Lilith quickly proved more slippery than Ellie had first estimated. Their first lunch date had been scheduled for one in the afternoon the day after Abbie’s wake, but Ellie had found herself stood up. It wasn’t until she’d called Lilith that the woman claimed to have double booked herself and rescheduled for the next day.
Thursday turned out to be a similar situation as the day before, but at least in that instance Lilith had been the one to reach out. Of course, she didn’t call, but Ellie received a text as she was walking toward the Grey Dove. She had to turn on her heel to return home, vowing to knock down Lilith’s door if she cancelled again.
Of course, her reply text didn’t state that. She made her reply sweet, sugary, and possibly even a bit too flattering. Lilith was the one doing her a favor, how busy she must be, and how in demand her time is. That kind of thing. Ellie didn’t mean a word of it, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Through her layered on flattery and near begging, Ellie had arranged a third attempt at a meeting together, once again at the Grey Dove. While she walked, she hoped she wouldn’t be left sitting at a booth by herself while Roni brought her latte after latte.
“Hey Ellie,” Roni greeted her from the counter. “How’s it going?”
“Good so far,” Ellie told her. “But that could change.”
Ellie found her way to one of the back booths, far from any potential prying eyes. On one hand, she didn’t want people to know she was meeting up with Lilith. The things they might say about her, especially those who might have laid their suspicions on Lilith, wouldn’t be good. On the other hand, being seen together could be a bit of protection. If Lilith was the killer, Ellie didn’t think she would be brazen enough to poison her if people saw them eating together.
A coconut milk latte – Roni had taken her suggestion to heart – and a small grilled veggie panini later, Ellie found herself sitting alone in the booth. Five minutes passed, then ten and she was starting to think she’d been stood up again.
Not that she had held much hope that she wouldn’t be.
She was about to give up and call Lilith when the chime over the door rang.
“Oh, hi Lilith,” Roni’s voice called out. She was loud for Ellie’s favor, and she wished the cafe manager a silent thank you for it. The last thing she wanted was to be caught unawares.
“A skinny latte,” Roni replied as her heels clacked on the tile floor. “And a small California salad, dear.”
Ellie rolled her eyes, but quickly stopped herself as she stood to greet Lilith. Little to Ellie’s surprise, Lilith was wrapped in a very expensive and very unnecessary parka with a fur lined hood pulled around her face. The temperatures were unseasonably warm if anything, and yet Lilith was wearing something that was only going to boil her alive. It was all about showing off her money, not about actually staying protected against the cold.
“Hi darling!” Lilith greeted her, and Ellie tried not to cringe as the fur touched her cheek.
“Hi Lilith,” Ellie greeted her. She almost shook her head as Lilith unzipped the coat and revealed a sleek red dress with its plunging neckline. Not that she had any problem with people wanting to dress up, but it just helped to paint a better picture of who Lilith was as a person.
“I am so sorry to keep you waiting,” Lilith said as Roni brought over her latte. “It’s been such a busy week with everything that’s happened. Such a tragedy! I’ve had so much to do, running here and there and making so many arrangements.”
“Right,” Ellie managed to mumble. It was a better answer than what she was really thinking, which involved some pretty nasty words in response.
“And everyone wants to talk to me about it,” Lilith said. “Yesterday was just too exhausting for me, which is why I had to cancel on you, you see. I assume you have a thousand questions for me, just like everyone else.”
“Well,” Ellie moved to admit, but then she saw how Lilith’s eyes twinkled. She may have been complaining about the attention, but inside she was eating it up with a shovel. “I just think everyone knows how close you two were and there are just so many unanswered questions floating around. You’re probably the closest thing to an expert.”
Lilith’s eyes lit up even more. Ellie had hit the magic button and she decided to press it further. “And I appreciate your time so much. It must be hard for you, with the kind of relationship you two had.”
Lilith bristled and Ellie realized she might have pressed too hard.
“What do you mean?” Lilith asked as her eyes narrowed some.
“Oh, nothing mean,” Ellie swore. “I’ve just, well, you know how the rumor mill is. I’ve heard you two might not have always been the best of friends, so it’s nice that you were able to get past it. I can’t imagine what it must have been like, both being interested in the same man.”
Ellie waited with baited breath for Lilith’s reaction, and to her surprise, the other woman laughed.
“Oh, that old rumor!” Lilith laughed and flipped her hair back. “People are so funny, aren’t they? Well, I hate to admit my age, but it was a few years before your time, sweetie. There’s a lot less drama than people like to make up.”
Ellie’s fingers clenched around her coffee cup at the patronizing remark, but she managed to keep a smile on her face.
“Please, I’d love to know the truth,” Ellie said. “Who else is going to be able to set the record straight?”
Lilith playfully shrugged her shoulders. “No one,” she said. “I admit that Dave and I did go on a few dates back in high school,” she said. “But it was never more than that. I don’t hold a torch for the man, like so many people like to believe. I didn’t stay single in hopes of having him to myself, that’s not my style.”
“So why are you single?” Ellie blurted out, and then fought to right the sinking ship. “I mean, you could have anyone, I’m sure.”
“Too true,” Lilith mused. “No, I’ve chosen the single life. It suits me. I prefer to date men when the mood strikes me and I’ve never been one for commitment. It gives me time to pursue my passion for travel, adventure, and anything else I feel the need for.”
Travel and adventure were something Ellie had tried, and realized quickly they might not be for her. It was hard to tell, as her last attempt at a vacation had been anything but fun and relaxing. A year ago, as a last ditch effort to save their crumbling marriage, she and Alex had decided a trip to the Dominican might help. It was supposed to be romantic. A chance for them to be alone and reconnect, and to find love in each other once again.
