Tangled Secrets: A Gabi Espinosa Mystery (Turner's Crossroads Book 1) by Virginia Kelly

Author:Virginia Kelly [Kelly, Virginia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: RBV Press
Published: 2024-01-16T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-One

That afternoon, Haley and David Kincaid arrived late for our meeting to work on his and Allison’s history project. I couldn’t remember a single time Haley had been late for anything. She looked exhausted. The dark circles beneath her eyes were only the half of it.

Haley always dressed impeccably. The perfect, well-heeled Southern lady to match Ash, her genteel, wealthy Southern husband. Her hair was always flawlessly highlighted to accent what I’d thought was her natural ash blond. Rhonda believed Haley was a mousy brown with a good bit of gray, even though she didn’t do Haley’s hair. Anyway, her roots were showing, proving Rhonda right.

“I’m so sorry we’re late!” With her hand to her chest, she seemed out of breath.

Dorothy nodded a hello but took in every detail. Within the half hour, most of Turner’s Crossroads would know Haley looked awful.

David was his usual quiet self. After his mother’s laborious and rambling explanation of why they were late, something to do with a package at the post office, he seemed to get even quieter, if that were possible.

I’d placed several reference books on a small worktable in my office. Soon Allison and David were flipping through a timeline of American history and scanning a couple of the Great Lives and Great Events series, both American and North American. They tossed around ideas until they narrowed their topic down to Tristan de Luna and his ill-fated Pensacola settlement. I pulled some more Florida reference books, and they googled using David’s laptop.

All the while, Haley fidgeted in her chair and checked her phone.

I showed the kids how to search the college library’s online catalog for books about de Luna. They found two, which we agreed we’d drive over to pick up if their history teacher approved their topic. When they found a book about Florida explorers in our library, they left the office to get it off the shelves.

“I’ll take them to the college library,” I said. Haley had been sitting right there when I’d said this, but she’d been a million miles away, picking at her already chipped nail polish. “They’ll have other sources, too. Many online, which are only available remotely to college students.” Then I remembered. “I found the mystery you wanted. I’ll give you a call when it arrives.”

“Thanks, Gabi, for the book and for helping with the project,” Haley said. “It’s been hectic with Joshua home.”

“Haven’t Florida State’s fall classes started?” Joshua, Ash and Haley’s oldest, who I figured to be twenty-one, had come home at the end of the Spring term to once again work over the summer for his father’s company.

Haley clutched her hands together. “He didn’t go back. He may start at the college in Port Beatrice.”

The way she said it, with eyes downcast, told me she wasn’t happy with his decision. I started to tell her how good I thought the college was when she cut me short.

“He wanted to stay home. He’s working.” She drew in a breath. “Construction.”

Construction would be the last thing Haley would want for her son.

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