Page 27 of Too Old for This
“Yes?”
“I was looking for anyone who might have seen Plum. The parking lot, the terminal, the ticket counter.”
“I can’t remember the last time I was at the airport.”
“It hasn’t changed. The Salem airport is really small. It’s not like Portland or Seattle.”
“So did anyone see her?”
“No.” She pulls out her phone and shows me a photo of Plum. The same one is all over the news. “I showed this to everyone who works there. No one remembers seeing her.”
“So baffling, isn’t it?”
“I showed them another photo as well.”
Kelsie swipes the screen and lays the phone down on the table. The picture of me is from my driver’s license.
—
The closest I ever came to killing a cop was a parking enforcement officer. I’ve never killed a detective. Now I can envision eighteen different ways to do it right here in my kitchen, starting with bashing in Kelsie’s skull with the teapot.
Instead, I squint my eyes at that picture. “I don’t understand.”
“You don’t understand what?”
“Why you were showing my photo around the airport.” No anger in my voice. I keep it all contained inside my body.
“Lottie, I’m sure you understand that we have to look into everything. You were the last person to speak to her. We have to take a closer look.”
“Well, I suppose that makes sense.”
I smile and shrug, like nothing about this bothers me.
On the one hand, it doesn’t. If she had found something, this interview would be taking place at the station instead of at my home. And Kelsie wouldn’t be conducting it alone.
But on the other hand, I don’t know what she knows about me or about my past. I’m afraid to ask without tipping her off.
She does not stick around for a third cup of coffee. I escort her to the door, still using the walker, and again tell her to just let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.
“I will. Thank you, Lottie.”
“Anytime.”
It’s a little painful to watch her walk away. But now is not the time to get stupid.
I peek through the window and scribble down her license plate number. After she drives away, I fold up the walker, take off the glasses, and sit down in my recliner. This is yet another time when I need to sit still.
It’s exactly what she doesn’t want me to do. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have said a word. Kelsie wants me to panic, do something stupid, maybe lead her straight to Plum.
I’m too old for all that. Panic is bad for my heart.
CHAPTER 15
Light filters through the faded curtains, waking me up for lunch. I dozed off in my chair, and now I’m hungry. The coffee mugs from this morning are still on the table, along with the package of cookies.
Kelsie ate damn near half of them.
My phone blinks with a message, and I roll my eyes. This is on me. I should’ve contacted my ex-daughter-in-law earlier, like I promised myself.
