A Killer Ending by Karen MacInerney

Author:Karen MacInerney [MacInerney, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gray Whale Press

14

The hum of the espresso machine and the chatter of animated voices mingled with the sound of jazz coming from the speakers as I pulled the door to Sea Beans open.

I'd been in the coffee shop a few times before—I was watching my budget, so didn't spend much on food and drink I hadn't made myself these days, but I’d treated myself a couple of times—and today, as always, I was struck by the cheerful, lively vibe of the place. The front case was filled with luscious pastries, including cinnamon rolls, bagels, muffins like the one Denise had brought over yesterday, croissants, and other carbohydrate-infused delights. A young barista at the old-fashioned espresso machine was pulling two shots of espresso, while another woman closer to my age handled the cash register.

I scanned the little shop, which was filled with a delightful hodgepodge of tables and chairs, including four squishy armchairs in the front corner and a couch and love seat toward the back, and I spotted my target immediately. She was facing away from me, at a small table along the back wall, still wearing her sunglasses even though she was inside and facing away from the windows. The pendant diamond in her ear sparkled as she tilted her head to sip from an espresso cup.

Denise wasn't there. I ordered a drip coffee and paid for it, smiling at the barista, then drifted over to the table next to where the mystery woman sat nursing her espresso.

She was an attractive woman—regal, almost—with dark hair pulled back into a loose bun. She wore jeans that looked tailored (if jeans can be tailored), expensive-looking brown suede pumps, and a red silk blouse, her small waist cinched in by a belt. Her phone, nestled in a silver case, lay face-down on the table; she kept picking it up and checking it, as if waiting for something.

I sat at the table next to hers, sipping my coffee and trying to act nonchalant. She took another sip of her espresso, leaving a russet lipstick print on the white cup. I was about to try to engage her in conversation when there was a buzzing sound from the phone on the table. She grabbed for it, her other hand touching her hair with a nervous gesture as she pressed it to her ear.

"What did you find out?" she asked. A moment later, her chin quivered. "Are you sure?" Silence. "I just... I still just can't believe it," she said, swiping at her eyes beneath the dark sunglasses. More silence. "I know," she said in a low voice. "I should have expected it. He was all talk, but I loved him. I... I'm sorry. I have to go."

She jabbed at the phone with a manicured hand and swiped under her sunglasses.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," I said gently. "But are you okay?"

She turned to me and adjusted her glasses; I noticed thick makeup on the side of her face closest to the wall. "I've had a really bad week," she said.

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