“But who paid?”
“Lord Huntley.”
She sighed.Of course.Just one more thing added onto her bill.
“Is there something wrong?”he asked.
“No.”The last thing she wanted to do was tell him her financial woes.“You said tomorrow?”
“Yes, miss.At noon.”
“Okay.Thank you.I guess I’ll be back.”
He nodded his head and she turned, leaving the very opulent funeral home.At this point, she would have to sell the store in order to pay Lord Huntley back.She doubted he would allow a payment plan.Going back down the steps, she came to a halt when she saw Chester waiting by the car.
“Why are you still here, Chester?”
“I was told to wait for you.”
“Oh, that’s very sweet.”Adalyn looked around, not seeing a taxi.“Do you think you could take me one more place?”
“Of course, Miss Adalyn.”
“May I sit up front with you?I don’t feel comfortable being in the back.”
“You can sit anywhere you’d like.”
She smiled, but when she went to open the passenger door, Chester beat her to the handle and opened it for her.
“Thank you,” she said as she sat down.“Can you take me to Fourth and Cedar?”
“Of course,” Chester said.He sat behind the wheel, started up the car, and took off.
She stared out the window, getting lost in her memories.Selling Marilisa’s dream would break her heart all over again, but what choice did she have?She didn’t have what it took to be a savvy businesswoman, and she knew Marilisa wouldn’t want her to stress too much.Once she had the sale of the store complete and settled all her debts, she needed to deal with Lori.The question was how.Did she just walk up and shoot her sister?Where would she find a gun?Maybe she should stab her.Knives would be cheaper, and they were easier to find, but could she be strong enough to slice and dice?How much pressure did it take to get past the breastbone?
“We’re here, miss.”
Adalyn blinked.She daydreamed the entire car ride into the city?The windows of the store had been boarded up, and seeing its demise hurt her heart.
“Um, yes, thank you,” she said, unclicking the seat belt.“It was nice to meet you, Chester.Perhaps you can let Lionel know that I plan on selling the store to return Lord Huntley’s money.”
He frowned.“I’m supposed to bring you back to the chateau.”
“I think there might be some confusion,” she said.“All of you were so kind to me, and there’s not been much to smile about lately.Lionel.Mrs.Brenda.Amy and Jessie, you.I will never forget your kindness.”
“Are you sure I’m not supposed to bring you back to the chateau?”
“I’m positive.”She patted his arm.“I’m going to assess what’s salvageable in the store.It’ll take me a while.”
“Very well,” Chester said.“You take care now.”
“Thank you.”
With one last smile, she exited the car and then waved him good-bye.Walking around to the back, she intended to use the door but realized she didn’t have the key.So instead, she climbed up on the air conditioning unit to pry open the small window.Not many people could fit through the thing, but since she was ultra skinny, it worked in her favor.Falling onto the stair landing, she shut the window behind her and then headed into the shop.The filtered light through the window grate allowed her to assess the shelves, although she knew nothing else had been disturbed.Still, it was a way to not go around the cashier counter and see the spot where Marilisa had died.
It was like nothing had happened.All the merchandise was still on the shelves.Nothing broken.Nothing disturbed.Finally, she couldn’t put off going to the area she avoided like the plague.Closing her eyes, Adalyn took a deep breath and braced herself as she rounded the counter and saw the pool of dried blood on the floor.As much as she thought she was ready, she really wasn’t.She staggered back, tears welling up in her eyes.When her back hit the wall, she slowly slid down.For a long while, she just cried as she stared at the blood, her heart completely broken.
Eventually, her tears trickled off, leaving her completely drained.She spent the next couple of hours cleaning.Scrubbing the blood off the floor took the most time.It had already gelled and soaked into the tile grout.On hands and knees, with a bucket of warm water and rubber gloves on her hands, she used bleach in order to abrade the cruor.She refilled the bucket three times because the water turned sanguine too much, and the task seemed never-ending.Over and over the bristles scoured the grout, until she realized she was crying.
