Key Lime Killer Read online

  “Really?” Mary asked. “What do you think about that?”

  “I’m not sure,” Cindy said. “He’s going to be in prison for a while. I don’t know what he’s going to be like when he gets out, and frankly, I didn’t like who he was when he went in. Who leaves their own daughter when she needs him the most?”

  “My ex-husband,” Mary said bitterly. “You and I are kindred spirits.”

  “I’m sorry, I should watch what I say. Did he really leave you and Lilly all because of her pregnancy?” Cindy asked.

  “Some men just can’t handle trauma,” Mary said. “He stuck around for a little bit but only up until she started to really show in her pregnancy. Then he started coming home late. He started acting really cold toward Lilly. Things finally blew up one night just a month or so before Tripp was born. He called her a slut, and I lost it. Lilly did too. She actually chunked one of my high heels at his head. I honestly wish she had hit him. He was in and out a lot after that, but eventually he just disappeared. Divorce papers arrived in the mail, and I didn’t hesitate to sign them and move on. He didn’t ask for anything. He had slowly moved himself out over a few months and didn’t come back for anything after the papers came in.”

  “Wait, has he ever even met Tripp?”

  “Nope,” Mary said grumbling. “He’s never seen him or so much as even called me to ask for a picture. When he dipped out, he was gone and never looked back.”

  “You sure have had it rough, haven’t you?” Cindy asked.

  “I’d say,” Mary said, but she smiled. “Though things have been looking up a lot lately. My life in LA is behind me, and now, frankly, I just wish I knew where Lilly was.”

  “How do you do it?” Cindy questioned. “I mean how do you have peace not knowing what happened to your own daughter?”

  “I don’t know,” Mary said. “I think about her every day. Tripp looks just like her too which makes my mind think about her even more. No doubt it makes things a lot harder. My husband leaving me, my daughter getting hooked on drugs and disappearing on me, and then Tripp losing his father. It’s enough to make a woman crazy, but you’ve got to have faith. My faith is really what helps and hope, well, without hope, I don’t know what I’d do.”

  Cindy smiled. “Speaking of faith, what do you think of the new church?”

  Mary grinned, glad for the swift change in conversation. “I actually love it.” The two women had started hunting together for a new church home. They were hoping to find a place that was more easily accessible for Hannah. Mary also wanted to get Hannah and Tripp both involved in the same youth group, so the two families had been church hopping for the past few weekends. “I like the small church atmosphere, but I like that the church out in Woolsey has an actual youth group.”

  “Yeah, and, you know it also has a functioning ramp. The one in Brooks has a ramp, but it was just so hard to get Hannah up it. I was afraid I was going to push her over the edge because of how small it is,” Cindy said just as their food arrived. “Yum,” she said. “Speaking of church and such, I think we should probably bless the food?”

  Mary smiled. This was another reason she loved Georgia so much. It was rather rare to see someone praying publicly in LA, and it wasn’t that there are not plenty of Christians out that way, it was just not as common of a practice. She and Cindy prayed and blessed the food, and when Mary looked up again, she smiled at Cindy. “This smells so good,” Mary said. “I have got to say one thing I really enjoy about being here in Georgia is the food. Southerners understand my dietary preferences.”

  “You mean deep fried everything and a surplus of sugar?” Cindy laughingly asked.

  “Exactly,” Mary said as they now both laughed. “So, Tripp has been working really hard at the shop. I haven’t given him a first official paycheck yet. I’m trying to think of how much I should pay him. What do you think?”

  “Minimum wage,” Cindy said. “He’s fourteen.”

  “Almost fifteen,” Mary said. “But, you’re right. Although, if I’m just going to be paying him minimum wage, I should make sure I don’t miss any hours he works for the shop. He’s doing a lot more work for me than he would at a starter job where most kids his age would be working. I expect a lot more from him than I would if I hired some kid off the street. Maybe I should get a time clock so that he can officially clock in and out?”

  “I bet there’s an app for that you could download to your register. You use one of those fancy tablets for your register, right?” Cindy asked as she cut up her steak.

