Read Online Stabbing Stephanie by Evan Marshall - Free Book Online

did a double take. Her burger was gone. So were the fries, and all the onion rings but one. “What happened to my food?”
    â€œYou ate it! Wolfed it down. And I haven’t even brought you your Coke!” she suddenly remembered.
    â€œMight as well make it coffee.”
    Ginny hurried off for it. Jane looked at her plate. So much for her resolve to lose those eight pounds, to follow the miraculous Stillkin diet to the letter. Could it only have been that morning she’d stocked up on Stillkin foods? She felt disgusted with herself.
    Ginny reappeared and set down a steaming mug of coffee along with a small pitcher of milk and a container of sugar and Equal packets. “Why the sour look?”
    â€œI’m hating myself. At this rate, I’ll be eight pounds heavier by the time I leave for my vacation.”
    â€œAh!” Ginny waved her hand in dismissal. “You look fabulous. Stop being so silly.”
    â€œI’m not being silly. Half the slacks in my closet cut me in half. My bra is biting into me like piano wire.” She shifted uncomfortably.
    â€œOuch. That is a problem. Well, Scarlett, tomorrow is another day!”
    â€œTrue,” Jane said, brightening. Then she remembered Stephanie, and her shoulders slumped.
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    Jane had never been much interested in Faith Carson and her storybook past, but after all the talk of her today she had to admit she was the slightest bit curious. After all, Stephanie, Kenneth’s cousin, was one of Faith’s best friends.
    Heading home on Packer Road, Jane slowed her car when she reached Puffy and Oren Chapin’s office building, a rectangular two-story red brick structure. A grimy midsize moving van sat at the curb directly in front of the building. Passing alongside the truck, Jane saw that the tailgate was down. She checked her side mirror, made sure no one was behind her, and slowed even more, practically coming to a stop when she reached the end of the truck. Would she catch a glimpse of Faith herself?
    Two young men in T-shirts and jeans sat on the tailgate, munching on enormous hero sandwiches. These reminded her of her lunch, and with another pang of guilt she sped up and turned left on Grange Road, which took her on a winding route up into the hills for which the village was named. On Lilac Way, her street, she drove slowly uphill beneath a latticework of bare branches, then turned into her driveway. Taking her briefcase and bag from the passenger seat, she got out and made her way up the path to the front door of the deep brown chalet-style house.
    Florence opened the door just as Jane reached it.
    â€œMissus, I didn’t know you were coming back so early.”
    â€œHad to get away from the office,” Jane said, striding past her. “I’ll work here, get some reading done.” She hung up her coat in the foyer closet.
    â€œI was preparing a little surprise for you,” Florence said.
    â€œOh?”
    â€œYes. I felt bad about making those Toll House cookies and tempting you, so I’m making you a Stillkin shake!”
    An image of the bacon cheddar cheeseburger with fries and onion rings flashed into Jane’s head, and with it came yet another rush of self-disgust. Then she remembered what Ginny had said. But why wait till tomorrow? Why not start over right now? She’d bought all those special foods. And dear Florence was making her something special for her diet.
    â€œFlorence, that’s awfully sweet of you. How did you know how to make it?”
    â€œThere was a recipe for it in the New York Times . You’d mentioned that you were thinking of trying the diet, so I cut out the recipe. Would you like it now? Did you have dessert after your lunch?”
    â€œWhy, no, I didn’t,” Jane said, realizing she’d forgotten to order the hot fudge brownie sundae. So she hadn’t been as outrageous as she’d meant to be. “But I am kind of full. Could I have