.”
“Mom?”
At first, Cindy thought she was imagining the voice, but she spun around and saw her daughter standing there, eating a vanilla ice cream cone.
“Oh, God, sweetie. I was so worried!” She grabbed Avril and hugged her. She couldn’t stop the tears and she choked as she held her. Holding her was the best feeling in the world.
“I was just getting ice cream, Mom!”
“I just—I didn’t see you with the other kids. Why aren’t you playing?”
“Oh. Miles isn’t very good. I checkmated him in 12 moves.”
Cindy smiled. “I knew you’d win.”
“I hope next week’s game is harder. It was way too easy.”
Cindy just nodded. She knew that Avril could probably beat her in twelve moves, too. Maybe less.
“Let’s head home.”
“I’ve got my bike.”
“We’ll put it in the trunk. It’s okay.”
“Okay.”
As they walked back to the car, a sudden thought hit Cindy.
“You didn’t have any money. How did you get the ice cream cone?”
“Oh, Johnny bought it for me.”
“Who?”
“Johnny. He’s a nice man. He was watching me play today and then clapped when I won and bought me the ice cream.”
Cindy stopped and kneeled down so she was at the same height as Avril. She wanted to keep her voice calm.
“But who is he? You know you should never talk to strangers.”
“Oh, he’s not a stranger. He likes chess and watched my game. He’s really nice.”
“Is he still here?”
“No. He had to go. I think you know him, Mommy. He said you’d be coming for me soon.”
Cindy looked back at the chess tournament.
“You’re sure you don’t see him? What does he look like?”
Avril shrugged. “Just a man. He wore a red Mariners hat and I don’t think he has much hair.”
“What else?”
She shrugged again. “Just a guy.”
Cindy helped Avril get her bike the rest of the way to the car, looking back every few seconds, but she never saw anybody watching them.
Chapter 12
July 21
The Starbucks was almost the same as every other one that Cindy had ever visited. It had the usual cast of baristas behind the counter, the mixture of baked goods, and the smell of strong coffee permeating everything. In other circumstances, she had always loved the aroma of the coffee shop, but today she barely noticed.
The man accompanying her was in his sixties. Dr. Rusty Moore wore a pair of old-fashioned brown horned-rim glasses and his sparse hair was slicked back with some type of cream. He reminded Cindy of her father in an uncomfortable way.
She didn’t much care for her dad, and she didn’t want those feelings spilling over to her business today.
The man seemed lost, staring at the bewildering choices of drinks.
“Would you like me to order for you?” she asked.
He just nodded and smiled, grateful for her taking control.
“Two grande dark roast, please.”
As the cashier rung in her order, the man pushed out a ten dollar bill to pay for it. She nodded her thanks and then waited an eternity for the coffees.
She couldn’t find a way to relax, knowing she was about to confess to a total stranger that she’d tried to hire a hit man to kill her husband.
The drinks arrived and they walked to the door. Out on Pike Street, they found Maria Delgado, who’d been waiting patiently. Maria hated coffee and had refused to even go inside with them.
“Devil drinks,” she muttered as they joined up and started walking toward the water. As they walked to Waterfront Park, they chatted about the warm weather, how the Mariners were doing, and what they all had planned for summer vacations.
Soon, though, Cindy couldn’t avoid things any longer. They found a bench to sit on, with the man in the middle of the two women.
“You didn’t invite me here just because of my good looks,” he joked. “I assume this has something to do with my appearance on your show a few weeks back?”
Cindy hesitated. This was her last chance to keep her terrible behavior to
“Mom?”
At first, Cindy thought she was imagining the voice, but she spun around and saw her daughter standing there, eating a vanilla ice cream cone.
“Oh, God, sweetie. I was so worried!” She grabbed Avril and hugged her. She couldn’t stop the tears and she choked as she held her. Holding her was the best feeling in the world.
“I was just getting ice cream, Mom!”
“I just—I didn’t see you with the other kids. Why aren’t you playing?”
“Oh. Miles isn’t very good. I checkmated him in 12 moves.”
Cindy smiled. “I knew you’d win.”
“I hope next week’s game is harder. It was way too easy.”
Cindy just nodded. She knew that Avril could probably beat her in twelve moves, too. Maybe less.
“Let’s head home.”
“I’ve got my bike.”
“We’ll put it in the trunk. It’s okay.”
“Okay.”
As they walked back to the car, a sudden thought hit Cindy.
“You didn’t have any money. How did you get the ice cream cone?”
“Oh, Johnny bought it for me.”
“Who?”
“Johnny. He’s a nice man. He was watching me play today and then clapped when I won and bought me the ice cream.”
Cindy stopped and kneeled down so she was at the same height as Avril. She wanted to keep her voice calm.
“But who is he? You know you should never talk to strangers.”
“Oh, he’s not a stranger. He likes chess and watched my game. He’s really nice.”
“Is he still here?”
“No. He had to go. I think you know him, Mommy. He said you’d be coming for me soon.”
Cindy looked back at the chess tournament.
“You’re sure you don’t see him? What does he look like?”
Avril shrugged. “Just a man. He wore a red Mariners hat and I don’t think he has much hair.”
“What else?”
She shrugged again. “Just a guy.”
Cindy helped Avril get her bike the rest of the way to the car, looking back every few seconds, but she never saw anybody watching them.
Chapter 12
July 21
The Starbucks was almost the same as every other one that Cindy had ever visited. It had the usual cast of baristas behind the counter, the mixture of baked goods, and the smell of strong coffee permeating everything. In other circumstances, she had always loved the aroma of the coffee shop, but today she barely noticed.
The man accompanying her was in his sixties. Dr. Rusty Moore wore a pair of old-fashioned brown horned-rim glasses and his sparse hair was slicked back with some type of cream. He reminded Cindy of her father in an uncomfortable way.
She didn’t much care for her dad, and she didn’t want those feelings spilling over to her business today.
The man seemed lost, staring at the bewildering choices of drinks.
“Would you like me to order for you?” she asked.
He just nodded and smiled, grateful for her taking control.
“Two grande dark roast, please.”
As the cashier rung in her order, the man pushed out a ten dollar bill to pay for it. She nodded her thanks and then waited an eternity for the coffees.
She couldn’t find a way to relax, knowing she was about to confess to a total stranger that she’d tried to hire a hit man to kill her husband.
The drinks arrived and they walked to the door. Out on Pike Street, they found Maria Delgado, who’d been waiting patiently. Maria hated coffee and had refused to even go inside with them.
“Devil drinks,” she muttered as they joined up and started walking toward the water. As they walked to Waterfront Park, they chatted about the warm weather, how the Mariners were doing, and what they all had planned for summer vacations.
Soon, though, Cindy couldn’t avoid things any longer. They found a bench to sit on, with the man in the middle of the two women.
“You didn’t invite me here just because of my good looks,” he joked. “I assume this has something to do with my appearance on your show a few weeks back?”
Cindy hesitated. This was her last chance to keep her terrible behavior to
Similar Books
