FOURTEEN
Lisa turnedonto Hearth Stone Road. Since Thursday night, she’d thought only about one thing: being alone with Maddie and finally eliminating her from Keith’s life. She’d hoped to do it yesterday. But unfortunately, when she drove by around seven o’clock, Keith’s truck was parked in the driveway, forcing her to abandon her plan again.
Fingers crossed, things would go her way today.
After coming around the slight bend in the road, Maddie’s house came into view. Lisa smiled as joy bubbled up in her chest because neither Keith’s truck nor his motorcycle was anywhere in sight.
Her first instinct was to pull into the empty driveway and ring the bell. However, her common sense kicked in before she made a colossal mistake and did it. The absence of a vehicle didn’t mean Keith wasn’t there. It also didn’t mean Maddie didn’t have a guest. The damn woman seemed to have an endless list of male and female friends. Lisa needed to verify that one, Maddie was home, and two, she was alone before making a move.
It took effort, but she maintained a constant speed down the road. At the stop sign, she turned left, exiting Maddie’s neighborhood, and drove to the nearby shopping plaza on Bridge Street. As usual, numerous cars filled the lot, and Lisa opted for a spot away from the complex and the other vehicles.
Before pulling out her cell phone, Lisa closed her eyes and crossed her fingers.
Please be at home and alone.
Hey, are you busy?
Lisa held her breath as she waited for a response to the text message.
Maddie didn’t keep her waiting long.
I’m grocery shopping. Why? What’s up?
Although not the response Lisa wanted, it was better than some alternatives.
I need to talk to someone. Can I come over when you get home if Keith’s not there?
It took longer for Maddie to answer her second message, and Lisa feared she would either say she wasn’t going home once she finished shopping or that Keith was meeting her at the house. Either answer would force her to abandon her plan again. And she was running out of time. Thursday night, Maddie never specified when she planned to ask Keith to move in. For all Lisa knew, Keith had already agreed and was at his apartment packing up his belongings right now.
Keith’s helping a friend. I should be home in about 30 minutes. Meet me then.
Euphoria flowed through her. Soon, no one would stand between her and Keith.
With her goal almost within her grasp, she didn’t want to make any mistakes now. And since Maddie had never invited her over, Lisa shouldn’t know where the bitch lived.
What’s your address?
10 Hearth Stone Rd. It’s a gray house with blue shutters.
Instead of typing another message, Lisa responded with a thumbs-up emoji.
* * *
Since Keith wouldn’t be backfor a few hours, Maddie had been looking forward to experimenting with the new recipe she’d found on her go-to cooking website and doing a little reading. She’d purchased her favorite historical romance author’s latest book Tuesday when it was released, but she hadn’t started it.
But when a friend said they needed to talk, a person couldn’t say no. Well, some people could, but she’d never been able to. So while a visitor ruled out diving into her newest book, she could listen and cook at the same time. And she might need to do that.
According to the recipe, the steak tips needed to marinate for at least two hours in the refrigerator. Then, before she cooked them, they needed to sit out at room temperature for thirty minutes. The prep for the twice-baked potatoes, a recipe she’d come up with herself, took her about twenty minutes, and then they required about fifty minutes in the oven. She’d like Lisa to be gone and dinner ready for around when Keith got back. But if she could only have one of the two, it’d be the first because, in her experience, the old saying about three being a crowd was usually true.
Since the marinade was the key to everything, she prepared it as soon as she returned home. And about forty-five minutes after Lisa’s text, she was about to pour it over the steak tips when the doorbell rang.
Until now, the only time she’d seen Lisa without makeup had been at the gym. But it wasn’t the only thing that seemed off about her when Maddie opened the door. Something about her eyes wasn’t quite right, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Maybe the reason Lisa needed to talk had something to do with whatever wasn’t right.
“Come on in.”
“Thanks for letting me come over.”
“Anytime.”