So far, Miranda Jessup Buckley has been jilted, fired and left to take care of her ex-lover's child.   She has just sweet talked Mitch into letting Aaron assist the dive team to pull bodies from the submerged cars in Haynes Pond.  She gets a piece of mystery mail and a visit from Missy.

 

 

 

                 ****************

 

I don't sleep well, waking up every couple of hours.  I know Aaron is mad with me.  I feel like everything I do hurts one person or another.  I keep seeing Ed Preston under the couch.  There's something about his death that fills me with guilt.  A hundred people had tossed him out of their stores, nothing happened to him.  I kick him out, and two days later he's found dead ... by me, no less.  Everything that's been happening feels like it's aimed at me.

 

I make up my bed, then go to the kitchen to make coffee.  Its early, like the sun is teasing the horizon.  

 

Waylon's phone alarm goes off and he fumbles for it.

 

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," I call out.

 

He stretches as he slowly opens his eyes.

 

"Why are you up?  You're never awake when I get up."

 

"Couldn't sleep.  Did you sleep okay?"

 

He pulls himself into a sitting position.  "Yeah, I guess.  I might go to dinner with my dad.  Is that okay?"

 

"Yes.  Of course it is."

 

I turn back to check the progress of the coffee.  I reach for the blinds on the window over the kitchen sink.  The tiniest sliver of light comes peeking through.  Something is blocking the light coming in.  I raise the blinds all the way up.  What I see leaves me speechless.

 

A photocopy of Ed Preston's picture is taped to the outside of the window.

 

Written in red magic marker are three words.  JUSTICE FOR ED.

 

I glance over at Waylon.  He doesn't need to see this.  Quickly, I lower the blinds.  The picture and what's written on it don't scare me.  It's the thought that someone was creeping around my house in the middle of the night.

 

 

 

                *****************

 

I spot Missy's car when I get to work.  I can see her, inside, chatting up Rita, from where I sit in my car.  I'm a few minutes early so I'm in no hurry to go in and be subjected to her mind games.  But it's not fair for Rita to have to deal with her alone.

 

"Deep breath," I think as I lock my car and head inside.  "She's just a person.  Just like you."

 

But then, that's not really true.  Missy Toblerone has "allegedly" killed her husband and I suspect she will kill again.  

 

"Mornin', Rita," I say as I round the corner of the counter.  "Missy."

 

"I see that Dougie is back in town.  That must make you feel better.  Now he can take that fugly kid of his with him." Missy grins, wickedly.

 

"Missy, do you ever think before you open your mouth and that diarrhea of thoughtlessness comes shooting out."

 

"He came to see me yesterday.  Some get rich quick scheme he needed money for."

 

I feel my pulse quicken.  "Dougie came to see you?"

 

"Yes.  We were friends long before you and him got together.  I gave him some money.  Not as much as he was asking for."

 

"Well, now, wasn't that nice of you," I say with a fake smile curling my lips.

 

"When was the last time y'all talked?  He had no idea about that whole mess with Ed Preston.  He said the funniest thing," she laughs and fiddles with her hair.  "He said he'd seen you mad enough to kill someone but he never thought you'd actually do it."

 

"You should hear what he used to say about you."

 

Missy smiles.  It's a slow calculated smile.  It's enough to make the Devil himself wet his pants.  I swear there isn't anything behind those eyes.

 

"Get lost, Rita," she says.

 

Rita doesn't have to be told twice.  She steps away quickly.

 

"Miranda, I would choose my words carefully.  You do not want to piss me off."

 

"What are you gonna do?  Kill me?"

 

"My gracious,  I would never do that.  But I might enjoy watching you lose one person, then another, then another ... am I making myself clear?"

 

"You're a fucking psychopath."

 

"Am I? "

 

"Where is Jason?" I whisper.  "Did he piss you off?"

 

She reaches over and runs one of her fake nails across my forearm.  "What's that damn saying you always say?  Oh, yes, I remember.  It'll all come out in the wash."

 

"Son of a bitch, you killed him.  You really killed him, didn't you?"

 

She straightens up and pulls her purse strap up onto her shoulder. She's tired of playing this game.  Maybe she felt she was slipping into full psycho mode and had to pull it back a notch or two.  She checks her wristwatch and let's out this little gasp. "Oh my gosh, look at the time.  I'll see you around.  Tell Rita I said bye."

 

When she gets to the double doors leading out, she turns to look back at me.  Then she blows me a kiss.

 

There are two things I know.  Missy Toblerone killed her husband, Jason.  And the second thing, she is dying to tell me all about it.

 

 

To be continued ***