“Hi,” we al said back.
She waited a beat and then said to me, “Glad you’re okay.”
I blinked at her. I had no idea who this woman was.
“Thanks,” I said.
She shelved a book and wandered away.
“Who was that?” I asked Indy.
“That’s Jane, she’s worked here for years. She’s kind of… odd,” Indy replied.
Uncle Tex had told me about Jane. Quiet, addicted to romance and detective novels. Her life was devoted to Fortnum’s, reading, writing her own novels that were never published and not much else.
Daisy grabbed my hand, taking my mind off Jane.
“How’s everything else? You hangin’ in there?” Her cornflower blue eyes were kind but sharp. I knew from just her look she didn’t miss a trick.
I told them about seeing the vision of Bil y in Hank’s bedroom that morning. I finished with, “Hank said it was a flashback.”
Jet, Al y and Indy watched me, al smiles gone; they were looking concerned.
Daisy, on the other hand, nodded.
“Yeah, I got those after I was raped,” she replied.
My hand clenched in hers.
“You were raped?” I whispered.
“Long time ago. Flashbacks lasted awhile but they went away. The mind heals just like the body, but it takes its time.
It’s good you got a decent man to see you through it.
Helped me that, during that time, I found my Marcus.” I sighed.
No one believed me when I said I was leaving town and I knew they wouldn’t believe me when I told them Hank wasn’t my man, so I stayed silent.
Then we heard a shout from the front of the store.
“Jumpin’ Jehosafats! This place is f**kin’ great! ” That would be Annette.
Al the girls’ faces were frozen with incredulity at the yel .
“That’s my friend, Annette,” I told them, broke away and walked to the front.
Annette and Jason were standing a few feet inside the door. Jason was Annette’s partner, same height as Annette, light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He always smiled like he meant it and was never in a bad mood.
Annette and Jason looked at me when I arrived and I realized Jason could have bad moods under extreme circumstances because the minute he saw me, his face went hard.
Annette stared.
“Hey,” I said, smiling at them.
Annette looked at Jason, then turned on her heel and walked out the door.
On the sidewalk outside, hands clenched and arms straight, she threw her head back and screamed at the top of her lungs. Then she started kicking the sidewalk like she was kicking dirt and punching the air like she was hitting a punching bag, al the while emitting loud, nonsensical, angry mutterings.