Page 29 of Justified Lies

Gabe pushed through his reps, blocking out Dan, and focusing on the burn in his thighs and thoughts of where Lianna fit into his crazy world. The difference now being that he knew she did in fact belong there. He just needed to figure out how.

Chapter Ten

Lianna turned off the water and dropped the bath bomb into the tub. It was finally Friday night. The previous week had passed in a blur with all she had on her plate. The children were with her in-laws and she was finally getting that soak she needed.

After testing the temperature with her toe, she settled herself into the warm bubbles with a sigh. As 90s slow jams serenaded her, she inhaled the spa scented candle on the side of the tub that ironically readexhale. Her head felt heavy as she laid it back against the tub, and closing her eyes this time, she did exhale.

The sound of her phone chiming cut short her solitude. She toyed for only a second with the thought of ignoring the group Facetime request, quickly realizing that the only thing missing from this de-stress session was some good old-fashioned girl talk.

“Ladies,” Lianna said by way of greeting.

“Are you in a bathtub?” Sammie asked in mock disgust.

“Keep the phone on your face, please.” Isabela looked like she was still at the office.

“I lost my modesty when two humans came out of my body, so deal with it,” Lianna teased.

“Ah, sweetie, good for you,” Maisy piped in. “Getting a break from the kiddos?”

“They’re at the grandparents’ for a sleepover. Annie’s birthday is in three days. I still haven’t gotten her gift or finished getting their Halloween costumes. I’m supposed to be running errands, yet here I am, sitting in a tub.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a little procrastination,” Isabela said, her attention on her computer and not the cell phone she had propped up beside it.

“What’s the going gift for a four-year-old these days?” Maisy asked around a sip of wine and Lianna realized that she dropped the ball by not bringing her own glass up to the tub with her.

She laughed. “Well, Annie asked for a dog but is getting a goldfish. I think that’s a pretty good trade off.”

Maisy lowered the phone to her lap, where her King Charles Cavalier Ruby was resting her regal head. “Get the kids a puppy! They are the best, Lianna, really.”

“I can barely take care of the three of us. No way I can deal with another living thing relying on me.”

Although with Justine’s body being found a block from her house, maybe she should get a dog, a guard dog.

“Still getting the hang up calls?” Sammie asked, her face serious.

“No, not at all this week. No more notes or dead animals. I hope I’m not jinxing myself, but things almost seem back to normal. Well, my version of normal anyway.”

“A murder on your street hardly constitutes as normal. I still can’t believe it about that poor lady they found,” Sammie said.

The other two women on the call gasped, not knowing the latest in the Starks case.

“They found her washed up on the shore half a mile from here with a major head laceration.” Lianna explained to the other women. “That part of the beach is very rocky so it’s hard to know if the injuries are from being slammed against the rocks or her attacker. They aren’t releasing all the evidence, but they have reason to believe foul play led to her death. My heart aches for her son. Apparently, she was in a bitter custody battle with her ex. That’s who the cops are zeroing in on as a suspect.” Lianna replied.

“It’s always someone close to the victim,” Maisy tsked.

“Can you imagine? That boy is going to be parentless if it’s actually the dad.” Isabela said.

“Well, the latest gossip is that she was seeing someone.” Lianna said.

“Oh, this is going to be a made for TV movie. Anyone know who the boyfriend is?”

“Not that I’ve heard.”

“Ask your sexy detective.” Isabela said, finally glancing up from her computer.

An image of Gabe rocking against her flashed through Lianna’s mind, replacing the gruesome image of Justine. Lianna’s hand went subconsciously to her neck. The memory of his beard scraping deliciously across her flesh made her skin tingle.

“I haven’t talked to him since last weekend,” she said, omitting a whole lot of details.

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