Key Lime Pie Read Free

”
    Not a living person.
    The tortured look in Eric’s eyes deepened. “I’ve never believed she was alive all this time,” he said. He looked at their joined hands for a moment before dropping hers. “I haven’t wanted her to be alive all this time.”
    Sadie was shocked. “What? Of course you’ve wanted her to be alive. Every parent—”
    “There are worse things than death,” Eric interjected. “And if she’s been alive all this time but unable to contact me or her mother . . .” He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to.
    Sadie felt her stomach drop. Three years was a long time to consider what might have happened. Sadie felt a lump rise in her throat as she glimpsed just a moment of what he’d been dealing with all these years. He held her eyes one more second before looking away. “I’ve got to get home; they need a copy of her dental records. They can’t find them in her file.”
    “The Florida police?”
    Eric nodded, already turning toward the parking lot. Sadie hurried to keep up with him. “Eric,” she said, running a few steps. “Where did they find Meg—uh, her . . . uh . . . the body?”
    “I don’t know,” Eric said.
    He had very long legs, and Sadie was in a full-on jog by the time they reached the parking lot. He pulled the keys from his pocket and headed for his Jeep Cherokee.
    “So you fax the records, and then what?” Sadie asked, still trying to keep up, physically and mentally.
    “I don’t know,” Eric said again. He grabbed the handle of the car door and pulled it open just as Pete called out from behind them.
    “Sadie?”
    “Just a minute,” she threw over her shoulder before turning back to Eric, who had one foot in his Jeep but was looking at her. “I—I don’t know what to say,” she finally admitted.
    “There’s nothing you should say,” Eric replied, no reproach in his voice. “I’m sorry I won’t be able to finish the flowers.”
    “Are you kidding?” she said. She paused again, struggling to find some way to . . . what? Comfort him? Support him? Say the right thing? “Are you going to be okay?”
    “I just hope it’s her,” Eric said, his voice soft and full of regret. “I want to know where my daughter is.”
    Sadie nodded her understanding even though she fully realized that she didn’t understand. How could she?
    A hand settled on her shoulder, and she looked up into Pete’s concerned face. For an instant she thought he was worried about Eric too, then realized he was likely wondering why Sadie was talking to Eric instead of getting ready like she was supposed to be doing.
    She turned to Eric and accepted that there wasn’t anything she could do to help him. They were only friends, but not exactly close friends—despite the almost-kiss. She hadn’t even known his daughter’s name.
    “Good luck,” she finally said, offering him a sympathetic smile. “If there’s some way I can help, please don’t hesitate.”
    “Good luck with what?” Pete asked. “What kind of help?” There was an edge to his voice that Sadie resented, a touch of envy that would have been laughable if not for the circumstances being so serious.
    Eric glanced briefly at Pete, then Sadie. “Thank you,” was all he said before he got into the Jeep and pulled the door shut.
    “What was that all about?” Pete asked as Eric’s engine roared to life.
    Sadie felt an overwhelming annoyance at the fact that while Eric was facing a horrendous discovery full of complex emotions and realizations, Pete seemed to be caught up only in his own jealousy. “He just got a call saying the police may have found his daughter’s body in Florida.”
    Pete was well aware of Eric’s daughter’s disappearance; Eric had told the Garrison police about it at the time of his and Sadie’s arrest. Sadie felt sure that Eric had hoped the information would spark some new interest in his daughter’s case, but as far as Sadie could tell, nothing had come of it.
    “Oh,” Pete