A.L. Jambor - Where's Audrey? (16 page)

“It’s my grandmother,” she said. She touched the phone. “Hello.”

“Hi, Mel,” her mother said. “It’s mom. I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas.”

“I thought you were in California.”

“I was. I came to visit for Christmas. I’m disappointed you’re not here.”

“Oh. Well, Merry Christmas.”

“So you’re in Florida.”

“Yeah. I’m with Lisa.”

“Who is that, your friend?”

“Only since my freshman year in high school.”

“You don’t have to get snippy.”

“Then maybe we should cut this short.”

“God, Mel. Can’t you ever be civil with me?”

“Have a happy new year, Mom. I have company. See ya.”

Mel hung up the phone before her mother could reply. She felt so angry. Her grandmother hadn’t told Mel her mother was coming to New Jersey. She probably thought Mel would be home by now and knew Mel wouldn’t come to her apartment if she knew her mother was there. What a screwed-up family she had.

“That was your mom?” Conner asked.

“Yeah. She’s at my grandmother’s place.”

“What does she do?”

“She’s a hairdresser on some TV show. She lives in California.”

“So you don’t see her very much.”

“Never, in fact. And she doesn’t understand why I have so little respect for her.”

“She is your mom.”

“Tell
her
that.”

Mel felt like finishing the half gallon of rocky road, but her stomach lurched at the thought. Why did people always remind her that a parent deserved respect? Didn’t they have to earn it like everyone else?

“I’m sorry. My mom was never home because she wasn’t interested in me. She left me with my grandmother and never looked back. She sent money, and would show up a couple of times a year, but she was never my mother. So don’t defend her to me, okay?”

“Okay. I didn’t mean anything.”

A feeling of guilt washed over her. She sighed.

“I know. Let’s just forget about her.”

“Tell me about your grandmother.”

“She was the one who raised me. She was good at it, too.”

“Who is Audrey’s sister?”

“My Nana. She lived a few blocks away from where I grew up. I used to see her all the time. She was fun. She’d say outrageous things to shock us.”

“I didn’t have grandparents. My parents were in their forties when I was born. They were in their sixties when I graduated. I’m not sure they liked me leaving Missouri.”

“They get a little clingy when you’re the only kid.”

“Exactly.”

The sky had cleared and the stars were shining. They didn’t talk for a while. They listened to the waves lapping the shore. It was peaceful, and before she knew it, Mel had fallen asleep.

Conner looked over and saw her face in the soft candlelit glow. He sat there a few minutes, then got up, picked her up, and carried her inside to her bed.

“Merry Christmas, Mel,” he said. He kissed her on the forehead and pulled the blanket over her.

He blew out the candle, closed the sliding glass door, and made sure the oven was turned off before he left by the kitchen door. He turned the knob before he went down the stairs to make sure it was locked. Then he went to his car and drove home.

Chapter 23

Mel woke up in her bed the next morning. Her arms and legs were stiff from sunburn, and she winced when she turned over. She got out of bed and went to find the aloe vera.

Lisa was sitting at the kitchen table.

“Merry Christmas,” she said.

“Where did you put the aloe?” Mel asked.

“It’s over here on the counter.”

Mel went to the counter and found the big bottle of aloe vera gel. She squirted a generous portion onto her arms and then sat and put it on her legs. Lastly, she covered her face.

“You look sore,” Lisa said.

“It hurts more today.”

“Keep putting on the aloe.”

“You wanted to go to the movies.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to leave you alone.”

“I’m sorry,” Mel said.

“You didn’t do it on purpose. You’ve had a hard week.”

“Did you buy anything to eat for today?”

“No. But a lot of places are open here. Everyone is on vacation. This is when they make their money.”

“I guess we can order in.”

“We can sit on the porch, before the sun comes around and sets.”

“Did it rain?” Mel asked.

“No. The clouds just went away.”

Mel got up and hobbled to her phone, which was charging on the coffee table. She looked at it and saw that her grandmother Laura had called. She touched the phone and returned her call.

“Merry Christmas, Grandma,” she said when Laura picked up.

“Merry Christmas. Did you listen to my message?”

