Page 130 of Sing with Me

Isobel.

Skye wondered what Diehl would say when he heard his mother call his deceased wife a “random woman.”

“Mom!” Diehl’s voice was sharp and harsh.

Skye nearly dropped her goblet of pure spring water.

“May I remind you that there’s a child in the room?” He pointed to the back of Ethan’s head.

Ethan chuckled. “I’ve heard worse. Mom said someday I’ll know what it all means.”

Diehl’s eyes were as wide as Georgia peaches.

“What did that woman teach your kids?” Rose laughed.

Skye got out of her chair to take the shirt from his hand so that he could sit down and eat. “I’ll be right back.”

Walking down the hallway, she wondered why the Bishops didn’t join the Brooks for lunch. Didn’t they want to be with their biological grandson Ethan?

Strangely though, Diehl’s in-laws kept to themselves in the guest cottage. They hadn’t stepped foot in the Brooks Cottage on Saturday when Skye had been there most of the day.

In the half bath down the hallway from the kitchen, Skye wore Diehl’s cotton T-shirt over her blouse. It was big enough to cover her entire blouse. The sleeves reached her elbows, and the bottom of the T-shirt was halfway down her thigh.

She guessed that Diehl had picked the biggest shirt he had so that it would also cover her white pants. How thoughtful.

His cotton shirt was baby soft and comfortable, what Skye would have napped in. Unfortunately, she had to stay awake until she reached Miami Beach tonight. Her flight from Brunswick Golden Isles Airport to Atlanta was only one hour long. From Atlanta to Miami, she’d be in the airplane for under two hours. However, extra time was needed for check-in and waiting at the gate. She figured that by the time she and her brother checked into their hotel, it would be past midnight.

She washed her hands and prayed for Elisa. Where had the middle schooler gone to? Had she run away? Had she been abducted?

Ironically, because of the girl, Skye found herself spending more time with Diehl, at his request. Even this afternoon, he wanted her to have lunch and talk with him afterwards.

Skye was about to go out of the bathroom when she heard noises—voices—outside the bathroom window, which meant they were in the courtyard behind the kitchen. She could barely make out whose voices they belonged to, but she guessed that they were male.

“…gone too far,” one voice said.

“Told you so,” another voice added.

Skye wasn’t sure who they were. Inside the bathroom, she could not identify the voices.

It could be a benign conversation. However, they continued.

“…get on the bus.”

“…won’t end well…”

She couldn’t hear anymore.

Quietly, she unlocked the bathroom. The hallway was empty. She walked slowly, quietly past the kitchen. She heard the back door open. Feet shuffled into the hallway. Then the sound of pots and pans.

She had to see who they were.

Skye turned around and walked back to the kitchen.

Sous Chef Hans put away a box of cigarettes into his apron pocket. “I smoked outside.”

Skye shrugged. “I’m looking for more melted butter for the crab legs. Do you have any left?”

Hans looked for it. “Chef Pierre left it somewhere… There. How much do you want?”

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