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

say!” she exclaimed.
    Tim shrugged. “Death isn’t horrible…it just…happens,” he said with finality.
    Chills ran up and down Marilyn’s spine as she realized that she very well might be in the company of a cold-blooded killer.
     

Chapter 15
    Tiara felt like a voyeur, watching Kelcie’s date with Sam progress through the gauzy curtains at the window that formed the only barrier between her and her friend’s apartment. She was still in the car, and still looking through binoculars, but feeling worse about it by the minute.
    **
    “That was a really funny movie,” Sam observed, still chuckling at the comedy that they had just watched while eating their pizza and polishing off the bottle of soda.
    “Yes it was,” Kelcie nodded happily. “It was just what I needed to take my mind off of everything that’s been going on lately.”
    “I’m so sorry that you had to go through all of that craziness. It’s a good thing for Thomas that he’s in a jail cell right now,” he frowned.
    She smiled at his response. “That’s exactly how Tiara feels about it too. I’m just glad that I’m safe for now, unless the person who’s been stalking me is dangerous,” she turned serious.
    “Well, you’re probably pretty safe as long as I’m here, right?” he encouraged her.
    “Yes, I suppose so,” she agreed.
    “Then just relax for a while,” he suggested, pleased when she nodded and gave him a smile. “Do you think it might do you some good to get out of here for a bit?” he asked with a sparkle in his eye.
    “I don’t know, it’s kind of late…what did you have in mind?”
    “Nothing complicated,” he assured her. “I just thought it might be a nice change for you to get some fresh air, maybe go for a walk on the beach.”
    “Hmm…that does sound really nice,” she replied, thinking about it.
    “If you don’t want to walk that far, we could take my car down there, have a nice little stroll, and ride back,” he shrugged. “Or we could walk the entire way. Whatever you think you’re up to.”
    “I don’t know if I’d have the strength to walk all the way there, but if you want to drive us, I’ll go,” she said finally.
    “Great. I have a beach blanket in the trunk if you want to hang out for a bit and just inhale the ocean air.”
    “We’ll see how it goes,” Kelcie said, suddenly shy. She wondered for a moment at the wisdom of leaving the house with someone who was basically a stranger, but realized that he’d been so kind to her at every turn, she clearly had nothing to worry about. He didn’t really seem strong enough to protect her if her stalker decided to attack, but it was sometimes hard to tell with tall, wiry men. Besides, they’d be in public, what could go wrong?
    “Sounds good to me,” Sam said. “Shall we?”
    “We shall,” Kelcie grinned, feeling somewhat free for the first time in quite a while.
    **
    “ They’re leaving in Sam’s car…should I follow, or should I just go home? ” Tiara texted her mother, feeling more and more like a peeping tom. Clearly, Kelcie was having fun and would be protected by the mere presence of a human being, so Tiara didn’t see the point of continuing her surveillance. When she received no answer from her mother, she texted again, and when she still didn’t receive a reply, she decided to follow the couple just in case they happened to run into the stalker. Three against one would be better than two against one, she reasoned.
    **
    “Marilyn!” Detective Bernard Cortland called from her front yard. “Answer the door, I need to speak with you,” he said, obviously under the impression that she was inside the house. Her phone buzzed with a text in her hand, but she ignored it.
    “Bernard! I’m in the back yard,” she hollered, grateful for the detective’s impeccable timing. Tim moved to step back through the trees and she held her mace out in front of her.
    “Oh no you don’t, mister,” she snarled at her neighbor.