Chapter 139: Emelia

We headed for the house together, Petunia waddling between us while I did my best not to back out of what I'd just agreed to. Thing was, talking to Denver didn't have to connect with Sadie's death. I could just chat with him, right? Poor kid lost his grandmother. I didn't have to go into the conversation with a motive. I was just going to trail along with Alice. She'd do all the busybodying.

I'd gotten really good at lying to myself.

But when I walked into the kitchen, found Mom serving Emelia tea at the counter, the woman's tears increasing at the sight of Alice, my budding partnership ended with her nodding quickly to me before hurrying out and into the main house. I let her go, joining Mom and the grieving mother who had, apparently, changed her mind about coming downstairs.