Page 107 of Lemon Pound Cake Club

She frowned.

"You sure?"

"I just want to make sure everything is locked up."

She reached over and squeezed my hand.

"You're a good friend."

I smiled at her, just a little.

"I try."

Once the front door closed behind them, I stood alone in the foyer for a moment. The steady ticking of the grandfather clock filled the quiet. A half-burned candle flickered beside a framed wedding photo.

In the photo, Camille and her husband smiled back at me, happy and frozen in time.

I walked into the kitchen. Three lemons sat in the decorative bowl on the island, now rotten. No one had moved them.

I wondered how many mornings Camille had stood here, thinking she was safe. It's strange how quickly life can show you otherwise.

I turned off the lights in the kitchen, then in the dining room and living room. Darkness filled the house, room by room.

At the front door, I picked up the spare key from the bowl by the entryway and locked up. Across the street, my porch light glowed softly as evening faded. I glanced back at Camille's house one last time before closing the door.

Some homes are made to keep memories. Others are made to hide them.

Chapter Eighteen

Maci

The detention center was nothing like Lemon Grove Estates. There were no fresh flowers, no polished hardwood floors, and no scent of lemon candles.

All I saw were gray walls, concrete floors, and locked doors. Every sound echoed, even my footsteps.

I signed the visitor log and sat beneath a flickering television mounted high in the corner.

The correctional officer barely glanced at me. I folded my hands in my lap.

For the first time since I moved into the neighborhood, I wasn’t pretending. There would be no Thursday smiles today.

The heavy steel door buzzed open. Camille walked in, dressed in an orange jumpsuit. For a moment, I barely recognized her.

Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail. She didn’t have on the makeup she always wore. Dark circles ringed her swollen eyes. She looked exhausted.

She sat down across from me and picked up the phone immediately.

"Maci."

I picked mine up.

"You came."

"I told you I would."

A tear escaped before she could stop it.

"They denied my bond."