She could picture herself and Alec continuing to hang out a couple of times a week as summer moved along, maybe going to the beach on a Saturday afternoon. Her taking him cookies at whatever job site he was working at.
Maybe, just maybe.
She came home from work to learn that Louise was planning a game afternoon the following day for her gang, which had grown to include Gilda.
Cooking was not in Gilda’s job description. Neither was running errands, so that left the grocery run to Zona, who found herself wishing her mother had texted her at work rather than waiting until she got home, ready to eat leftover spaghetti before turning into a HopIn driver for the evening.
“I don’t suppose you’d make your black bean brownies, would you?” Louise asked as she handed over her debit card.
“No problem,” said Zona. When you were living rent free with your mother, you pitched in whenever and wherever needed. And she was happy to. She’d work a longer shift the next night.
So, off she went, to get the needed ingredients. She didn’t notice until she pulled into the parking lot of Vons and saw the familiar car pull in after her that she’d been followed. Okay, it was a coincidence, right? Angela had no reason to follow her.
A feeling of unease crept over her, but she shrugged it off. Maybe the woman was staying nearby somewhere and, like Zona, was doing a quick grocery run.
Was there really such a thing as coincidence?
The PT Cruiser drove through the parking lot and exitedback onto the street. Zona frowned. What was that all about? Was Alec’s stepsister trying to rattle Zona? If so, why?
Forget about it, she told herself and went into the store.
But ten minutes later she was inspecting avocados when someone ran into her grocery cart, pushing into her hip. What the heck?
There stood Angela, behind an empty cart, wearing a smile that looked downright sinister.
Chapter25
THE WOMAN DIDN’T WASTE TIME ONan excuse me or hello. “You need to know something about my brother.”
Okay, this was weird. Zona braced herself for whatever Angela was about to share. “What do I need to know?”
“He’s not as nice as he seems.”
Zona raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“He’s really good at pretending to care, but he doesn’t. He’s cruel and violent.” She said it so vehemently. Had Alec lied about how he’d treated his stepsister? No, he couldn’t have.
“Did he hit you?” Zona asked.
You’re hurting me.Angela’s words returned and blazed across her mind in giant neon letters. Someone was lying. The possibility that it was Alec made bile rise in Zona’s throat.
No, it wasn’t possible. He’d told her so much about his family. He couldn’t have been lying.
Angela lowered her gaze. Her lower lip began to tremble. “I can’t talk about it,” she whispered.
Zona struggled to match the Alec James she was coming to know with the picture Angela was painting. “If he was so awful to you, why did you keep coming back?”
“I had no place else to go.”
And yet she’d found someplace after Alec had turned her out. And why was she still driving by his house?
“He’s the only family I’ve got. I need him.”
Zona frowned. Here was a true false note. “I hear you have a sister in Montana.”
Angela shook her head, looked sorrowful. “I can’t talk about my sister. She’s sick. She’s under, uh, care.”
Alec hadn’t mentioned anything about Ariel being in need of medical supervision. In fact, he’d said she was doing fine.
