Read Online Key Lime Pie by Josi S. Kilpack - Free Book Online

right?”
    “Yes.” Layla didn’t look away from the TV.
    “So Eric is your ex-husband?”
    “Yes.”
    “And he and Larry went somewhere together?”
    Layla didn’t answer at all this time, her eyes glued to the TV. Sadie was left to ponder on it herself. Where would two men who had been married to the same woman want to go together? Leaving early in the morning meant they probably hadn’t gone to the police station. What else would be important enough to go to together—and leave Layla by herself in the process? Sadie didn’t know what was wrong with the woman, but she doubted it was a good idea to leave her alone for long stretches of time.
    Sadie was pondering the possibilities when she caught movement near the kitchen. She turned slightly and watched a gray cat smooth itself around the corner of the room. Sadie instantly recognized it as the cat from the picture she’d found in the Sunkist box, although it had put on some weight and no longer had the red bow. The cat looked at Sadie for a moment before jumping onto Layla’s lap. Without so much as looking at the animal, Layla immediately began stroking the cat from head to tail.
    Sadie watched Layla’s hand glide over the cat’s body in a rhythmic motion. After only five minutes with this woman, Sadie could imagine Layla sitting that way, petting the cat, for hours at a time while she blankly watched TV. The cat purred loudly enough that Sadie could hear it over the audience applauding the next contestant.
    After waiting for several seconds, just in case Layla realized they hadn’t finished their conversation, Sadie pulled open her purse and dug out her cell phone. She hadn’t wanted to call Eric herself for fear it would appear rather vain for her to expect him to answer her call after Layla had already tried, but she had a feeling that very little affected Layla. She’d opened her contact list in search of his number when she was startled by the ringing of the cordless phone sitting on the end table next to Layla. Layla looked at the phone but made no attempt to answer; she was too busy petting the cat and watching a tiny Filipino woman guess the price on a tube of toothpaste.
    “Would you like me to answer that?” Sadie asked after the second ring.
    “Sure,” Layla said.
    Shaking her head slightly, Sadie hurried to the phone, pushed talk and raised it to her ear, turning her back on the TV in hopes the sound wouldn’t interfere with the call. “Hello?” she said.
    “Hello, is Mr. Burton there?” an official voice asked.
    Sadie wished he were. “I’m sorry, he’s not here right now. Can I, uh, take a message?”
    “What about Mrs. McCallister?”
    Sadie glanced at Layla. Was her last name McCallister? She’d said Larry used to be her husband. Sadie wasn’t thrilled about handing the phone over, but didn’t see that she had much choice. Perhaps listening to Layla’s end of the conversation would be helpful. “Just a minute,” Sadie said. She held the phone against her chest and turned to Layla. “They’re calling for Mrs. McCallister. Is that you?”
    Layla didn’t answer, but the audience burst into applause and the little woman on the TV screen raised both hands to cover her mouth. She’d won . . . something. Sadie took a couple steps forward and picked up the remote. It was very forward of her, she knew, but the phone call sounded important. She took a breath and then pressed the mute button. Layla immediately looked to where the remote had been, then up to Sadie who was holding it.
    “I was watching that!” she said, and though Sadie knew she was angry, her voice showed very little inflection.
    “Are you Mrs. McCallister?” Sadie asked her again.
    Layla was thrown off for a moment, leading Sadie to repeat the question. “Are you Mrs. McCallister?”
    “I think so,” Layla said, causing Sadie even more confusion. She thought her name was Mrs. McCallister? She wasn’t sure?
    “Then, I guess this is for you.”
    Layla