“Fine, I’ll go. But we’re just going to run in and eat really fast and then leave. Deal?”
“Deal. I’ll be there in a couple minutes. I’m just down the road.”
“How can you be down the road? It takes way more time than that to get here.”
“I knew you weren’t going to say no, and if you did, I was going follow you around all day until I was able to guilt you into leaving,” Bridget said.
“You’re awful.”
“I know. You have to watch out for me. I can be a real bitch.”
Eva shook her head. “I’ll be outside. I’ll see you in a minute.”
She hung the phone up on the receiver and wiped the crumbs off of the counter.
She slipped on a pair of Bridget’s Nikes and threw a hoodie over her arm before leaving out the backdoor. The first sign of fall crept into the air and spun its cool breeze around her. She shivered against the sudden cold and stuffed her arms into the baggie sweatshirt.
“Let’s go! It’s happy hour somewhere!” Bridget leaned out of the window and shouted. The gravel path leading to the house crunched under the heavy wheels of her rental car.
“I’m coming! I’m coming!” Eva jogged to the passenger door and hopped into the lifted SUV.
“The restaurant selection in this part of town is awful. We really only have two choices: pizza or Mexican,” Bridget said.
“I’m always up for chips and salsa.”
“El Toreador it is!” Bridget cheered, backing down the long driveway and onto the road.
Eva fastened her seatbelt and pushed the baggy sweatshirt sleeves up her arms. “I can’t believe it got cold so fast.”
“I don’t know how you’re dealing with any of this. I’d lock myself in my room and be curled up in the fetal position if it were me.”
“The thought has crossed my mind,” Eva replied, massaging her temples.
“Are you still having those headaches?”
“I’ll be fine after I eat something,” Eva mumbled.
“Can’t you use your insane magical healing power?”
Eva groaned. “I don’t know. I don’t know how it works.”
“Does this mean you’re going to live forever? Or at least until someone chops off your head or stabs a wooden stake through your heart?”
“I’m not a zombie or a vampire, Bridget. I’m still me.”
“I know. Just throwing out ways to kill the unkillable.” Bridget pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot and let the SUV run while she rifled through her purse. “Gloss?” She offered the tube to Eva.
Eva landed on the pavement and shut the heavy door. “Okay, act natural. No one’s going to recognize you.” She tucked her long hair into the hood and tossed it up over her head. Two cords rested on her chest and she yanked on them, tightening the fabric around her face. Her stomach growled as she walked closer to the scents wafting from the restaurant. “You’re just a regular person about to have lunch with a friend. Totally normal.”
A car sped into the parking lot and squealed to a stop behind her.
Her hands trembled as she slowly turned to face the car.
The door opened and an officer stepped out slowly. “Eva Kostas?” he shouted.
The navy Charger rhythmically flashed concealed blue and red lights at her, and the officer stood behind the protection of the open door with his hand hovering over his gun.
“Put your hands above your head, turn around, and back up slowly,” he instructed.
The thought of running flitted across her mind, but her feet felt glued to the pavement. “W…What’s going on?”
“Eva Kostas, turn around and put your hands in the air,” the officer repeated.
Slowly, she turned and raised her shaking arms. “I haven’t done anything,” she said, shocked by the anger penetrating her voice.
“Walk back toward my car,” he commanded.
“Whatever you’ve been told about me isn’t true,” she said as she forced her legs to move backward.
“Keep coming back.” His footsteps brought his demanding voice closer to her. “Eva Kostas, you’re under arrest for the murder of Madeline Bailey. It would be to your benefit if you told me where I can find your partner, Alek.” He grabbed her wrist and yanked her arm down.
“Partner? He’s not my partner. What are you talking about? I didn’t kill anybody and neither did he.”
Handcuffs clinked as he unsnapped them from his belt. “You sure you want to protect him? You want to take this all on your own?”
Tires squealed against the pavement, and the clang of crunching metal erupted behind them. And then a voice, familiar, shouting out.
“Run, Eva!”
Thirty