Page 48 of Return to You

“I thought that…”

“She thought it was a setup.” Jess came to her rescue. “You know, like when you sent Pete Mulligan on a wild goose chase across the state with Kelly Lindstrom looking for the deed to City Hall. Or when Mrs. Chen told Patricia Jones that Gary Foley was stranded in the cabin up on Foster Hill and then had someone chop down a tree on her property that happened to block the only road down from the property for two days.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mrs. D stood up taller.

“Oh, I can keep going.” Jess took a deep breath.

Mrs. D lifted her hand. “No need. Even if any of that was true, what gave you the idea that this situation was similar?”

Ali was starting to get a sneaking suspicion that it hadn’t been a setup at all. “Well, you called a meeting on a Sunday night.”

“It’s the only night I had free before spring break and I knew that you’d be swamped after the tourists started showing up.”

“But it was at Santino’s.”

“They have the best breadsticks in the state.”

“At seven o’clock.”

“Mason doesn’t start playing until seven. He has the voice of an angel.”

“You told Keaton to look spiffy and me to wear my Sunday best.”

She waved her hand in the air dismissively. “Well, yes. I was afraid you’d show up in those cutoff shorts you’re so fond of, and I didn't want him walking in in his pajamas and embarrassing me. It’s a classy restaurant.”

“His pajamas?” Ali repeated.

“His gi,” Jess interpreted.

“Okay, but you never showed up.” Feeling like she was grasping at straws, Ali continued to lay out her evidence. “You had us meet there, all dressed up, and you never came.”

“Oh… Well, if you must know,” a blush crept up Mrs. D’s cheeks as she leaned forward and whispered, “Mr. Dobrinski got a hold of one of those special blue pills and they last quite a bit longer than we’d anticipated.”

Ali felt her mouth flop open like a bass fish.

Jess didn’t miss a beat, lifting her hand to the woman and giving her a high five she said, “You get yours, Mrs. D.”

“Oh, I did, Miss Myers. I did, indeed.”

“So it really wasn’t a setup?” Ali asked, completely thrown.

“Afraid not, dear.”

Jess lifted her hook and pointed it in an accusatory fashion toward the woman that they all knew was getting hers. Her friend’s eyes narrowed as she tipped Mrs. D off to her undercover work. “Last week I saw you ladies Googling Keaton. And you gave him a code name.”

“We have code names just like you and your girlfriends do.” She shot a knowing look at Ali. “And have you looked at Keaton Savage? He’s easy on the eyes.”

Jess and Ali both sat, speechless. Neither had any more points to bring up. They’d all been decidedly disproven.

“Besides dear, do you really think we’d discuss something of such a sensitive nature in a public place when anyone could overhear?” Mrs. D looked between them with an expression that caused Ali to wonder just how long the range was on her hearing aid. “Miss Walsh, I expect to have some numbers for the summer festivities by our next meeting.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ali agreed.

As soon as Mrs. D was out of hearing distance, Jess breathed, “Holy shit.”

“I guess you didn’t know,” Ali finished.

“Wait, you know what that means?” Jess grabbed Ali’s forearm.

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