Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 91212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Finding none, I lock myself in the bathroom and make a call.
"How was your flight?"
"Fine," I tell Kincaid. "We're at her house in Columbia."
"Has she been able to make arrangements for the meeting?"
"Not yet."
"She can't put it off too long."
"I know," I say, pinching the bridge of my nose, wondering how things would work out if I had met her at a different time in her life. "Any news?"
"We have nothing more," he says, and I can hear just how unimpressed he is not to have new information for us.
I conferenced him into the conversation I had with Mike yesterday, trying to find a way that we could get to the bottom of all of this shit without having to put her through undue strain, but we all came up empty. The Full Deck Killer has covered his tracks for years, and unlike other killers, he seems just as particular about hiding his identity now as he was during his first murder.
"I'll let you know if we find something."
Chapter 28
Cora
I'm torn between the instructions given by Rebecca and Eddie telling me not to do anything without him present.
I have to schedule both Chris and William to come to the house, but honestly, reaching out for a special dinner at any other time than around the holidays is going to be weird.
I sit on the edge of my bed, wishing I could teleport myself to any other moment in time than this one, but going back a month to a time when my sister still existed isn't possible.
I shoot off a text to William first, knowing it'll take longer for him to respond before firing off one to Chris.
Chris: Who is this?
I frown down at my phone, realizing just how infrequent we message each other. It's been over a week since I had to replace my phone, and I still haven't given him my new number.
Me: Cora
When his name flashes on the screen, I send it to voicemail, quickly shooting off an explanation.
Me: In line at the grocery store. Can't talk.
I hate that I have to lie to him, but just the sight of his name on my screen made my throat clog with emotions. I have no idea how I'm going to face either one of them, knowing Sadie is gone and they're about to find that out.
Chris: I'm down for a home-cooked meal any day of the week. Saturday works for me!
One down one to go, and as long as I thought I'd have to wait, William surprised me by texting back less than an hour later agreeing to come home for dinner on Saturday. I really thought I'd have to beg, making it even more suspicious.
I head downstairs, only giving his closed door the briefest of looks. The kitchen is my happy place, although I spend so much time meeting with potential donors for Chapter One, I don't get to spend as much time in here as I'd like.
"I was going to do that," I tell Faye when I see her at the stove, pan grilling the chicken I left in the sink to thaw.
She waves her hand, dismissing me in the same manner she did Eddie earlier.
"Care to explain why that man is here?" she asks over her shoulder.
"He's here to go through Sadie's things. We've hit a roadblock in the investigation."
I see the sadness in her eyes, and despite not knowing that Sadie is gone forever, she knows my sister has been lost for a very long time, and if anything she seems saddened that I haven't accepted it as well.
I consider that maybe that's William's problem. Maybe he has just given up hope that she could change, not that he wished her dead so much that he hired a hitman to rid her of our lives completely.
"I was going to make salads," I tell her when she pulls the chicken from the pan before tossing sliced peppers and onions into it.
"Nonsense. You're too skinny. Carbs. You'll have carbs."
"Carbs," I mutter as if they solve every problem.
"Get the tortillas from the pantry," she insists pointing her spatula in that direction. "The good ones. I don't want any of those cardboard ones."
An unexpected smile crosses my face at her tone. I pull out both kinds of tortillas because I'm well aware of how easy it is at this point in my life to get off track, and with the recent upheaval in my life, I need some normalcy and that includes low-carb, high-protein tortillas.
Faye frowns at the two packs in my hands. "If he eats those damn things, you throw the whole man out."
I huff a laugh as I drop them to the counter and turn back around to the fridge to get the other things we'll need to make this a proper meal.
Eddie comes down right at six, but we're a little behind, fajitas taking more time than the salads I'd planned to make.