“No. I just called you back.”

“I’m afraid I have some bad news. Nana Grace passed away late last night.”

“Oh, no,” Mel said. Tears sprung in her eyes. She had never called her back.

“She went in her sleep. It was very peaceful.”

“But she’ll never know about Audrey.”

“Do you know anything yet, dear?”

Shit
, Mel thought. She hadn’t planned on saying anything until she knew, but with Nana gone, she might as well tell her grandmother what she knew.

“The police searched her house and found something.”

“What did they find?”

Mel took in a deep breath. “They found a body under the house. It was buried in the ground.”

“Oh, dear,” Laura said. “Do they know it’s her?”

“The police aren’t sure if it’s Audrey or not. They won’t know for another week.”

“But they assume it is her.”

“Yeah, I think so. They arrested the guy, the one who was living there.”

“They did? That’s good. I mean, who else could it be? If she’s been murdered, that is.”

“I feel so bad. I wanted Nana to know.”

“It’s better she didn’t know. It would have hurt her to think of her sister that way.”

“That’s true. Oh, Grandma. I’m so sorry.”

“I have to make the arrangements for Nana. Are you coming home?”

“I missed my flight and didn’t cancel and rebook, so I’m not sure they’ll let me use that ticket. I still have some money left from Nana to buy another one.”

“I’m calling the funeral director tomorrow. I’ll let you know the details when I do. Otherwise, how are you doing? Linda told me she called you.”

“Yeah. What’s up with that? You didn’t tell me she was coming for Christmas.”

“I was trying to spare you, dear.”

“The conversation was tense.”

“I’m sorry. I wanted you to come home and I knew if you knew she was here, you wouldn’t.”

“You always do this. You’ve got to let me decide for myself if I want to see her or not. You can’t make a happy reunion because you want to.”

“I know, but she’s my daughter. And she does love you.”

“I know. Is she still there? Or did she bug out when she heard Nana had died?”

“She’s here. She’s going to help me with the arrangements.”

“Well, that’s a first.”

“Okay, Mel. I get it. You’re upset. So, what are you doing today? I hope you’re not alone.”

“I’m with Lisa. She wants to go to a movie.”

“Oh, that will be nice. Be careful driving.”

“I will. What are you doing?”

“I’m staying home with Linda.”

“I’m sorry about Nana, Grandma. Let me know about the funeral. Merry Christmas.”

“I will and Merry Christmas to you.”

Mel hung up. Lisa was pouring coffee from the coffeemaker.

“Why did you tell her we were going to the movies?”

“Because if she hears I’m all burned she’ll worry.”

“Didn’t you just yell at her for hiding the truth about your mother?”

“This is different.”

“How is this different?”

“It just is.”

Lisa sat at the table and Mel poured herself a mug of coffee. She sat and was grateful the back of her thighs weren’t burned.

“How did I get so red so fast?” she asked.

“It’s those nasty rays, the ones that come through the clouds. We were out there for two hours.”

“It was that long?”

“Yeah. We went all the way up to that resort and back.”

“I’ll never go outside without sunblock again.”

“I should have said something. I never thought you wouldn’t put it on. This
is
Florida.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Chapter 24

By Tuesday, Mel’s skin felt better. She didn’t have to avoid bumping into things, and she felt like going out. Lisa drove and they went to lunch and movie. Sometime during the show, her grandmother called and left a message. The funeral would be held on Thursday. Mel went online and booked a flight out on Wednesday morning.

As she and Lisa walked out of the theater, Mel looked at her phone.

“I have to call Conner,” Mel said.

“Yeah. What happened to him after I left you two on the porch?”

“I fell asleep and he put me to bed. I’m surprised he didn’t call.”

“Especially after that hot date.”

“The only hot thing about it was my burn.”

“So, call him.”

“I hate to have to tell him I’m leaving.”

“Why?” Lisa asked. She looked at Mel. “You like him.”

“He’s a nice guy.”

“But he lives a thousand miles from you.”

“So what? He’s still a nice guy.”

“But you can’t have a relationship with him.”

“Why not? People have long-distance relationships.”

“People who’ve known each other a long time. Not people who just met a few days ago.”