  “Yeah, we do,” Mary said. “I hadn’t thought about that. I’ll look into it.”

  “Have you and Tripp been working on that car by the way?” Cindy asked.

  Mary laughed, recalling the ugly, broken down Volkswagen beetle that had been found on their property after they had moved into the house. The old homeowners had told them they could have it, and Mary had promised Tripp that if he could get it running, he could have it when he turned sixteen. Thus far, all they had done was empty out some of the junk and grime that had been left inside of it. “No, not really,” Mary said. “He’s really excited about it though.”

  “I wonder if Preston would want to help him work on it some?” Cindy suggested. “He knows a little bit about cars. Besides, if you two are going to keep dating, then it might be a good way for them to bond.”

  “He must be thinking the same way, actually,” Mary said, smiling. “Preston wants to take Tripp fishing one day this week.”

  “That is too sweet,” Cindy said, grinning. “You know, Preston’s dad taught him how to fish. That’s really special. Is he taking him to Lake Horton?”

  “Yes, actually,” Mary answered. “How did you know that?”

  “That’s where Preston’s dad and grandfather used to go with him when he was a kid,” Cindy said. “That is just too sweet.”

  Mary smiled. “He didn’t tell me all that.”

  “You really like him, don’t you?” Cindy asked.

  “I do, actually,” Mary admitted. “It’s just that I feel like I’m too old for all of this Cindy.”

  “You are not that old,” Cindy said.

  “Gee, thanks,” Mary said. “I really am. I’m fifty-two years old. I now find myself raising my grandson, and I am just really not sure about it all. I want to see where it goes, and now I feel so out of practice with this whole dating thing. I’m worried I might be biting off more than I can chew.”

  “Bite away, darling,” Cindy said with a wink. “Preston is one of those men who is going to continue to age very well. Give it five more years, and those patches of gray are going to spread and he’ll be an outright silver fox.”

  Mary laughed. “I could use one of those.”

  “Everyone could use one of those,” Cindy said smiling as she took a bite of steak.

  Mary shook her head thinking about how glad she was that she had found a friend in this younger woman.

  Chapter Three

  Another day at Lily Pad Sweets came to a close, and as it was the end of the work week, Mary determined they needed to head out to Peachtree City to deposit the overwhelming amount of cash that they were keeping at the shop. She and Tripp worked on closing the place up by sweeping, cleaning, and doing other various chores they had on their long list of closing duties. “Should we drop Sweet Feet off by the house before driving all the way to Peachtree City?” he asked.

  “Probably a good idea,” Mary agreed. Then they loaded up into her car, while letting Tripp allow their beloved polydactyl cat inside first before they made the journey.

  Tripp plopped down into the passenger’s seat, letting out a loud, exaggerated sigh. “I can’t believe we live in such a small town that we literally have to go to the next city over just to find a bank.”

  Mary laughed. “You act like we are going to be in the car all afternoon or something. I know the distance is pretty far, but the traffic is nothing like LA. It’s going to amount to about the same amount of time than if you ha
d to drive from one end of the block to the other in LA.”

  “I guess,” Tripp said. “So, you and Preston got your date night tonight, right?”

  “That’s right,” Mary said. “Why?”

  “I was just wondering,” he said. “You really like that guy, huh?”

  Mary smiled. “I do,” she said. “It has been a long time since I’ve dated though. I suppose I haven’t really dated since your grandfather.”

  “That’s really sad,” Tripp said in a way that at first Mary thought he was mocking her, but she realized he was being quite serious after catching a glimpse of his expression.

  “It’s really not for me,” Mary said.

  “No, it REALLY kind of is,” Tripp said. “I mean, he left you and Mom, right? And you probably didn’t date any after that because you were worried about taking care of her and, well, me. Then Dad takes me away, and you still are dealing with Mom’s drug problems. When was the last time you saw her?”

