Blood On Her Hands

Chapter 10

Kimberly was bouncing on her heels when I spotted her. She held her purse in front of her, her head swiveling around the perimeter to keep an eye out for me. She had indeed cut her bangs. They were pin straight, hanging off her forehead in a thin wisp. They suited her because of how they drew attention to her eyes. They were always painted in the most bold and intricate eyeliner.

She reminded me of a fox not just because of her long, narrow face but because of her mannerisms. She always seemed like she was up to no good, conjuring up some scheme or trick. Her gaze was almost predatory. It must have been a helpful exterior to have when traveling. No one wants to mess with the woman who looked ready to kill.

All of that bravo wore off when she saw me. She smiled with open lips, displaying a row of shiny white teeth.

"Hey girl!" she said, throwing an arm around me. She smelled like a meadow of lilies. The velvet sleeve of her dress brushed softly against my cheek. "It feels like it's been years."

It was that time in the evening where the sun's orange rays caught on every reflective surface, sending harsh beams straight into our eyes and temporarily blinding us. There was a car parked next to us on the street that was doing just that. I recognized it as Kimberly's jeep. I was jealous of it. It was white with stickers on the back from all the different states she had been to. California, New Mexico, Minnesota, Texas, Ohio, Montana, the collection growing and growing as the months pass. She planned to spend at least one weekend in every state. She was most excited about Hawaii.

"I know, I'm sorry I didn't reach out to you sooner," I said. I could feel a hint of a chill in the air. It was the prelude to nighttime. I glanced at my watch. It was almost eight. We had reservations to make at an Italian place we both had never been to before.

Kimberly patted my shoulder and then started in the direction of the restaurant. We walked side by side and I could see the outline of a line of people formed at the top of the block.

"Don't worry about it. I understand that you needed time after what happened. About that," she paused, glancing at me through the shades she had slipped on, "What do you need from me tonight? Do you want to talk about what happened or would you rather have a distraction?"

This was what I loved about my best friend. Things were always so simple with her. There weren't any weird politics in our relationship, no dancing around awkward subjects or trying to figure out what the other person was thinking. If she wanted to know what I was thinking, she just asked. She never assumed that she knew me better than I knew myself or that she knew what was right for me. She never made me second guess my choices either. Around Kimberly, I felt like my age. It was a whole different atmosphere than the one at my home. It was probably why she didn't like to come over often.

"Distraction," I answered as we took our place on the line outside the restaurant. After my meeting with Vincent the day prior, I craved some easy going social interaction. Rehatching the nightmare that was my sister's wedding didn't qualify as that.

Vincent and I had wrapped up our meeting agreeing to meet again in a few days. He didn't want me to worry about figuring out natural ways to integrate him into my family life. He seemed confident it would happen naturally. We exchanged numbers and he told me if I heard or saw anything that may be helpful to the investigation, to give him a call. He also wanted me to let him know if I heard back from the anonymous caller.

The instructions were simple enough. One step at a time.

Kimberly reached into her purse and swiftly pulled out her phone like she was prepared for my request of a distraction. She typed in her password, her acrylic nails making satisfying tapping noises as she did so.