Page 103 of Accidental Murder
Kayla nodded her thanks.
When her townhouse came into view, she balked. She’d asked to be takenhome, meaning to Ashley’s, but now she was too tired to deal with Hanrahan’s error and kept mute. The moment the car reached the curb, Peter clambered out and opened her door. She accepted his hand and steeled herself.
You can do this. Go inside.
She would pick up Java from Ashley’s in a bit, if the cat hadn’t abandoned her altogether.
From the sidewalk, she gazed at the front door. The yellow police tape had been removed. The exterior looked normal. But her life, she knew, would never be normal again.
Peter rested a hand on her arm. “Let me come in. I’ll fix you something to eat.”
“No. Thank you.” Kayla doubted she would be able to look at him without remembering what she’d lost. Ashley. Her twin. Half of her soul. “I need to be alone.” She kissed his cheek. “May your art fill your soul and bring you happiness.”
He winced. She hadn’t meant to hurt him with the sentiment, but she wouldn’t retract the words.
“Call me,” he said.
“Okay,” she murmured, knowing she wouldn’t. She trudged up the stairs, retrieved the spare key beneath the potted plant to the left, and slotted it into the lock. The moment she opened the door, the acrid odors of chemicals and smoke assaulted her. She recoiled and glanced back at the Camry. Hanrahan was pulling away from the curb with Peter in the passenger seat. He was staring out the window, his face etched with sorrow.
Tears stung the corners of Kayla’s eyes as she stepped inside. A chill gripped her. She trudged to the kitchen. The window was open. Struggling to get control of her emotions, she turned in a circle.
Of course she would have to sell the place. She couldn’t live here with the memories. She would put Ashley’s townhouse on the market, as well. Start fresh. With every ounce of reserve, she tried to quash tears but couldn’t. Overwhelming loneliness gripped her. Grieving would take months. Possibly years. But to ward off the inevitable, she would dive into work. Spend more time with Veronica. Maybe even meet with a therapist for more than a few sessions.
A stiff wind gusted through the open window. Kayla went to close it but hesitated when she heard a meow. “Java?”
The cat sailed through the window and into her arms. He nuzzled her chest with his head. Tears of gratitude spilled from her eyes. She had her cat. The other love of her life. She wasn’t alone.
When sleep refused to come, Kayla fetched the Christmas lily Ashley gifted her and went to Mallard Pond.
Moonlight graced the water. The grass, crusted with dew, crunched beneath her feet. A lone duck wakened from its slumber and waddled into the cobalt-colored pool.
In a few days, Kayla would have an official service for Ashley, but tonight, she needed to be alone with her sister. Using her fingers, she dug a hole in the firm cold ground and transferred the lily into it. She pressed her hands against the overturned dirt and whispered, “A lifetime of sorry will never be enough.”
EPILOGUE
On a Saturday afternoon in April,Kayla, with Eve’s support, went to a variety of garage sales where she purchased items for her new townhouse.
Eve, thanks to the exclusive Kayla had given her, had snagged a plum gig as an investigative reporter forThe San Francisco Chronicleand had plenty of free time.Buying spree complete, Eve offered to help Kayla arrange everything, but Kayla declined. She dropped her pal at her place, hugged her, and drove home.
She was pulling a petite café table from the trunk of her Jeep when she realized the stairs to her new townhouse would be impossible to navigate alone. There were twelve steps, not six like before.
“Need a hand?” a woman asked.
Kayla swiveled.
Megan Hanrahan exited her Camry. In the past few months, she’d grown prettier, which Kayla attributed to Megan’s budding relationship with Tom from Vice.
Doggedly, Kayla said, “I can handle it, Megan.”
The first few times Hanrahan had come by Kayla’s previous townhouse, Kayla had felt the inspector’s gaze on her wonderingif she was visiting to make sure Kayla hadn’t offed herself. Now, when the inspector continued to drop by her new place, Kayla conceded she’d made a new friend and called her Megan.
“You sure?” Megan asked.
“Why don’t you get the chairs?”
Megan smiled. “More garage sale bargains?”
“Guilty as charged.” Kayla had already purchased a sofa, coffee table, and bedroom set. She had her eye out for an office desk and knew she would find it in time. She grabbed the café table and lugged it up the stairs.
