Page 150 of Hello, Summer
“Can’t say the same about the front of this house,” Conley said sadly. “You still haven’t answered my questions about Michael. Is he outside, shooting?”
“The cops have the whole front yard taped off, but he got some good stuff with the zoom lens. And,” she added, pulling out her cell phone, “I got a great shot of Detective Jefferson interviewing you, from right outside the kitchen door.”
“That’s good. Now Mike needs to start doing some background work on that freak Poppell. He needs to get the sheriff in Bronson County to talk about why he fired Poppell, and then we need his background. I know he went to high school and played jayvee football with Skelly. Find out if he has family here, all of it.”
“Hold up!” Grayson said. “Michael is working as hard and as fast as he can. But you need to back off and slow down. When was the last time you slept?”
“Maybe a few hours Friday night?”
Grayson leaned over and placed a hand on each of Conley’s shoulders.”I need you to go upstairs and try to get some sleep. The story will still be here after you’ve rested.”
“I’m fine,” Conley protested.
“You’re not fine. Look at you! You’ve got cuts and scrapes and bruises on your legs and hands and arms. Your face is swollen. In fact, maybe we should take you to the hospital to get you checked out.”
“No way!” Conley said. “I’ve got a story to write.” She flexed her arms and legs. “See? No broken bones. I’m just a little banged up. After a shower and some clean clothes, I’ll be good as new.”
The kitchen door opened, and Skelly walked in. “Thank God,” Grayson said. “Sean, can you talk some sense into my little sister? She barely survived being abducted by a homicidal maniac who was then mowed down by an avenging angel, but she still thinks she’s on deadline.”
“Conley?” he asked. “Would you listen to me if I tried to tell you to slow down and take it easy? As your sister pointed out, you’ve had quite a morning already.”
“No,” Conley admitted. “I promise I’ll slow down. Later. Right now, I need two things. A phone and a car. Your pal Poppell smashed my phone, and I’m guessing the cops still have the driveway blocked.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Grayson asked.
“Buddy Bright saved my life. He literally took a bullet for me. I think I owe it to him to find out what his story was and report it.”
“I’ll take you wherever you need to go,” Skelly said. “One of Mama’s old friends takes her to church on Sundays, then over to the country club for brunch. You can use my phone ’til you get a new one tomorrow.”
Grayson shrugged. “I guess I’ve been overruled.”
By the time Conley showered and changed into a threadbare pair of jeans and a T-shirt, Skelly had managed to perform a miracle in the kitchen.
“First we eat,” he said, motioning for her to sit at the table. He opened the oven and brought out a cast-iron skillet. The smell of onions and bacon filled the room.
“First, how did you know I was starved?” Conley asked. “Second, where did that food come from? And what is this magical dish?”
“You’re always starved,” he said, bringing two plates loaded with food to the table. “This is just a simple Spanish tortilla I made with some leftovers from my house. Eggs, bacon, sliced potatoes, some onion, and red pepper.”
She took a bite, chewed, and rolled her eyes in ecstasy. “You never fail to amaze me, Skelly. Where’d you learn to make something like this?”
“Pharmacy school,” he said, pouring her a cup of coffee. “Like I said, we’d have these study sessions, and everybody would bring potluck. One of the women had spent a year studying abroad in Spain, and she’d always bring this dish. I like it because you can use whatever you’ve got hanging around in the fridge, and it can be breakfast or lunch or dinner.”
“Or brunchaprèsa postapocalyptic night from hell,” she added. “Who are you really, Sean Kelly?”
“Just a guy, trying to impress a girl he’s kinda got a crush on.”
“A crush?”
“Yeah. Pretty goofy, huh?”
She leaned across the kitchen table and kissed him on the lips. “I heart goofy.”
He caught her face gently between his hands and gave her a lingering kiss before finally releasing her.
She resumed devouring the tortilla, but he put his fork down.
“Can I tell you something? Seriously?” he said.
