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“Don’t think I don’t hear the sarcasm.”
A smile crept across his lips and when she glared at him, he just couldn’t help the little bark of laughter that followed.
Chapter 23
Tara caught up with Elizabeth at the preschool playground where their girls were chasing each other around the equipment in a game of tag that was being supervised by their teachers. The rain had abated and they were enjoying stomping in the shallow puddles as they ran after each other, their laughter filling the air.
“Hey, I was going to call you,” Tara called as she came to where Elizabeth was leaning over the sign-out page to pick up Chloe. “Dave’s out of town, so I wanted to know if you and Chloe want to join Bibi and me at that burger spot down the street from Uncle Vito’s?”
Uncle Vito’s was an Italian restaurant at the end of the strip mall that was close to Elizabeth’s house. The mall also held a Ralph’s grocery store, a coffee shop, a cleaners, and a UPS store along with several businesses that seemed to come and go with the economy. The burger spot was around the corner and down the street.
It was all Elizabeth could do to react normally. Thronson’s comments and insinuations had made her feel almost physically ill, so her first inclination was to decline. But the thought of heading back to the house was equally unattractive. Besides, she didn’t have a clue what she would serve for dinner. And the burger spot was cheap.
“Lots Of Beef,” Elizabeth said, forcing a smile.
Tara snapped her fingers. “That’s what it’s called. I can never remember. I know it’s early, but do you care?”
“Not at all. It’ll be nearly five by the time we get there,” Elizabeth said.
They collected Chloe and Bibi, although it was a bit of a wrangle as neither girl wanted to leave the playground. As they were leaving, Vivian came and picked up Lissa, and Jade got Little Nate, but though they invited them, neither could join them for dinner.
By the time Bibi was ensconced in Tara’s car and Chloe in Elizabeth’s, and they got the girls through their mopey meltdowns as they wanted to ride together and could barely stand it that they had to be separated, it was five. By the time they reached the strip mall where both restaurants were located, it was closing on five thirty and the early dinner crowd was filling up the lot.
Traffic was coming fast off the main street toward Uncle Vito’s and the cars were circling around like a pack of hungry wolves. Elizabeth was lucky enough to find a parking spot, though it was a bit of a hike to Lots Of Beef. Even so, she and Chloe arrived first and grabbed a table, waiting for Tara and Bibi who finally blew in about ten minutes later. In that short interim Elizabeth had gone back inside her head, Thronson’s words running around and around.
I showed a picture of you to the Tres Brisas staff. Two of them identified you as the woman at the hotel . . . I showed a picture of you to the Tres Brisas staff. Two of them identified you as the woman at the hotel....
“Want me to order?” Tara asked, breaking into her reverie. “What do you both want?”
As Chloe declared for chicken strips and a strawberry milkshake and Bibi ordered the same, scooting into the booth beside her friend, Elizabeth looked up at Tara, the words dying on her tongue as she really looked at Tara’s hair in its messy, blond bun, just like she wore hers.
I showed a picture of you to the Tres Brisas staff. Two of them identified you as the woman at the hotel....
“Do they have salads?” Elizabeth asked, pulling herself together.
“Kind of a chicken Caesar,” Tara answered, staring up at the menu, her face in profile.
“That sounds good.” When Elizabeth reached for her purse, Tara waved her away.
“We’ll settle up later,” she told her.
Thronson was just trying to scare you. Maybe you should talk to her after all. Risk her thinking you’re crazy as a loon.
Tara came back with their drinks and then waited at the designated pick-up spot, returning a few moments later with Chloe and Bibi’s chicken strips. “Salads are still coming up,” she said as she’d decided on the same thing as Elizabeth.
It wasn’t me. Lots of people look like me. . . . The woman at the hotel could be totally innocent . . . a complete stranger to Court and Whitney Bellhard . . . She doesn’t have to be the same one as the one on the freeway, if there even was one. What if . . .
Elizabeth’s thoughts shut down. Were overridden. A terrible vision overtook her and she suddenly stood up, nearly knocking over her chair. Tara was just bringing up the rest of their food order and she looked at Elizabeth in surprise.
“I have to go,” Elizabeth told her flatly.
“Go?” Tara looked at her in disbelief. “Go where? What do you mean?”
&nb
sp; “Take care of Chloe. I’ll be back.”
And then she was running. Out of the burger joint and across the parking lot to Uncle Vito’s, racing among the cars, and causing people to stare.
