Mai Tai Malice by Tanya Westlake

Author:Tanya Westlake [Westlake, Tanya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Impractical Press
Published: 2024-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Kallie grabbed the remote and un-muted the television, where a grainy still frame of Kallie and the strange woman outside the restaurant was plastered on the screen. A moment later, the black and white witness sketch replaced the image – this time stamped dramatically with the word “FOUND” in red letters.

“—have identified the body of the woman who was found in Tampa Bay this afternoon, as the Allbright murder suspect,” the news anchor began, midsentence. “We haven’t received much information, but the sheriff has scheduled a press conference for eight o’clock, and Tampa News Twelve will be there to cover it for you.”

The station cut back to other local news and Kallie muted the television again. “That’s only twenty minutes from now. Do you want to stay and watch it?”

“What kind of crazy question is that?” Tess laughed with a snort. “I’ll fix milkshakes. Mocha ok, Mister B? I’ll have to combine the coffee and chocolate flavors, so there’s enough for three.”

“Mocha is utterly perfect, Tess. I’ll make popcorn,” Kallie’s dad, who had returned from the garage when he heard the television, answered cheerfully. They both walked into the kitchen, Tess heading for the freezer, and Benny taking out a dutch oven and a stick of butter from the refrigerator.

Kallie watched them with an amused grin, baffled by what they’d found online, and trying not to obsess about it until the press conference started. Trying to ignore the unpleasant lurch in her stomach. “But how can she be both—?” Kallie asked, just as Tess started the noisy blender and the frozen mocha concoction spun wildly.

A minute passed and Tess stopped the blender, sticking a spoon into the milkshake to taste it. “What was that, Kal?”

“I was just wondering how this girl could be both—?”

The large pot on the stove suddenly started popping loudly, as Kallie’s dad tended to his part of the late-night snack offering. The smell of melted butter and fresh popcorn filled the house and Kallie gave up.

I guess we’ll find out in a few minutes, anyway, Kallie thought to herself, reaching into the highest shelf of the kitchen cabinet for some extra-large dessert glasses that were rarely used.

“Those are perfect,” Tess shouted over the noise as Kallie next reached for the biggest mixing bowl, on the top shelf of the pantry, for the popcorn.

“This should clear everything up, right?” Kallie shouted, as the metal cookpot cracked and pinged loudly.

“What? Oh, yeah,” Tess replied, and then laughed. “Or confuse it even more.”

“At least the sheriff will finally believe that there was a second victim.”

“Maybe. We’ll see,” Tess replied.

“Oh, it’s starting,” Benny noted, pointing at the television, as the popcorn commotion finally started to dim. “Turn it up, would you?”

Kallie hurried to pick up the remote, as her dad continued rocking the pot, to keep the popcorn from burning. She un-muted the television just as the public affairs officer for the Tampa police was leaving the podium.

“Hey, there’s your friend the sheriff,” Tess teased.

“Good evening,” Sheriff McReed began.

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