Death by Lime: A Key West Culinary Cozy - Book 5 by Summer Prescott

sitting down at her mother’s kitchen table to strategize.
    “Right, and I’ll stay here and keep watch on Tim’s cottage,” Marilyn said, easing her fork into a piece of Key Lime pie.
    “How are you going to manage that without him knowing?” her daughter asked.
    “I’ll go through my typical evening routine. I’ll have dinner, clean up the dishes, and curl up in a lounger on the back patio with a book, pretending to read. Then, when the sun goes down, I’ll head upstairs for a bath, like I always do. I’ll turn on the bathroom light, run the water, and when it’s time to “get in,” I’ll duck below the level of the window, sneak down the stairs, and go out on the back patio under the cover of darkness. I’ll set up behind the stand of trees between the houses where I can see, but not be seen, and watch from there. From that vantage point, I’ll be able to see if he comes out of his front door or his garage,” she detailed the plan.
    “What if he leaves from the back door?” Tiara inquired.
    “I’ll know, because his yard is fenced in the back and on the other side. The only way he’d be able to slip out, would be to cut through the tree line where I’ll be sitting, so no matter which way he tries to leave, I’ll see him,” Marilyn assured her daughter.
    “But what are you going to do if he does leave?”
    “He doesn’t have a car, so I’ll follow him on foot, staying far enough back that he won’t see or hear me,” she explained.
    “That sounds risky,” Tiara worried.
    “Don’t worry, I’ll be very careful. Besides, if it comes down to a confrontation, I have my mace, and your yoga classes assure me that I’m much more athletic than my pie-loving neighbor,” she said, hoping for a smile. It worked.
    “I don’t know why I bother even raising concerns,” her daughter said wryly. “Once you’ve made up your mind to do something, you’re not going to let anyone stand in your way,” she shook her head, but smiled at her mother with admiration. “And the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Let’s do this.”
     

Chapter 14
    Kelcie sat on the couch with a dull headache, flipping channels and feeling sorry for herself. Marilyn and Tiara had other plans for the evening, which left her to return alone to the house in which she’d been assaulted by Thomas. Her stomach growled, letting her know that she should eat something, but she just couldn’t find the will to get up and fix something, or to even grab her phone and order takeout. Thinking of food made her think of Sam, the delivery guy who had called the police for her, just in the nick of time. She wanted to thank him, but hadn’t had a chance yet. As if on cue, her doorbell rang.
    Kelcie sat petrified, wondering what to do. The thought of a stranger at the door scared her to death, but, even worse, what if Thomas had somehow gotten out of jail and had come back to finish what he’d started. Her heart raced and her hands shook as she sat, paralyzed, wondering what to do, and wanting nothing more than to hide in a closet somewhere until whoever it was went away.
    “Kelcie?” she heard a faint, familiar voice say through the door. “Kelcie, are you okay?”
    It was Sam. She nearly fainted with relief. “Hang on a second,” she called out, walking quickly toward the door.
    “Hi,” he said when she opened it. “I just wanted to come by and make sure that you’re okay,” he explained. “I thought you might be hungry, so…” he held up a pizza box and a 2-liter of soda.
    Kelcie laughed with relief. “Thank you, Sam. You really didn’t have to,” she said, taking the pizza from him.
    “Of course I didn’t have to…I wanted to,” he smiled shyly. “So, I’m glad you’re feeling better…enjoy,” he said, turning to go.
    “Hey, wait,” Kelcie put a hand on his arm to stop him. “Do you want to come in and have a slice with me? It’s kind of boring and sad to eat alone all the time,” she shrugged. “We