hadn’t wanted to go. She thought I should have an early night so that I’d be ready for the race , but I was bored and antsy and didn’t see how a couple of drinks could hurt. After a bit of negotiation, she agreed to go along with me, but then she took off shortly after we arrived. I was having fun and didn’t want to leave, so I told her that I was going to stay and have a couple more.”
“But you had more than a couple,” I deducted.
“But I didn’t. I don’t know what happened. I can usually put away more alcohol than Masher, and that’s saying a lot. Oh God,” Pandora sobbed. “I can’t believe Pepper is dead.”
“I don’t know at this point that the dead woman is Pepper,” I offered. “I guess we should call Salinger.”
Pandora looked at me with empty eyes.
Chapter 6
Pandora had been talking with Salinger in his office for hours. I’m not sure why I waited dutifully in the reception area. It wasn’t like I could do anything to help Pandora through the terror of knowing that her best friend had died trying to fulfill the commitment she was too hung over to deal with herself. I tried to imagine how I’d feel if something happened to Ellie or Levi due to my negligence, but the terror the mere thought brought about was much more than I could handle.
I called Jeremy and told him that I wouldn’t be in at all that day and then Willa , to give her an update on the situation. Once I’d informed Salinger of Pandora’s undead state of being, he’d called the coroner to take a closer look at what was left of the body, which had been burned beyond recognition.
I also spoke with Zak, briefly telling him about the major twist in the events of the day. He’d offered to come down to the station and sit with me, but there wasn’t really anything he could do, and I didn’t want to interrupt his day with Scooter. I guess Zak must have called Levi after we hung up because he showed up with a take-out bag containing a sandwich and fries from Ellie’s.
“You really didn’t have to come down here,” I said as I gratefully accepted the food.
“Of course I needed to come. You should have called me right away,” Levi scolded.
“I know. It’s just been a really long couple of days and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed.”
“Zak wanted to come down , but with it being Scooter’s first day in Ashton Falls, he hated to leave the boy alone with some random babysitter,” Levi informed me.
“Yeah, I get it. I told him not to interrupt his day at the lake.”
“You should call him later, or better yet stop by. I could tell he was feeling very conflicted and just a bit frantic that he couldn’t be here for you.”
“Has Zak said anything to you,” I lowered my voice , even though the receptionist had wandered off and there was no one else in the room, “about the engagement fiasco?”
“Not really. Guys don’t yammer on about things like that the way you women do.”
“He didn’t say anything at all?” I prodded.
“Like what?” Levi actually looked confused.
“I don’t know. It’s just that I haven’t had a chance to really talk to Zak about the whole thing. He says we’re fine, but I guess I have my doubts.”
“So ask him,” Levi suggested.
“I was going to, but at first I didn’t know what to say, and then he sat with you on the flight home from Hawaii so I didn’t get a chance to talk to him, and then he immediately headed to Kansas to visit with Scooter. I picked him up at the airport yesterday, but Scooter was with him so we couldn’t talk.”
“So talk to him tonight after Scooter goes to bed. Zak really hasn’t said anything , but I know he loves you. I’m sure it’s fine.”
“Ellie thinks I made a huge mistake.”
Levi paused. I imagine he was considering whether he believed I’d made a huge mistake.
“Zak loves you a nd I know you love him, but I don’t think you made a mistake. Just because you care deeply for someone doesn’t mean
“But you had more than a couple,” I deducted.
“But I didn’t. I don’t know what happened. I can usually put away more alcohol than Masher, and that’s saying a lot. Oh God,” Pandora sobbed. “I can’t believe Pepper is dead.”
“I don’t know at this point that the dead woman is Pepper,” I offered. “I guess we should call Salinger.”
Pandora looked at me with empty eyes.
Chapter 6
Pandora had been talking with Salinger in his office for hours. I’m not sure why I waited dutifully in the reception area. It wasn’t like I could do anything to help Pandora through the terror of knowing that her best friend had died trying to fulfill the commitment she was too hung over to deal with herself. I tried to imagine how I’d feel if something happened to Ellie or Levi due to my negligence, but the terror the mere thought brought about was much more than I could handle.
I called Jeremy and told him that I wouldn’t be in at all that day and then Willa , to give her an update on the situation. Once I’d informed Salinger of Pandora’s undead state of being, he’d called the coroner to take a closer look at what was left of the body, which had been burned beyond recognition.
I also spoke with Zak, briefly telling him about the major twist in the events of the day. He’d offered to come down to the station and sit with me, but there wasn’t really anything he could do, and I didn’t want to interrupt his day with Scooter. I guess Zak must have called Levi after we hung up because he showed up with a take-out bag containing a sandwich and fries from Ellie’s.
“You really didn’t have to come down here,” I said as I gratefully accepted the food.
“Of course I needed to come. You should have called me right away,” Levi scolded.
“I know. It’s just been a really long couple of days and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed.”
“Zak wanted to come down , but with it being Scooter’s first day in Ashton Falls, he hated to leave the boy alone with some random babysitter,” Levi informed me.
“Yeah, I get it. I told him not to interrupt his day at the lake.”
“You should call him later, or better yet stop by. I could tell he was feeling very conflicted and just a bit frantic that he couldn’t be here for you.”
“Has Zak said anything to you,” I lowered my voice , even though the receptionist had wandered off and there was no one else in the room, “about the engagement fiasco?”
“Not really. Guys don’t yammer on about things like that the way you women do.”
“He didn’t say anything at all?” I prodded.
“Like what?” Levi actually looked confused.
“I don’t know. It’s just that I haven’t had a chance to really talk to Zak about the whole thing. He says we’re fine, but I guess I have my doubts.”
“So ask him,” Levi suggested.
“I was going to, but at first I didn’t know what to say, and then he sat with you on the flight home from Hawaii so I didn’t get a chance to talk to him, and then he immediately headed to Kansas to visit with Scooter. I picked him up at the airport yesterday, but Scooter was with him so we couldn’t talk.”
“So talk to him tonight after Scooter goes to bed. Zak really hasn’t said anything , but I know he loves you. I’m sure it’s fine.”
“Ellie thinks I made a huge mistake.”
Levi paused. I imagine he was considering whether he believed I’d made a huge mistake.
“Zak loves you a nd I know you love him, but I don’t think you made a mistake. Just because you care deeply for someone doesn’t mean
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