Page 49 of Skeletons in the Closet

“Sure.”

“Too spicy?”

“No.”

“Do you want extra jalapenos next time?”

I grunted.

“You’re a shitty conversationalist.”

I glanced up from my food and was met by a smirk.

“I know.”

“We’ll work on it.”

“We’re not partners.”

“Sure, babe. Eat your food.”

Tallus talked the entire time. I surreptitiously stole glances at the man, noting his flashy, teal dress shirt and contrasting purple tie with a wild floral design. If he was colorblind, how did he know how to pair outfits? Tallus was always fashionably dressed. His style was unique but well thought out. Vibrant. Energetic. Nothing about him appeared accidental. I wanted to ask but didn’t know how.

Twice, he caught me staring. His hazel eyes flashed from behind his dark-framed glasses, and I looked away, warmth growing from my belly and radiating up my spine. I had the sickening feeling Tallus could read my mind.

Unfazed, Tallus continued with a steady commentary about the dreary life of a records clerk and the random cases he’dbeen reading. “Oh, Kitty says hi, by the way. You should stop by sometime. She’d love to see you.”

I grunted. It had been a while since I’d seen Ms. Lavender.

Tallus scraped the edges of his bowl, gathering rice into a pile. “She mentioned she was friends with your grandmother.”

I glanced up. “Oh?”

“She said your grandmother has dementia.”

I grunted and nodded, returning to my food. I didn’t want to talk about Nana.

“They used to be part of a knitting group.”

I didn’t respond.

“Kitty was wondering how she was doing.”

I ate, stuffing my mouth too full to talk. How many other things had Ms. Lavender shared? The woman knew far too much about my life, and I squirmed at the prospect of Tallus discovering those truths.

Tallus must have sensed my reticence and changed the subject.

After a time, I glanced at my phone and rolled a hand, urging Tallus to shut up and eat faster. “I want to be at Beth’s early in case she takes off. This is the only connection we’ve discovered and possibly the only chance we have to gather information.”

“So you’re letting me tag along?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“No.” Tallus smirked and ate the rest of his meal in silence.

I instantly regretted my decision to tell him to stop talking. It was electrifying hearing him chatter, but without his voice filling the room, the walls were too close. My skin grew tight. The temperature rose.

I’d fucked up again.

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