Xo

be suspicious if she was too nice. She looked at him now sternly.
    “Oh, that. Sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. I was worried.”
    “Worried?”
    “About Ritchie.”
    “Who’s that?”
    “Ritchie Hampton, the guy your father was going to send to pick up Suellyn and Mary-Gordon. You don’t know about his record?”
    Record? What was he talking about? “Well … no.”
    “Okay, what happened was, I was in a café. Your father and Sheri happened to be there—”
    “Happened?” Kayleigh asked suspiciously.
    The smile seemed to deepen slightly. “Okay, I’ll admit. I followed them there. I thought they were going to meet you for breakfast. It’s been hard to park out in front of your house. I keep getting hassled by the deputies.”
    Well, yeah. He was actually complaining, as if he honestly didn’t get it that somebody might object to his spying? Still, her role required her to say nothing, but just nod sympathetically.
    Edwin examined the coffee percolator. Lifted the lid, with a glass dome in the center, and replaced it. “I heard Bishop call Ritchie and ask him to pick up Suellyn and Mary-Gordon. I know your father doesn’t drive anymore, but Sheri could’ve driven him to pick them up. Why couldn’t her grandfather come to pick up that little girl?”
    Kayleigh’s very thought at the time. Bishop, though, had been too busy with Congressman Davis.
    “But anyway, he asked Ritchie. You know, Ritchie’s had three speeding tickets and one reckless in the last year. License’s been suspended a couple of times. And even your father doesn’t know he was pulled over at a DUI roadblock. He was let go but he’d been drinking.”
    Kayleigh stared. How on earth does he know these things?
    “Your father was going to have your sister and that precious littleniece of yours in the hands of a man who drives that badly? I’m sorry. I couldn’t let that go by. And if I’d come to you or to him and said anything, you’d’ve called the cops, right? And ignored me. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to the people most important to you in the world. I even used my middle name, in case the lawyers or your father had told them to look out for somebody named Edwin.”
    Lawyers or father. But not me. He was truly delusional.
    “You know, you really come on too strong. Don’t you see that?”
    “I guess I get a little carried away.” Was his smile genuine or a leer? She couldn’t tell. Despite the dry heat, Kayleigh Towne shivered. He added, “You’ll feel more comfortable when you get to know me.” Another look at her hair. “I like you alone.”
    “What?”
    “I mean, instead of at the Cowboy Saloon. All those other people around. Wasn’t natural, you know.”
    No, she didn’t know.
    “Well,” Kayleigh said uncertainly.
    He grew somber. “I’m really sorry about Bobby. I know you guys were close. You went out, right?”
    What an actor he was! Sorry? You killed him!
    And then she reflected, Wait, how does he know Bobby and I were close?
    “Yeah, thanks. He was a good friend.”
    “Friend. Yeah.”
    “It’s pretty tough.”
    “Oh, it’s gotta be.” His face screwed up like a funeral director’s. “I feel so bad for you.”
    “And all his other friends and family,” Kayleigh reminded, trying to keep an edge from her voice.
    “Sure. Do the police have any leads?”
    You prick.
    Pull out the gun and blow the motherfucker away. Put the knife in his hand later.
    But, no. Be smart.
    “I don’t think so.”
    “You want to get that iced tea?” he asked. “Your fave?”
    She said, “I really can’t. I better get back.”
    “I love you, Kayleigh.” He said this casually as if he were saying the earth is round, or the dollar is U.S. currency.
    “Well—”
    “It’s okay. I know the situation. I’m amazed they let you out on the town by yourself.”
    “They?”
    “You know who I mean. Everybody … from the song. Everyone wants a piece of your soul.” He was exhaling hard, shaking his head, “I worry about you so much.”
    Insane. Pathetic and completely insane.
    Now! If you wait any longer you won’t be able to do it.
    “Hey, let me give you something.”
    “You have something for me?” he asked, surprised.
    She stepped forward, smiling, convinced that as she got close she’d be overwhelmed by a repulsive smell but all she could detect was faint deodorant or aftershave. Was it what her father used? Okay. That’s weird.
    Kayleigh reached into her jacket and,