Page 9 of Dead Love
Kora’s lips pressed into a thin line. “The point was that I do this on my own. That it’smyplace.”
“Sometimes, compromises have to be made,” Andrew said. “It’ll help with any future loans you might need. It’s simply an idea, Miss Kora.”
“But wouldn’t it be your business, then, if my name isn’t even on it?”
“Which means I’ll take the fall, should you fail,” Andrew said. I wanted to smack the smirk off of his face. “I’m sure we can think of something else if this idea doesn’t work out for you.”
“Andrew!” Shea gasped. “But I thought—”
“I will not force the girl, Miss Shea.” Andrew tipped his invisible hat. “That isn’t how you respect a lady. You have to earn her gratitude.”
My lips curled, a sour taste in my mouth. If Kora had wanted him, I would have stepped in to remind her of her place.
But Kora was too smart for that.
After I ordered my drink, I leaned against the wall. The mother was too busy lecturing the yellow-haired assistant manager to notice the strange man staring at her daughter. Kora hesitated, pushing the hair behind her ears, smiling at Andrew, then turning to her yellow-haired friend, bobbing her head along with the conversation. So obedient. So ready and willing to do whatever Mommy and Daddy wanted, even if it destroyed her.
I wanted to take that desire to please and wring it out of her, making her kneel before me in a way that would kill everything her parents had worked so hard to protect. It was amusing to me, meddling with the perfect family. Kora was a detached fascination for me, like a fly trapped under a pin, waiting to die beneath the glass case. A grin crossed my lips; I had enjoyed observing her like this. Through the glass storefront. From the walls of Nectar Latte. Just inside of her bedroom window while she slept. In the last year, she had started leaving the window open every night, like she couldn’t sleep without fresh air. Like she was waiting for me.
Once I figured out who was behind the Echo deaths, I could exchange my silence for adding a Kora-look-alike to the list of victims, so that no one would notice when she disappeared with me, or if her body turned up later. Not even Coroner Bill, Officer Andrew, or even her father, Sheriff Mike.
Kora’s eyes locked with mine, recognition flashing across her face. Her bottom lip dropped slightly, and her fingertips touched her forehead as if she could still rub the dirt from my kiss off of her skin. I held her in my gaze, ripping each layer of protection from her soul until I imagined she was barely there.
The barista at the end of the counter announced my drink and I lifted my cup in Kora’s direction, giving her a silent toast. She stared at me, her eyes blank.
Oh, my little flower,I thought.Petal by petal, I’ll rip you apart.
I drove to my house. It was behind the funeral home at the bottom of Mount Punica, on a slight hill, so that I could look down through the trees to Quiet Meadows. It had been my uncle’s home; my brother and I were supposed to inherit it. At first, when they were both alive, I had always thought there was something missing from the house, and yet now, literally monitoring the graves by myself, I could forget that emptiness.
As soon as I turned off the engine, three rottweilers barked in a chorus, waiting at the edge of the yard for me to open the car door. Sarah, the big sister of the three, barked at me, dropping a wet red ball at my feet. Bernie jumped up, resting his paws on my chest, and Ulysses circled around the three of us, waiting for his turn. They were rescues. It had been an off chance that I had seen them that day, but now, they had a home too.
“All right, all right,” I said. “We’ll play after dinner.” Bernie and Ulysses started wrestling with each other, grunting in response, waiting for me to jump in. Sarah barked at them, and a few seconds later, the three of them trotted inside, following me into the stone-paved kitchen. I pulled out their food from the fridge, putting it into a saucepan to heat before dumping it into their bowls. The two brothers lapped away hungrily, while Sarah put her head on my knee, waiting for me to stroke her fur, before heading to her own meal.
It was a little early to feed them, but with the Echo deaths, I never knew how late work would run. But while I had a minute to spare, I contemplated my plan: if Shea hadn’t noticed me watching her daughter at Nectar Latte, then it was time. Echo deaths would begin piling up soon, so before then, I would have to get to work.
Perhaps I would stage Kora’s death to add to the list of Echo victims, but not before destroying her with my own hands first.
CHAPTER4
Kora
The next day,Shea crossed her arms over her chest, peering out of the store windows. She fixed the hem of her turquoise dress, then glanced at me, to make sure that my dress was in place too.
“Nyla is usually here by now,” Shea said.
“It was her birthday last night,” I said. “Give her a break.” Shea rolled her eyes. “Maybe she’s getting us coffee.”
“A mocha, I’m sure.”
“Iwas the one who got the order wrong, remember?”
“Uh-huh.” She winked at me. She pulled the orders from the computer, cursing at the machine under her breath, and I went to the back patio, grabbing the sanitized buckets from the storeroom to fill them with water. I watered and trimmed the new shipments, placing them back inside of the cooler, then handled the phone while my mother was working with walk-in customers.
An hour went by. And then another. The sun was high, roasting the asphalt and treetops beneath it. A tension pooled in my stomach. Once the store was empty, I turned to my mother.
“Do you think she’s sick?” I asked.
“What happened to it being her birthday?” Shea said, squeezing my shoulder. “Leave the worrying to me, sweetheart. Nyla’s just enjoying her first hangover.”