“I know. But I can dream, can’t I?”

Mel’s phone rang. It was Conner.

“Hi,” she said.

“I got the M.E. to do the autopsy,” he said.

She bit her lower lip. “What did he find out?”

“Can you come down here so we can swab your cheek?”

“That’s right. You want DNA. Yeah, I can come. I’ll be there in a few.”

When she hung up, she told Lisa they had to go to the sheriff’s office. She went online and booked a flight for Wednesday morning. The traffic was lighter, but there were still plenty of tourists in Clearwater Beach. Mel was happy to let Lisa drive.

When they parked, Mel saw Conner’s car and felt her heart jump. She had tried to keep from feeling something for him, but it hadn’t worked. She liked him. She was just glad he wouldn’t be able to see her blush when she saw him.

She went to the window in reception and the woman behind the glass said that Conner was waiting for her. Conner came to the side door and she felt a tingle in her stomach. She followed him to his desk.

“All you have to do it rub this on the inside of your cheek,” he said, handing her a long swab on a stick. She ran it over the inside of her cheek and handed it back to him. He placed it in a plastic tube with a stopper.

“We’ll have them test this against the DNA from the body and we’ll be able to identify her.”

“It’s a woman?” Mel asked.

“Yes. It was a woman. She’d been in there about three months. The M.E. said she died of natural causes.”

“Then why try to hide her like that?”

“He wanted to stay in the home. He wanted her Social Security.”

“Did he finally confess?”

“No, but it’s the most likely reason. He’s been drawing money from her bank account. He had his own debit card. He just took advantage of the situation.”

“Poor Audrey. Oh…my Nana died, too. On Christmas Eve.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“I hadn’t told her yet. I was going to after Christmas.”

“Then I guess you have to go home.”

She nodded. “I leave tomorrow morning.”

“I’m off tomorrow. Can I take you to the airport?”

He looked hopeful. She shook her head. “I have a rental I have to return.”

“I can follow you.”

“Why would you want to do that?” she asked, hoping he would say he couldn’t live without the sight of her face.

“So you won’t be alone.”

“That would be nice. I have to find out the time.”

“Call me later.”

She left him and turned to wave before going through the door. He was watching her. She went out in the parking lot and got into the car.

“Well,” Lisa said.

“He wants to take me to the airport.”

“See!” Lisa cried. “I knew he liked you.”

“You never said that.”

“Well, I did.”

“It doesn’t matter if he does or not. Like you said, we live a thousand miles apart.”

“I know I said that, but you manage a Starbucks. You can live anywhere you want.”

“I can’t leave Grandma.”

“Bring her with you. Don’t old people love Florida?”

“She has a job, Lisa. She has her friends. Can we just go, please?”

Lisa started the car and pulled out of the spot. As they passed the entrance to the sheriff’s office, Mel saw Conner. He had waited so he could wave to her again.

Chapter 25

Mel’s bag was packed and sitting by the front door of the condo. All Mel had to do was say goodbye to Lisa, who was in the shower.

Mel went out onto the porch and looked at the water. The beach was full of tourists, and kids were laughing and running into the small waves of the Gulf. She leaned on the porch rail and let the wind blow her hair. For one minute, she forgot why she had come to Florida and why she had to go home. She felt alive.

She breathed in the salt air and went back into the condo. Lisa was towel-drying her hair.

“I gotta go,” Mel said.

Lisa wrapped the towel around her head and came to Mel. She put her arms around her and squeezed.

“Ow,” Mel said. Lisa loosened her grip.

“I’m gonna miss you,” she said.

“Me, too,” Mel said. She squeezed Lisa back.

When they parted, Lisa looked into Mel’s eyes. “Do you want me to come to the funeral? I can catch a flight tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to do that. You still have a few days here.”

“A few days alone. That’ll be fun.”

“You don’t have to come, but I’m not gonna tell you what to do.”

“I’ll see how I feel tonight when I’m sitting here with a pizza and a sad movie.”

“Oh, stop,” Mel said. “I have to go.”

She went to the door and picked up her purse. Lisa came up behind her and picked up her bag.