
    His eyes were weary and regretful. “Yes?”
    â€œShe seemed happy with the way things were going and—very healthy. That’s what I thought later: that she had seemed healthy and strong until she tasted that food.”
    He nodded, leaning eagerly forward. “That woman was as strong as an ox. We may not have kept our marriage together, but, well, she was my friend. And I