The Big Steep by Sandra Balzo

Author:Sandra Balzo [Sandra Balzo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2021-09-06T00:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

I showered, dressed and still no sign of Eric, Frank and Mocha. But none of the three were anything approaching early risers, given their druthers. Pavlik had texted he’d be gone most of the day.

My intention was to grab a cup of coffee at Uncommon Grounds and, making sure I didn’t let Sarah slip out the back again, take myself and my to-go cup to Brookhills Manor. As I went to turn left off Poplar Creek Road onto Junction, though, I caught sight of Philip Woodward backing the Land Rover into his driveway.

Now why did my mind immediately go to disposing of a body? None were missing, after all.

Regardless, instead of turning, I continued a block farther and parked on the street. Philip’s Land Rover had stopped just short of where Vivian’s Lexus had gone in the water, liftgate open.

As I walked up the driveway, Philip disappeared around the back of the Land Rover.

‘Morning,’ I called, coming around the SUV to look in the back.

Inside were five six-foot black-and-yellow parking blocks. If your vehicle sits high, like my Escape or Philip’s Land Rover, your tires stop at the block. If the car is low-slung, like Walter’s Porsche or Carmen’s Ferrari, you scrape the hell out of the under body on them.

Either way, though, the automobile doesn’t go up, over and – in this case – into the creek.

Philip was inside the Land Rover, having managed to wrestle one of the parking blocks down to the edge of the vehicle, where it hung cantilevered in space. ‘Sorry, they loaded these for me at the building yard. They’re rubber, so not so much heavy as unwieldy. They don’t slide.’

‘Can I help?’ I said, grasping the end sticking out. ‘If you can push it just a little farther, I can tip it down to the ground and then we can lift it.’

Instead, he hopped out and stripped off his work gloves. ‘I know what you’re thinking. I’m closing the barn door.’

‘After the horse is gone’ was the rest of the expression, but it wasn’t what I was thinking.

I’d noticed the eighteen-inch steel rebar spikes already on the ground and was wondering how long ago he’d bought them. But that was just me.

Philip had tears in his eyes. ‘Vivian told me to do this a month ago. Get the parking blocks and spike them in place. How long would that have taken me? But I was too busy coming up with marketing concepts and stupid ideas for tea infusers. If only … if only …’

‘I’m so sorry, Philip.’ I went to him and he pulled me close, sobbing into my hair.

‘I really did love her,’ he said finally, pulling back. ‘We had our problems, but this was to be our project.’ He waved his hand toward the little shop.

‘The police questioned you.’

His nose was red and running and now he swiped at it with the back of his hand. ‘Yes. I just don’t understand it. I called you, Maggy, the minute I realized Vivian hadn’t come home.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.