“I can’t believe this danged bridge is still working,” Tammy said. “You’d think someone woulda modernized it by now. Been this way as long as I can remember.”
“That’s what I’ve heard. Quaint, but I’m not too fond of it,” Ali told Tammy. “My Jeep is in the public lot. You can drop me off there, and I’ll get my things.” Pausing, she remembered her purse and keys were at Val’s. Had Val already left for Orlando to pick up Renée? If so, Ali would just wait on her deck until they returned.
“I ain’t dropping you off and leaving, kid. You’re gonna need some help until your shoulder is better.”
Not knowing if Kit was back from Miami, she’d take Tammy up on her offer. They could go to her cottage. Kimberly hadn’t picked up the key box, as far as she knew. “I appreciate it.”
Tammy parked beside the Jeep, then ran around to the passenger side to help Ali. Her shoulder was starting to throb, and her wrists and ankles felt like they’d been scraped with a paring knife. They’d given her a pain pill a few hours before she left the hospital, but its effects must be wearing off. “I should get those prescriptions filled,” she said as Tammy helped her.
“I’ll take care of that,” Tammy said as she closed the door. She placed her arm around Ali’s waist, and together, they slowly walked to her cottage.
Ali saw the key box was luckily still there. She punched in the code, pushing the door open. Expecting some unknown person, or a smell to indicate someone had been in the cottage, she was pleasantly surprised when she saw it was just as she’d left it when they’d rushed to Val’s yesterday.
Tammy looked around, a big grin on her weathered face. “I love this knotty pine. You gonna keep it this way?” she asked as she walked through to the kitchen.
Ali followed her at a slow pace. “No way am I going to replace this. It’s part of the charm, don’t you think?” she asked her new friend.
“Absolutely, girl. This is a rare diamond. I bet this place set you back a couple mil, huh?” Tammy asked.
Normally, Ali didn’t discuss financial issues with anyone but Henry. But she didn’t see any harm in telling Tammy what a deal she’d gotten. Stuff like this could easily be found out anyway. “A hundred thousand,” she said. When she saw the look of surprise on Tammy’s face, she couldn’t help but laugh, even though it hurt like hell.
“You’re kidding?”
“Nope. Paid in full,” Ali added. “I’ve spent my entire adult life dreaming of a home on the beach. When I left your store the other day, I stopped for breakfast, saw this in the paper, had a look, and here I am. It’s structurally sound, with a fairly new roof. The air-conditioning is new. It isn’t a mansion, but the location is what I’ve always wanted.”
Tammy went to the living area and stood at the windows. “You got the deal of a lifetime. Beautiful view, and sunsets here are the best.”
“They are. I saw my first one yesterday,” Ali replied. “Do you come here often? To this beach?”
Tammy shook her head, her stiff blonde hair not moving an inch. “Not as often as I’d like. Between working and taking care of the property and the animals, it don’t leave much time for a trip to the beach.” She stepped away from the window. “You trust me to go after your meds? I can do that and pick up some food if you’re hungry.”
“You just saved my life. Do I trust you? Darn right I do.” She had the paperwork and prescriptions in the pocket of the scrubs they’d given her. “Take this, and as soon as I can get my purse from Valentina’s, I’ll pay you back.”
“Valentina, the psychic lady? She lives in one of these mansions,” Tammy stated. “I’ve had a couple readings from her. She’s been pretty spot-on, I can tell you that.”
“The one and only,” she said. “I was at her place last night when I ran out and left my purse behind. I’d planned on staying the night at her place. The pale blue house is hers.” She didn’t think it was her place to reveal too much more about Val’s living conditions, other than pointing out her house to Tammy, which seemed harmless enough.
“Gorgeous, but your place is a true beach cottage. Lock up behind me when I leave. I’ll be back as fast as I can. You gonna be okay here by yourself?”
She couldn’t answer with any certainty. “I hope so. I’ll keep away from the windows so no one sees me,” she said, as this was about the only way she had of protecting herself, since she’d left her gun in the Jeep.
“I’ll be back in a flash,” Tammy said before she left. Ali locked the doors, then went through each room, double-checking to make sure the windows were locked. Then she went to the back of her house and stepped outside to the utility room. She peered inside, then locked the door. She wasn’t sure if she even had a key for it, or if Kimberly had a separate one. Now it didn’t matter. Changing the locks would be her first priority, and she’d change them herself if she had to. At this point, there were only a few folks on the island she could trust.
Not having anywhere to sit, let alone lie down, she went to the bathroom, where the claw-foot tub stood.
“What the hell?” she said to herself. She put one leg in, then the other, careful to avoid bumping her shoulder against the edge. She leaned against the back of the tub, deciding this wasn’t all that uncomfortable. With the electricity on, she had hot water, but wanted to wait and take a bath after she’d cleaned the tub. Plus, she didn’t want to soak her wounds just yet.
Waiting for Tammy, Ali suddenly remembered Kit had told her to go to The Daily Grind to meet him. Had he tried to call her? She knew he had her cell number, because she’d called him before. Was he looking for her? Or was he still in Miami with this friend, trying to decipher what he’d found on the laptop?
Ali remained unsure if Val was home from her trip. Maybe when Tammy returned, she could ask to use her phone and call. But then she remembered she didn’t have Val’s number. Her purse, cell, and cash were still in the guest bedroom she’d planned on sleeping in.
She had a thousand questions, the uppermost being: Who the hell took her last night, and why?
Dozing off, Ali startled when she heard someone banging on the door.
“You okay in there, kid?” Tammy called out.
“Yeah, hang on,” she said. “Be right there.” She should’ve given Tammy the code before she left, but she hadn’t thought to do so. Easing out of the tub, she limped to unlock the front door.
“Dang, you scared the beejeezers outta me when you didn’t answer my knock,” Tammy said, both arms full of shopping bags from Publix.
“Sorry. I drifted off in the bath.” She laughed. “I’ve got no other place to lay down.”
“I’ve got some beach chairs in the trunk of my car. I’m gonna bring them in as soon as I get these groceries put away.” Tammy took charge, and Ali let her. She really trusted her. She’d proven to be a decent woman, very caring, and Ali would not let her kindness go unrewarded.
“I can’t thank you enough for doing this,” she said. She thought back to all those years ago, when she’d met Violet on the bus going to Atlanta, and tears filled her eyes. She thought about Violet’s kindness, and what it had cost her.