Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
She’d taken Perry’s shocking criminal offense harder than I had. Possibly because she’d had it dumped on her with no preparation. I’d been locked in a basement cell and given the crash course on accepting that my brother had indeed committed a felon. She had no idea that he could be dead right now too. I did. His being in prison was worlds better than him being killed.
“Hey,” I said, holding the phone pressed between my shoulder and ear as I jiggled the key in the lock, then shoved the door open. I stepped inside. “I am feeling missed. A text this morning and at lunch and now a call.”
She laughed, and it was good to hear she wasn’t calling me in tears over Perry again. More so than me, she felt like Perry was her child. He’d been younger when she took us in, and there was also the IQ thing. She had a high one, too, although nothing like Perry’s. Few did. But she had been so amazed with him and his intelligence that she spent a good deal of time getting him in special classes and taking him to and from these things every afternoon. While he was like her son, I was her friend.
“I’m sorry. I just keep thinking about things I want to tell you,” she explained.
I dropped my keys on the bar in the kitchen, then laid my bag on the small two-person table while toeing off my heels.
“I’m listening,” I replied. “Tell me all the things.”
She began telling me about a cookbook that was being published, where two of her recipes would be included, as I went to get a glass and pour myself some sweet tea. I congratulated her, and then she moved on to wanting me to go with her tomorrow to visit Perry. Saturday visiting hours were from eight to three, and it was about an hour drive to the prison.
I knew then this was what the call was really about. I had gone with her last weekend, and I loved my brother, but the anxiety that had come from seeing him there caused me to have a panic attack that evening. He had assured me he was safe, but he had lost weight.
“I have to go to the Corn Husk Festival tomorrow,” I told her, feeling guilty that I was relieved I had an excuse not to go. “It’s mandatory for all teachers,” I added.
Taking my glass of tea, I headed to the bathroom, but paused and opened my pantry to grab a snack. In my haste to get home, I had forgotten to stop by the store and get more Goldfish, which happened to be my favorite snack. Prepared to pick out something else, I scanned the contents, then stilled, confused when I saw the brand-new box of Goldfish. The big box that I liked to get. I hadn’t bought that. Had I? Frowning, I stared at them, not able to remember if they’d been in there this morning when I grabbed my protein bar for breakfast. Had I overlooked them and thought I was out?
“Winzy?” Marley said my name loudly, as if she had been trying several times to get my attention.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. You cut out,” I lied. “What did you say?”
Where had those Goldfish come from?
I stepped back, and my eyes slowly took in the rest of the kitchen and living area.
“What about going on Sunday?” she asked.
“I have a pile of papers to grade,” I said, walking over to the knife block and pulling one out slowly, keeping my back to the wall. I needed to get off the phone. “We can plan for next weekend. Listen, I hear my neighbor, and I need to take her a package that was dropped here by mistake.” That was a lie, but it had happened last week. Just not today.
“Oh, okay. Well, when you have time to figure it out, just text me the day,” she said, sounding slightly let down, but I had an apartment to search and needed to go.
“I will. Love you,” I told her.
“Love you,” she replied.
I ended the call, set my phone down on the counter, then started walking down the tiny excuse for a hallway with my knife held like I was ready to stab someone. Going to the bathroom, I swung the door open, and my eyes did a quick scan but found nothing. Since the shower had a clear door, there was nowhere to hide.
Turning, I went into the bedroom. The only hiding place here would be my sorta walk-in closet. It was small but big enough for someone to stand. My heart hammered in my chest as I jerked open the door, then stabbed nothing. There was no one in there. My shoulders dropped, and I let out a heavy sigh before closing it and scanning my room one more time.