My chest tightened as I started reassessing everything I’d thought about Callie, all my preconceived notions.“I think it means she’s not the black widow I thought she was.”
“So, you don’t think she killed her first husband?”
I shook my head.“No.I don’t think she did.These things in this plastic bag are the only things she cares about out of all her possessions.I don’t think she would have given him up for any reason.Not even winning a show.”
“What about Sebastian?Do you think she killed him?”
That I was less confident about.Maybe she blamed him for what happened to Billy, and she’d been biding her time until she could take her revenge.Frankly, the idea seemed convoluted and unrealistic.
I met Gilly’s gaze.“That remains to be seen.”I gestured to the carry-on.“Put the letters and stuff back how you found them and let’s go see Pippa and see what she could find out.”
Maybe her research could offer insight that the visions weren’t giving.One thing was for sure.In one fell swoop, she’d become someone I pitied.Because of that, I hoped she was innocent.Only time would tell.
ChapterTen
Pippa was waiting for us at High Seas Taqueria, nestled among five or six other small eateries, including Margherita Del Mar, a cozy pizzeria, The Stop, a carving station for the hungriest of carnivores, and a burger joint cleverly named The Burger Joint.The whole area buzzed with the scent of sizzling meat and warm tortillas, making my stomach growl in protest.
“What took you guys so long?”Pippa complained, crossing her arms.“I’ve been sitting here for half an hour.”She raised her brows at us accusingly.“I almost left.”
“I guess it’s a good thing for us you didn’t,” I teased, flashing her a grin.
She scowled at me, but honestly, it was more adorable than intimidating.
“I sincerely apologize,” I said, holding a hand over my heart for extra flair.“But I think you’ll want to hear what I discovered.”
“We,” Gilly cut in with an exaggerated cough.“Wediscovered.”
I nodded, pointing to her.“What she said.”
Pippa leaned back in her chair, unimpressed.“I found out some stuff myself,” she said, voice low and cryptic.“But first, let’s get food.Breakfast is wearing thin, and I’m starving.”
“And this is why we’re friends.”I didn’t need more convincing.In seconds, we were all in line, eyes locked on the taco menu like it held the meaning of life.
“Oh, look,” Pippa exclaimed, pointing past the line.“The table two down from ours.”
I followed her gaze and spotted Carl and Augusta, the sweet retired couple from dinner, waving enthusiastically.
“Aww.It’s Carl and Augusta!”I pressed my hands together over my chest in a heart shape.“I love them so much.”
“Me too,” Pippa agreed with a dreamy sigh.“They’re the best.”
Gilly’s expression soured, her brows pinching together.“Who are they?”
“They’re our tablemates in the main dining room,” Pippa explained.“We met them last night.”
Gilly’s face fell, like she’d missed out on something special.
“Augusta is a retired civil lawyer, and her husband Carl is a retired top-rate pediatric gastroenterology surgeon.”I paused for a moment to make sure I said it correctly.I was pretty sure I had.“I meant to ask Scott if he’d heard of him.Augusta says that surgeons worldwide still call him to consult about their cases.”
“Wow,” she said.“I really miss a lot.Scott would’ve loved to have met him.”
“No worries, Pal.”I gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.“We’ll introduce you after we order,” I promised.“And Scott will get a chance to meet them at dinner one of these nights.”
She perked right back up.
“Maybe we’ll run into Helena and Jasper, the honeymooners,” Pippa said.
“They’re from Kentucky,” I told Gilly.
