Burlington by Heather Dixon

Author:Heather Dixon [Dixon, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rising Action Publishing

Chapter Twenty-Three

Mae was on her knees in the basement, rooting through boxes that hadn’t been unpacked yet. She pushed a piece of hair away from her face when the phone rang. It was Evelyn.

“Can you drop by my place real quick?” Evelyn’s voice was warm, which struck Mae as a little odd after the conversation the other day with Leah.

“Um—” Mae hesitated. On the one hand, she was glad they were going to forget whatever the tension had been previously. On the other, Evan and the envelope of money still weighed on her mind. It could be nothing, or it could be easily explained. In fact, maybe Evan was helping Alice. Or it could be something else.

“I can’t. I’m really busy today.”

“Please? A few of the girls are coming over for coffee. We need you. Be here in ten minutes?”

Drew’s excited face came to mind, and Mae’s lips pressed together into a grimace. Despite her hesitation, Mae agreed and clicked the phone off, placing it down on the floor beside her. Was this how it worked with them? One second you were being warned, and the next you were part of the group again as if nothing had happened? Mae heaved her body up to standing and went to fix her hair. She wanted to know what was going on, but everything would have to wait until after Drew heard about the job.

When she reached Evelyn’s porch, the door swung open. On the other side, Evelyn stood, wearing jogging pants and a fitted t-shirt, with her hair up in a bun on top of her head. She leaned in for a hug, and Mae inhaled a woody and smoky scent, like cedarwood and vetiver oils. The sound of chatting and laughter came from inside the house.

“Come in,” Evelyn said.

Mae followed her into the kitchen. Leah stood at the table with two other women. They were all in regular clothes—joggers with hoodies that were meant to be casual, but they made the casual look effortlessly fashionable.

After accepting a mug of coffee, Mae took a seat, enjoying the warmth on her hands.

“You remember Kelly and Jen, right?” Evelyn said, gesturing at the women across from her. “We were talking about the Fall Harvest Social coming up. Are you volunteering?”

It didn’t feel like a question.

“Sure,” Mae said.

“Great! I’ll put you down for decorations?”

They talked about what this would require, how much they needed new, what they could still use from last year. Leah was cool with Mae, but nothing out of the ordinary. Mae half-listened, wondering why she had been asked to come here.

At one point, Evelyn glanced in Leah’s direction and held her gaze. Leah eventually nodded. “We need to talk about Lisa,” Evelyn said.

Leah shifted in her seat and tucked her smooth hair behind her ear. “She’s been so—different—recently.”

Kelly and Jen murmured and nodded, their shining locks shaking around their faces like curtains in a summer breeze. They frowned as they cradled their cups of coffee.

Lisa? Mae searched her memory for which one was Lisa.

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