One Potion in the Grave by Blake Heather

Author:Blake, Heather [Blake, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Mystery & Detective, General, Fiction
ISBN: 9780451416315
Publisher: Signet
Published: 2014-10-07T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

“I’m sorry,” Gabi said, carefully avoiding the stitches on her face as she swiped at her eyes. “I can’t seem to stop crying on you.”

I put my arm around her and led her into the house, hoping she wouldn’t notice the pigsty that was my living room. Between the mattress on the floor and Katie Sue’s belongings on the table, and the pitchfork leaning against the TV stand, this looked more like a country flophouse than a home. “I won’t melt.”

Marjie poked her head out of the kitchen, gave me a questioning look, then disappeared again.

I led Gabi to the sofa, and went to grab a handful of tissues. Her wedding was tomorrow. It was supposed to be the happiest day of her life . . . If I were in her gym shoes right now, I might be sobbing, too.

Sniffling, she said, “It’s just been so . . . surreal. Like I’m living a bad dream.”

Sitting next to her, I handed her the tissues. “This is definitely nightmare material.”

“When I found out my parents died in that plane crash it was the worst day of my life.” She pressed tissues to her leaking eyes, nose. “This is a close second. I feel like I’m losing everything, but then I think about the poor woman who died and wonder how in the world could I be so selfish? At least I’m alive.” She sniffled again and took a few deep calming breaths.

The poor woman. Katie Sue. My heart ached.

The scent of bacon filled the air, but I’d lost my appetite. I was sure Roly and Poly wouldn’t mind getting my share of breakfast. “Katie Sue—Kathryn—was an old friend of mine. She grew up here in Hitching Post before moving away about ten years ago.”

Confusion flashed across Gabi’s eyes, then sympathy. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know her well at all—we were passing acquaintances at best, but I guess it makes sense now that she was around if this was her hometown. I couldn’t figure out why she was here if it wasn’t for the wedding.”

I still wasn’t sure why Katie Sue had come back. That answer might have gone to the grave with her.

“I wish I could have helped her more,” Gabi said. “Maybe if I’d come across her lying there earlier . . . I tried so hard to get her up that trail.”

“Is that how you broke your arm?”

“Wrist,” she said, eyeing the cast. “I fell backward while trying to pull her up the trail. I broke the fall with my hand.”

“Ouch.”

“And then I fell again, and cut my cheek on a rock. It was . . . terrifying.”

“Why didn’t you just run for help?” I asked. Especially knowing she could run really well.

“I knew I didn’t have time. By the time I made it to a phone, called for help, and that help arrived . . .” Her brow furrowed and she shook her head as though trying to erase bad memories. “When I found her, her pulse was so weak I wasn’t even sure she was still alive at first.

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