  Mary sighed. “I guess a couple of years ago,” she said. “She packed up her bags being upset about the latest recommendation I had for rehabilitation, and she stormed out. She didn’t have a phone or anything because I had taken it from her, so she couldn’t contact her dealer. I went into the place she had gotten a job at, a fast food place, and they told me she had quit. I think I spent the better part of a year just looking for her.”

  “I don’t think any of that’s fair,” Tripp said as Mary pulled down Highway 74 towards Peachtree City. “You’ve spent the last fourteen years worrying about everyone else except yourself.”

  Mary smiled at him. “I appreciate the sentiment Tripp. I guess that’s just what happens when you become a mom.”

  “Not a dad though,” Tripp said. “At least, that’s not the way it was with your husband or Hannah’s father.”

  “It seems your dad was the exception,” Mary said. “Although I probably shouldn’t say that. I do think there are plenty of men who are sincerely kind-hearted and would step up if their children needed them. Cindy and I have just had unfortunate finds with men.”

  “I think Preston’s different. He kind of reminds me of my dad a little,” Tripp admitted, and he grew quiet. It was still rather hard for him to talk about his father. His death was still a fresh wound to them both.

  “I’m glad you think so,” Mary said. “Your father was a good man. With great confidence, I can say that Lilly choosing your dad was the one thing she did right. She had herself a keeper. I just wish she hadn’t scared him off with her drug use and poor choices.”

  “Maybe she’ll come around one day,” Tripp said, and Mary raised a brow. Tripp had never mentioned any indication of wanting to ever see or get to know his mother. In fact, he usually seemed to loathe the mere mention of the woman’s name.

  “Maybe,” Mary said. Then slightly prodding, she asked, “Would you like that if she did?”

  “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I feel like I would have a lot to say to her. I mean, I get that she was just a kid when everything happened, but that excuse can only last for so long you know? She’s got to be, what, almost thirty now?”

  “Twenty-eight, almost twenty-nine,” Mary said timidly. “And, you’re right. She’s never going to get better if she doesn’t choose to do it herself. Every day, I pray that one day I’ll get a phone call, an email, or something from her telling me that everything is okay. I always have a nervous, terrified feeling that I will be contacted, and the information about Lilly will be bad. She may have gotten herself into something terrible for all I know. I just really want to know that she is okay.

  “I’m sorry, Grandma,” Tripp said, seeming to notice that he had hit a rather sensitive topic with her. “I know I’ve been kind of a jerk when it comes to talking about my mom. Sometimes I just forget that she’s your daughter.”

  Mary again smiled. “It’s all right, Tripp. You know, I honestly enjoy talking about her. If you ever have any questions about your mom, I’d love to tell you all about her. I know she’s a sensitive topic for you as well. She left you, and I’m not oblivious to how that must make you feel. However, that doesn’t change that she’s my daughter. I’ll always love her, no matter what.”

  “Yeah, I know,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about her some lately. I guess it’s that picture of us. You know the one of me, Mom, and Dad that we hung up in the shop.”

  Mary smiled when she thought of the kind gesture that Tripp had done for her by purchasing a frame for that particular photo. It was sympathetic enough that he had finally gotten over the fact that she had elected to name the shop after her daughter, but to buy a frame for the picture that would hang in the shop had really touched Mary’s heart. It was a very personal touch. “Yeah, me too,” she said.

  “I guess I am curious about what she was like,” Tripp said as they pulled up to the bank.

  Mary parked in a front spot, but she didn’t get out of the car and neither did Tripp. “She was a hoot when she was younger,” Mary smiled as she thought back on Lilly as a child. “She was a really athletic kid and involved in school. For a long time, she wanted to be a gymnast. She about lost her mind with excitement when she found out that the high school she was going to attend, had a gymnastics team. However, it was right around that time when she met your dad Aaron.”

  “Oh,” Tripp said, his cheeks turning a bit red. “She couldn’t do gymnastics anymore because she was pregnant with me?”

