Chapter 16 Andrea Kendal
Andrea Kendal
“The problem with Andrea is that she’s too pretty.
I mean, obviously she’s had work done, who hasn’t in this neighborhood?
Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve had a facelift and cheek implants.
You can’t tell, right? Spend enough on a surgeon and it’s like invisible magic.
Ugly one day, a supermodel the next. But anyways, I’m getting distracted.
Andrea is probably the prettiest woman in Crestmore, and that’s part of the reason why she doesn’t have any friends.
It’s annoying, that sort of physical perfection. ”
Andrea dropped Cameron off at the Montessori center for his weekly sensorial lesson, then headed up the interstate and into Richmond’s Iron Triangle suburb.
She made the turns without consulting the GPS, the streets familiar, the rough area one she felt comfortable in.
The nail salon was in a strip mall, between a shuttered-up Best Buy and a discount beauty supply.
Andrea pulled Ryder out of his car seat and carried him inside, locking and arming the Volvo’s security system before pulling open the salon’s glass door.
There was only one other client in the shop, an older Black woman in a chair at the end of the row, her bare feet already in the water, a gossip magazine open on her lap. Andrea conversed briefly with the technician, then placed Ryder in the chair next to the woman.
“Hey.” She leaned over and gave her a hug. It lasted for a long moment, neither woman wanting to let go, and Andrea closed her eyes, inhaling the familiar scent of Kisi’s perfume.
“Hey, you.” Kisi kissed her on her cheek, then released her. “Now, let me see this beautiful boy.”
“Careful, he’ll steal your heart.” Andrea laughed and picked up Ryder, transferring the pudgy boy to Kisi’s open arms.
“Oh, that’s a battle I won’t win,” she cooed, bringing her face close to the toddler. “Look at those fat cheeks. He’s got Eric’s nose, doesn’t he? And your eyes.”
“Sounds about right.” Andrea settled into the chair and reached down, unlacing her sneakers. “Definitely has Eric’s appetite and stubbornness.”
“Aw, you’ve got a streak of stubbornness yourself.
And hey, maybe he’ll follow in Daddy’s footsteps and become a doctor and save lives.
” She blew softly into the boy’s face, and he giggled.
Ryder may be strong-willed, but he was also, by all accounts, a happy baby.
Not a fear in the world. He’d never have to go to bed at night to the sound of his wife sobbing, or wondering whether today was the day he would be killed.
His entire life would be one easy walk in the park, thanks to the sacrifices she and Eric had made.
“I miss you.” Kisi reached out and gripped Andrea’s hand tightly. “You should come and see me more.”
“I know.” Andrea looked down at their hands. “It’s just . . .”
“I know, I know it’s risky. I follow you on social media so I can see the pictures of the kids—but it’s not the same as this.”
No, it wasn’t the same. Andrea lowered her bare feet into the swirling hot water and accepted a ring with different polish swatches hanging from it.
In a perfect world, Ryder and Cameron would grow up knowing Kisi.
She’d be an honorary aunt to them both, and the first person Andrea would call when they needed a babysitter, or to extend an invite for a birthday party or school event.
But it wasn’t a perfect world, and Eric would be furious at just the thought of her talking to Kisi. Which was why he would never find out about this meeting, or any of the times she had sneaked away to see her best friend.
Andrea selected a pale nude color and passed the ring back to the technician. “You know . . . they found a body in our neighborhood. The detectives say it’s from about five years ago.”
Kisi looked away from Ryder. “A body? You mean a dead body? Male or female?”
“The rumor mill says female, but who knows. Right now, it’s just partial remains. They’re looking for the rest of it.”
“The police think it might be Roxanne?”
“Well, Tony does. And a few other detectives came by the house, asking questions. I don’t think it makes sense.
I mean, our neighborhood is twenty miles from the park, but .
. .” Andrea shrugged. “I don’t like Tony being around.
And Patrizia showed up today, being all .
. .” She blew out a breath. “Aggressive.”
“Well, they’ll identify the body and Patrizia will go back home and Tony will find something else to focus on.” Kisi shrugged, as if it were easy and within a few days, everything would return to normal.
And maybe it would. But what if it didn’t? Statistically, it was much more likely that this was the first spark of a match that would start a forest fire. She pressed the massage-function button on her chair and tried to relax against the leather.
“Trust me,” Kisi commanded. “Look at you. You’re obsessing over this.”
Which was a perfectly normal thing to do, Andrea reasoned.
Right now, every woman in Crestmore was thinking about this development.
It only made sense for her to be among those ranks, especially with everyone assuming the body might be Roxanne’s.
“It might take years for the body to be identified, especially if it’s been in the water for this long. ”
The former obstetrician clicked her tongue.
“Identified, yes. But you don’t need an ID.
They just need to eliminate Roxanne as the victim.
Why does it matter who it is? As far as you’re concerned, it only matters who it isn’t.
They have Roxanne’s dental records, don’t they?
So there. Tony and Patrizia will go away, and you’ll be fine. ”
She was right. In addition to dental records, they also had Roxanne’s DNA.
It should be quick and easy to prove that the body wasn’t hers.
Maybe this whole thing would easily blow over.
Ryder laughed and she looked over to see him tugging on a curl of Kisi’s hair.
She had gorgeous hair. It was an extension of her personality—all wild beauty.
Andrea got a sudden lump in her throat at the painful awareness that she was, over time, losing her best friend.
You couldn’t maintain a connection with stolen meetups once or twice a year.
She blinked and her vision blurred. Swearing, she reached for her purse and the small package of tissues that she kept there.
“Hey now.” Kisi patted her arm. “It’s okay.”
But it wasn’t okay. It hadn’t been for years.