The trip had turned out to be anything but. While their flight, the accommodations, the beach, and the food had all been perfect, it wasn’t enough to keep them from spending the whole week fighting over petty things.
Ellie got mad because Alex stayed at the bar too late at night. He got upset at her because she preferred to read on the beach than go exploring. She didn’t like that he swam too far out in the ocean, he didn’t like that she tipped a little too generously when she had a buzz going.
By the end of the week their annoyances with each other turned into a full blown fight and even if they didn’t sign the divorce papers right there, it was the real moment Ellie knew their marriage wasn’t going to be saved.
It was also when she accepted that she didn’t want to save it.
“That’s cool,” Ellie said and she meant it. Lilith might have been attention seeking and vain, but she had to respect a woman who was one hundred percent confident in being on her own.
“Yes, it is,” Lilith agreed coolly. “You see, as nice as Dave is, he’s a homebody. He might be a bit loud and brash, but he and Abbie share that thing in common. Or I guess shared,” she added, and sadness flickered across her face. It caught Ellie by complete surprise, but it was gone as fast as it appeared. “They were both major homebodies. Dave is happy to spend his whole life in Dundurn. He’s afraid of flying and the man has a serious need for the one thing I never want – children. I do hope he goes through with the adoption.”
“Wait, you know about that?” Ellie asked in complete surprise.
“Of course I do,” Lilith said. “I know not everyone believes me, but Abbie was my best friend. And don’t pretend you aren’t surprised,” she added with a sneer when Ellie forgot to keep her reaction to herself. “We had our differences, but she and I have always been good friends. Friends fight sometimes, things happen, but we’ve always gotten through it.”
“Sorry,” Ellie apologized.
“Don’t worry about it,” Lilith said, and for a moment, Ellie believed she was seeing the real Lilith White. Not the act she put on for attention and drama, but perhaps the real woman that Abbie might have known behind closed doors. “I’m not lying when I say I’m heartbroken about the whole thing. I know what people say about me when they think I can’t hear them. Abbie didn’t care about that kind of thing. She was the most genuine person I’ve ever met. This town is worse off now that she’s gone.”
“I didn’t realize,” Ellie admitted.
“No one does,” Lilith said before the steely mask she displayed for the public found her face again. “Which is fine with me. The people who know me know the real me. I’ll get by, though book club won’t be the same without her.”
“Oh, right,” Ellie said. “Honestly, I think maybe I should cancel it.”
“Please don’t,” Lilith said. “Abbie wouldn’t want you to, she loved to read. And I think the other ladies really do too. I know I want to keep going.”
“You do?” Ellie blurted out. She hadn’t meant to, it had just come out of her mouth.
“Of course I do!” Lilith laughed. “I know I’ve complained a lot, but I just want to read the book I suggested so badly. Honestly, I should have just read it and suggested something else, but what can you do? We’re reading it next.”
“Maybe I will schedule another meeting,” Ellie said, and the wheels in her head started to turn. Everything Lilith was saying, how she acted, seeing her without her put on attitude, it was all painting a picture Ellie hadn’t expected. One that made her question if Lilith White really was their prime suspect. “It would be nice to have everyone together.”
“It would,” Lilith said as she finished off her salad. “But I really must run now, darling. I need to get ready for my date tonight.”
“Date?” Ellie asked, and she hoped that Lilith wasn’t talking about Dave. Even after everything Lilith had just said, Ellie still worried.
“Yes, I thought it would help put me in better spirits,” Lilith told her as she grabbed her parka. “Lenny Demartino is taking me to the drive in over in Lansdale tonight. He’s been rebuilding an old car from the fifties and thought it would be a nice way to take it on its first drive out. If we don’t go now, we might have to wait until spring for the nicer weather.”
“You two have fun,” Ellie said as she popped the lid back onto her own coffee and stood up. “I’ll email you about the next book club meeting.”
“Please do,” Lilith said before she gave Ellie one more hug and then turned to leave.
***
Ellie sat down at her computer the moment she got home. The store was still busy, but she knew it would only take her a few minutes to whip up an email before she went to help. She would also have to find a way to tell her grandmother that she wasn’t one hundred percent sold on Lilith being the murderer anymore, but was thankful she hadn’t said anything about it to Will. That reasonable doubt was the exact reason she hadn’t brought it up to him in the first place and she counted herself lucky that she was wise enough to keep quiet until she had some evidence. Not that she counted her out completely, but she couldn’t take any chances and think no one else could be responsible.
With her email browser open, Ellie began to type and at the same time, she began to plot. There was no way someone not in the book club killed Abbie. That much was sure to her now. No one else had the opportunity, which meant she and Ma’May would be back to the drawing board with their six remaining suspects. She just needed to give them a little push to help get the killer to slip up.
“Hey ladies,
Sorry for the delay in writing you, but with everything that has happened I thought we all deserved a little time off. I’ve been told by a few of you now that you’d like to continue with our book club and I’m all for it.
I hope everyone has their book for our next meeting and has been reading when they can. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, so please let me know if you can or cannot make it. As before, we’ll be hosting at the store.
If no one minds, I’ll be providing treats again for the meeting. Nothing too fancy, but hopefully they’ll be enjoyed by all.
See you ladies then,
Ellie R.”
With a glance over for mistakes, Ellie hit the ‘send’ button and waited for confirmation that the email had gone out. She knew she was about to start down a potentially dangerous road, but she was prepared this time. Nothing was going to get by her and come Wednesday night she should have the killer right where she wanted them.