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“That’s crazy,” Vikki said. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Lexie shook her head. “It’s fine. Everybody else around here knows, what’s one more person?”
“You know,” Annie said with a slyness that wasn’t there before. “I heard he was quietly dating Isabelle Moss.”
Lexie jerked. “What? Who told you that?”
“More like who didn’t tell me.”
It took a second, but the penny eventually dropped. Lexie gave her an admonishing look. “You were listening in on other people’s conversations again.”
Annie showed all her front teeth. Guilty. “I couldn’t help it. I saw his parents coming out of JoJo’s this morning. Super hostile vibes. They were, like, whisper-arguing on the sidewalk, and I swear I heard his mother say the words ‘dead whore,’ and that Kyle was ignoring her calls.”
Lexie frowned. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Doesn’t it? The last time Mrs. Garrett got that riled up was when Kyle was dating you.”
“What, exactly, are you implying?” Lexie asked, unsure why she felt the need to come to his defense. “That Kyle had something to do with what happened to her?”
“I’m not implying anything,” Annie replied, raising her hands. “Just telling you what I heard.”
Rather than talk any more about it, the three women fell into silence.
After a few moments, Vikki asked, “So, has there been any official news?”
Lexie looked to Annie, who shook her head.
Vikki hugged her middle. “I’m so freaked out. Aren’t you guys freaked out?”
“Very,” Annie said without missing a beat. “This whole thing gives me the creeps. I can barely sleep at night.”
Lexie wished she could argue the point, find a silver lining somewhere to lighten the mood, but the truth was, she felt the same way.
“I still can’t believe she’s dead,” Lexie said. “I keep thinking I’ll bump into her down the street.”
“That’s what happens when someone dies,” Vikki said, voice turning absent. “It takes time to feel . . . real.”
Both Lexie and Annie’s heads turned curiously in her direction. Vikki didn’t appear to notice, her eyes glazing over as she entered some faraway time or place. Lexie glanced at Annie, who gave a subtle shrug.
Choosing not to ask about it, Lexie instead said, “Well, you don’t need to worry, because I know, for a fact, that there’s a certain hunky, blond police officer around these parts who would love the opportunity to protect you.”
Vikki’s attention snapped back. “Wha—I don’t know what you’re—Seth and I are just friends.”
“Mm-hmm. Does he know that?”
“You two would make a super cute couple,” Annie teased.
“And you know he’s totally smitten with you.”
Vikki rolled her eyes. “Not gonna happen.”
Annie downed the last of her glass, then scrunched her face. “This wine is starting to leave a bad taste.” Before either of them could answer, she turned and called out to Paul. “Could you bring us the butterscotch schnapps please, babe? Promise we’ll just have one!”
Lexie gave a dubious grunt. “Just one?”
Annie waved a hand in the air. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to regret this tomorrow,” Vikki whined.
