Read Online Tell No Lies by Tanya Anne Crosby - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tanya Anne Crosby
Ads: Link
returned to their previous spot, her toes touching Caroline’s thigh and Caroline glanced down. “We tried calling,” Savannah offered.
Caroline nodded, and tugged a corner of Savannah’s quilt onto her lap, covering Savannah’s toes. She dabbed at her eye. “I’ve been with the family.”
Sensing her distress, Tango sat upright and stared at her, and Caroline automatically reached out to reassure the canny beast.
Savannah’s eyes misted, too, and Augusta wondered why she couldn’t feel what they felt. Rose Simmons had been one of their mother’s dearest friends, and Augusta hadn’t even said hello to her at Flo’s funeral. But that wasn’t nearly as disturbing to her as the simple fact that she had yet to shed a single tear for her own mother. All her life she had been driven to do for others because her heart bled indiscriminately. Only now it seemed that wellspring of emotion had completely dried up. Yet she couldn’t get Cody Simmons out of her head. If her heart bled, it was for him right now.
“We figured,” Augusta said. “How are they?”
Caroline shrugged. “Upset.”
“Understandably.”
“Man, you’ve gotta feel for them,” Savannah said. “Cody’s missing. Rose is gone. How the hell do you grieve when you’re dealing with a missing child?”
“I can’t imagine,” Augusta said, her thoughts honing in on Cody.
Where could he be?
Amanda Hutto had never been found—despite the reward money that had been offered for information—money Augusta had donated and the Tribune had sponsored. Tons of calls, but no one ever came forward with reliable information. Still, she thought about offering another reward for Cody anyway, despite the fact that his family had more than enough money of their own to do so if they wished. It probably wasn’t appropriate, she decided. What was appropriate had been getting Ian out of jail so he could pursue whatever leads he might have. She couldn’t find it in herself to feel bad about that.
Caroline sighed. “Poor Janet.”
“What about Claire?” Savannah asked.
Caroline shook her head. “I didn’t see her. I guess she’s due in tomorrow.”
Janet was Rose Simmons’s youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter, Claire, had been Caroline’s best friend—before life happened to them all—before a big to-do over Jack that had led to Caroline and Jack’s ten-year breakup. Their older brother Nick Simmons had been everyone’s crush in school, including Augusta’s, but Augusta had no idea where he was these days. She was sure they would run into him at his mother’s funeral. As much as Augusta might hope to avoid that, she wasn’t so far removed from her sense of propriety that she could ignore a funeral obligation. If she could have, it would have been her mother’s.
For a long moment, they sat together, all three of them, contemplating the circumstances, the only sound in the room the nervous tapping of Augusta’s nails on her crystal goblet and the soft jingling of Tango’s collar when he adjusted his position at Caroline’s feet.
“Did Sadie go home?” Caroline asked finally, sounding surprised by the prospect—for good reason. Since their mother’s death, Sadie had spent more time in their house than she had in her own home.
“Yeah . . . well . . . about that.” Savannah grimaced. “I hate to break it to you after a day like today, but there’s more drama, so brace yourself.”
Before Savannah could begin her story, Augusta grabbed the wine bottle from the table and poured the remainder into her own glass, taking a deep breath. She felt only slightly guilty for not offering it to Caroline, but after this conversation, if Caroline wanted wine, Augusta would gladly open a new bottle.
“I don’t think Sadie’s coming back for a while,” Savannah said, and she proceeded to tell Caroline about the afternoon’s argument. Augusta had already heard the story, so she said nothing, hoping to remain inconspicuous.
A few weeks
Caroline nodded, and tugged a corner of Savannah’s quilt onto her lap, covering Savannah’s toes. She dabbed at her eye. “I’ve been with the family.”
Sensing her distress, Tango sat upright and stared at her, and Caroline automatically reached out to reassure the canny beast.
Savannah’s eyes misted, too, and Augusta wondered why she couldn’t feel what they felt. Rose Simmons had been one of their mother’s dearest friends, and Augusta hadn’t even said hello to her at Flo’s funeral. But that wasn’t nearly as disturbing to her as the simple fact that she had yet to shed a single tear for her own mother. All her life she had been driven to do for others because her heart bled indiscriminately. Only now it seemed that wellspring of emotion had completely dried up. Yet she couldn’t get Cody Simmons out of her head. If her heart bled, it was for him right now.
“We figured,” Augusta said. “How are they?”
Caroline shrugged. “Upset.”
“Understandably.”
“Man, you’ve gotta feel for them,” Savannah said. “Cody’s missing. Rose is gone. How the hell do you grieve when you’re dealing with a missing child?”
“I can’t imagine,” Augusta said, her thoughts honing in on Cody.
Where could he be?
Amanda Hutto had never been found—despite the reward money that had been offered for information—money Augusta had donated and the Tribune had sponsored. Tons of calls, but no one ever came forward with reliable information. Still, she thought about offering another reward for Cody anyway, despite the fact that his family had more than enough money of their own to do so if they wished. It probably wasn’t appropriate, she decided. What was appropriate had been getting Ian out of jail so he could pursue whatever leads he might have. She couldn’t find it in herself to feel bad about that.
Caroline sighed. “Poor Janet.”
“What about Claire?” Savannah asked.
Caroline shook her head. “I didn’t see her. I guess she’s due in tomorrow.”
Janet was Rose Simmons’s youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter, Claire, had been Caroline’s best friend—before life happened to them all—before a big to-do over Jack that had led to Caroline and Jack’s ten-year breakup. Their older brother Nick Simmons had been everyone’s crush in school, including Augusta’s, but Augusta had no idea where he was these days. She was sure they would run into him at his mother’s funeral. As much as Augusta might hope to avoid that, she wasn’t so far removed from her sense of propriety that she could ignore a funeral obligation. If she could have, it would have been her mother’s.
For a long moment, they sat together, all three of them, contemplating the circumstances, the only sound in the room the nervous tapping of Augusta’s nails on her crystal goblet and the soft jingling of Tango’s collar when he adjusted his position at Caroline’s feet.
“Did Sadie go home?” Caroline asked finally, sounding surprised by the prospect—for good reason. Since their mother’s death, Sadie had spent more time in their house than she had in her own home.
“Yeah . . . well . . . about that.” Savannah grimaced. “I hate to break it to you after a day like today, but there’s more drama, so brace yourself.”
Before Savannah could begin her story, Augusta grabbed the wine bottle from the table and poured the remainder into her own glass, taking a deep breath. She felt only slightly guilty for not offering it to Caroline, but after this conversation, if Caroline wanted wine, Augusta would gladly open a new bottle.
“I don’t think Sadie’s coming back for a while,” Savannah said, and she proceeded to tell Caroline about the afternoon’s argument. Augusta had already heard the story, so she said nothing, hoping to remain inconspicuous.
A few weeks
Similar Books
