Trouble in a Big Box (A Kelly O'Connell Mystery) Read Online Free

the girls.”
    I was still marveling at Keisha, her boldness and her energy, when she slammed on the brakes. The seatbelt tightened on me as I was thrown forward. Catching my breath, I yelled, “What the heck are you doing?”
    “Teaching the jerk behind me not to tailgate,” she said calmly as she drove on.
    But the car stayed behind us all the way home, and I could tell Keisha didn’t like that. My mind was still on Mike, and I didn’t pay attention. I should have.
    Once we were in the house, she said quietly to me, “That car followed us all the way here and then took off like the devil was on its tail. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”
    Usually I was the one who saw conspiracy everywhere, but now I scoffed. “Why would anyone follow us?”
    Mom had fallen asleep in one of the big leather chairs, but now she roused. “Who’s following who? How’s Mike?” Like me, earlier in the evening, she seemed to come from some deep, faraway world.
    “It’s okay, Mom. Nobody’s following anyone, and Mike is okay. Kind of loopy from medication, but he’ll eventually be okay.” At that point, I had no idea how long eventually could be nor did I know that okay was a relative state, but I would learn. “Mom, it’s time for you to go home to your own bed.”
    Keisha planted herself in front of me. “I’m driving Ms. Cynthia home. You can see that she gets her car in the morning when you go to the hospital. I ain’t lettin ’ her go home alone anymore than I let you go to the hospital alone tonight.” It seemed that Conroy had had someone drive my car from JPS back to the house, so we had a parking lot in our driveway—my car, Mike’s car, Mom’s and Keisha’s. I thought it was a good idea for Keisha to drive Mom home, but Mom definitely did not agree.
    She drew herself up as tall as she could, which of course didn’t come anywhere near Keisha’s height. “I can drive myself home.”
    Grabbing her keys off the table, Keisha said, “Yes, ma’am, you surely can. But you ain’t going to this late at night. Kelly, I’ll be back in a minute. Come on, Ms. Cynthia.”
    I barely had time to give Mom a goodnight peck.
    By the time Keisha came back, after making sure Mom was safely locked inside with the alarm system on, I had heated myself some of Doris’ casserole. It was, as Maggie said, delish—a red sauce with meat, topped by a mix of egg noodles, sour cream, cream cheese, and scallions. And then a layer of cheddar. Not good for my weight program but oh, so comforting. Before I could compliment Keisha, she said,
    “Kelly, you got to be careful. I’m pretty sure that car was following us, and now whoever it was knows where you live.”
    I put my hands over my ears to block out what I didn’t want to hear. “No more vandalism. I couldn’t take it.” My old house, the one Claire now lived in, had been damaged by vandals more than once during the affair of the skeleton. Teenagers were paid to scare me away from discovering the skeleton’s identity and cause of death. It almost worked, and I simply wasn’t up for more.
    Keisha stood waiting patiently until at last I took my hands down. “No one’s going to vandalize your house, least I hope not. But we don’t know why this guy followed us. Maybe I’m wrong, and it was what my momma would call a big fat coincidence. But we gotta be sure.”
    “You can’t say anything to Mike.”
    She shook her head. “I ain’t, and you neither. I got to go home and get some sleep so I can meet José at seven-thirty and then run your business tomorrow. You take the girls to the hospital.”
    “Whenever I wake up,” I yawned.
    As she left, Keisha turned and said over her shoulder, “It was an older Mustang. Sort of brown, banged up in a few places. Tell Conroy. No, I didn’t get a plate on it.”
    “I’m not telling Conroy anything!”
    I tiptoed in to kiss my sleeping girls and then, in my own room, stripped off my shoes, sweater and slacks and fell into