  Mary smiled. “She was so excited about you, Tripp. I remember going nursery shopping with her. She was just so thrilled. Your dad too. They were scared out of their minds, but they were really excited. Her father, your grandfather, was hard on them both from the get-go. He was livid about the whole thing, and I understood why he was upset. You know, they were both so young, but he took it too far. A part of me was glad when he left. It certainly made things easier for a while, but it got to be a little much for your mom. Her dad leaving really affected her. She thought it was her fault. Aaron, your dad, bless him. He was so good to your mom and so supportive. It was when the drugs came into play, and he had to protect you.”

  “I know,” Tripp said. “Dad didn’t like to talk too much about Mom to me. I mean, he wasn’t trying to hide anything. You know, I could tell it made him sad.”

  “I wish this bank had a drive-up ATM,” Mary said as they had grown rather quiet.

  “Yeah,” Tripp said looking around.

  The two of them finally hastened themselves from the car and headed up to the ATM stationed just outside the building. When Mary inserted her card, it spit the card right back out. “Well excuse me!” she exclaimed, and Tripp smirked. She tried again, but once again her card was spit out. “Seriously?” she questioned.

  “Looks like this ATM is busted,” Tripp said, and as if to confirm his statement, the screen started to flicker.

  Mary sighed heavily, not liking the idea of having to go stand in line for a teller, but they had made the journey now. She had even closed her shop down early just in case, and she was not about to make that a wasted choice. The two of them headed inside the small bank and stood in the back of the line behind a woman in a tight pencil skirt with her hair done up in a bun. She looked somehow familiar to Mary, and when the woman caught a glimpse of Mary and Tripp she turned around and smiled. “I’ve seen you two around town,” she said. “You own the new sweets shop, right? You’re brave putting that thing in the middle of Brooks. I should know. I grew up there and used to run the hair salon across the street before I moved out to Newnan. I’m opening up a new shop in Newnan soon, but I’m still working at the salon in Brooks most days. The new woman who took over is doing a great job though. I’ll be out of her hair before too long.” The lady laughed at her own joke.

  Mary smiled. “I thought I recognized you. I’m Mary, and this is my grandson, Tripp.”

  “Josephine Smit,” she said. “I saw you planting some flowers in your shop windows. I should have stopped by to check out the shop.”

&nb
sp; “You should have,” Tripp said with a smirk.

  “You’ve got yourself a little cheerleader, huh?” Josephine asked.

  “He’s my official marketing rep,” Mary said with a laugh.

  The long line moved up slightly, but they continued having casual conversation with Josephine about the shop in Brooks, and near the end of the conversation Josephine seemed adamant to visit. Eventually the line dwindled, and only Josephine stood in front of them, and she scurried over to the only teller currently working behind the counter. The others had trickled off to work on getting the place closed up now that the line had dwindled down a bit. “Afternoon, Ms. Josephine,” the young teller said in a familiar sort of way.

  “Hey, Eddie,” Josephine said placing her purse on the counter. “I haven’t seen you in my salon in a while.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been buzzing my hair myself these days,” he said as he worked out her transaction.

  “Well, that’s better than you telling me you’ve started to go to a barber or some nonsense,” Josephine said with a laugh.

  “Eh,” he said. “Maybe, but it sure would be cheaper.” Josephine laughed just as the door opened. Eddie grumbled. “I meant to lock that.”

  But before Eddie could finish with what he had to say about getting bank customers in after closing time, he made a startled jump. Mary turned her head just in time to see three masked individuals had entered into the building. There were two men and a woman, and they all had guns. “Nobody moves!” the first man’s voice roared.

  Mary grabbed Tripp and pulled him closer to her.

  “On the ground!” the woman shouted, and she shot her gun up at a light fixture.

  You have got to be kidding me, Mary thought as she, Tripp, and Josephine were shoved up against a far wall and told to sit down. Eddie and a second teller were forced to sit with them while the third victim, a woman who looked like she was going to vomit due to fear, was forced behind the counter to get them their money. Mary thought it was going to all be over rather quickly when one of the robbers, the smaller man watching the door, groaned loudly. “Cops! That’s faster than we expected! Dang it, now they’ve got us cornered in here!”