Broken Bay

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

When my phone buzzed in the pocket of my shorts, I jerked and a flow of black coffee spilled out over the side of my coffee cup, splattered my old, ratty t-shirt and splashed around my feet.

"Hot damn." I placed the dripping cup in the sink and cleaned up my mess before I retrieved my phone. A text from my mom blinked across the screen: Forgot to remind you to get house keys made and about dinner Sunday with Richard. Be there or be square.

It was no secret I was vehemently opposed to this new tradition of Sunday dinners with Dick. Maybe I would develop a migraine this Sunday? Last Sunday, I had the stomach flu, and the Sunday before that I faked an anxiety attack. My creative excuses were running out.

My mom thought I didn't know what she was up to, but I did. Refusing to respond, I stomped up the stairs to my new bedroom on the second floor. My phone rang. She's relentless.

"What do you want? I'm busy," I yelled.

"Uh, hey?" the voice said in a question, confused. It was, in fact, not my mom.

"Oh, sorry, I thought you were someone else. Let me try that again, 'Hello'," I said.

"Hi," the female voice said and then nothing else. I thought maybe she hung up, and I was getting ready to say "Hello" again when the voice asked, "Is this Phillipa Huxley?"

"I normally just go by middle name, Bay." I said while grabbing my purse to head out the door.

"Oh, I didn't realize. He has always referred to you as Phillipa, so I just assumed," she said. "My name is Addison Flowers, and I need to talk to you about something important."

"So, talk." In my mind, it was as simple as that.

"I would rather not discuss this with you over the phone. Is there any way we could possibly meet in person today?" Addison asked.

"I have no idea who you are, and quite honestly, I try to make a point not to meet with strangers."

"I wouldn't be bothering you at all, but he insisted." She didn't give any more explanation.

"Whom exactly are you referring to when you say, 'him'?"

"I will explain everything if you agree to meet with me." I wasn't really sure what to think.

"Listen, I don't know what this is about, obviously, since you're being so vague, so forgive me if I am having a hard time accepting you can't just tell me right now what this is about."

"Phillipa- I mean, Bay," she corrected, "I know you have no reason to trust me, but please believe me when I tell you you'll want to hear what I have to say in person."

There was something about her voice which sounded familiar. The answer played around the edge of my memory, but how could I have memory of someone I'd never met? I knew I needed to find out what she had to say, and if she ended up being a serial killer, well, that'd be a bad day for me.

"Fine, I'll meet you, but I don't have much time. I have plans," I said. Lucy would kill me if I was late for her camping party. "But, be warned, I'll be armed with pepper spray, got it?"

Addison gave a quiet laugh. "Fair enough."

"A public place would probably be better, yeah know, just in case you really are a psychotic asylum escapee," I said. You just never know these days about people. "Where do you live, anyway?"

"How does Elma's Coffee Shop uptown sound, say, in an hour?" She easily deflected my question.

"So, you live in town then?" Why was she being so mysterious and vague about everything? While intriguing, it was also starting to wear on my nerves.