Read Online Tea Leafing: A Novel by Weezie Macdonald - Free Book Online Page B

in
the freezer Mary Jane - fresh box of fags, your brand even. Sam’s favorite
lemonade is in the pantry next to Grace’s gum sweeties.”
    Grabbing her cell
phone, Sam headed into the bathroom. Settling onto the seat, she thumbed her
phone. Three messages. She couldn’t help but hope one might be from Gio, who, having
realized the error of his insensitive ways, was offering an apology. But she
knew better.
    “Sam, it’s Amanda.
Could you call me whenever you get this? I need to talk to ya’ll. I’ve found
something I think you need to see. I don’t care if it’s late, or early, or
whatever.” The other two messages were also from Amanda. Her tone in each
successive message intensified slightly. Worried, Sam hit call back. Amanda
picked up on the second ring.
    “Sam?” Amanda’s voice
seemed strained, fighting background noise that sounded like wind.
    “Hey babe! What’s goin’
on?”
    “Where are you?”
    “I just got up, we’re
all at Birdie’s. What’s going on? You sound stressed.”
    “I’m just north of
Macon, heading your way. Can I meet ya’ll somewhere? I really need to see you.”
    “Yeah, absolutely. Do
you wanna’ come to the loft?”
    “Sure, that’ll work. Can
you tell me how to get there from 75?’
    Sam recited directions
for Amanda and asked, “Are you ok? You sound, well, freaked.”
    “I am freaked, but I’d
rather not talk about it over the phone. I should be there in about forty-five
minutes.”
    “Okay, when you’re at
the gate, look up Beatrix McGregor, that’s Birdie. See you soon.”
    Sam knew Birdie’s legal
name because she’d gone to court with her on several occasions. One trip for
parking tickets, two for drunk and disorderly and another two for speeding.
Birdie had threatened bodily harm if Sam ever let “Beatrix” slip. Sam assured
her that it wasn’t awful and in fact was kinda ’ cute.
But Birdie wasn’t having it.

 
 
 
    CHAPTER 12
    The phone rang and
Birdie buzzed Amanda in.
    Amanda’s hands shook as
she took a package, neatly wrapped in cloth from her backpack. Setting it in
front of her on the floor, she carefully pulled back the edges of the
pillowcase, revealing a leather-bound journal.
    “It’s her diary.”
Amanda murmured.
    Icy fingers stretched
across Sam’s scalp as Mary Jane ran her hands up and down her arms, trying to
smooth the goose flesh away. Birdie pushed her sunglasses up onto the top of
her head, barely containing the wild twists of red hair that stuck out in every
direction. Her eyes glazed a bit as she looked down at it. Grace gasped, “But
that’s private. Should we be looking at Lena’s personal things like this? I
mean, after she’s gone? I just want my stuff burned, please don’t read my crazy
notes to myself if I die.”
    Sam took Grace’s hand
and caught her eye. “She’s gone Grace. Nothing we read is going to change how
we feel about her. And if something happens to you, it’d be the same. No matter
what you think you’re hiding, we know you better.” She smiled a little. “We
would be the ones who get rid of your porn and vibrators before your family
gets there.”
    Grace blushed.
    “I don’t care if me mum
finds porn here, I just don’t want her to find the homemade stuff I’m in.”
Birdie instructed.
    “Ahem.” A wide-eyed
Mary Jane nodded briefly towards Amanda who had stopped shaking and started
smiling.
    “Sorry Amanda, I guess
that was pretty off.”
    Amanda grinned, “Thanks
for not treating me like a little kid. You guys each remind me of a different
piece of Alex. Anyway, don’t worry Grace. She clearly meant for this to be
found. And read.”

 
 
 
    CHAPTER 13
    Lena had gone home to
visit her family a week and a half before she was killed. Amanda guessed it was
then that she hid her diary behind one of the loose cedar planks that lined the
large walk-in-closet dividing their rooms. It was the secret space they had
shared since they were little girls, leaving notes and