if everyone likes pizza. I know Melanie does.'
'Where is Melanie?' Pen asked.
'Still asleep. I was in LA a couple of years ago and had this great pizza at some place not far from here.'
'That must have been La Barbera's,' Pen said.
'Right, that's the place. Is it still around?'
'Sure.'
'Why don't I drive over and pick one up?'
'Oh,' Joyce said, 'that's a lot of trouble.'
'No more trouble than you making something for all of us. Besides, I've really got a craving for that stuff. It's the best pizza I've ever tasted.'
'If you feel that strongly about it,' Joyce said. 'The least I can do is call in the order. What kind should we get?'
'Melanie doesn't like mushrooms.'
'How about salami?' Pen suggested.
'Mushrooms on half.'
'Sounds good to me.'
Joyce took a sip of wine, then left to make the call.
'Maybe you could give me directions,' Bodie said.
'I can do better than that,' Pen told him. 'I'll go with you and act as navigator.'
'I'd be glad to have you along. Maybe you'd better stay here, though. Melanie might come down while we're gone, and I don't think she'd like the idea that both of us went off without her. Besides, you might be needed as a referee.'
Pen frowned.
Bodie glanced over his shoulder as if to make sure that Joyce wasn't returning. 'Melanie wasn't too happy about finding that Harrison fellow here. She thinks there was maybe some hanky-panky going on.'
'It crossed my mind, too,' Pen admitted.
'Anyway, I don't know whether she'd say anything, but it might help the situation if you're around.'
'I suppose you're right.'
Bodie sat up straight and drank the last of his beer. 'So. How do I get to La Barbera's from here?'
'Easy.'
While she was explaining the directions, Joyce returned, opening her purse. 'They said it should be ready in half an hour.'
'This is my treat,' Bodie told her.
'No, really, I insist.' She took out a twenty-dollar bill. Bodie waved it off. 'No way,' he said, and Joyce didn't argue.
When Bodie was gone, Joyce said, 'He seems like a very nice young man.'
'Yeah. I'd say Melanie lucked out. She's been involved with some awful twerps.'
'I wouldn't know about that.' Joyce sat down and took a sip of wine. She turned sideways, sliding a knee onto the couch and resting an arm on the back. 'I'm glad she's staying. It's awful that it took something like this to get her here, but maybe we'll finally have a chance to… mend fences. It would be nice if she could like me.' Joyce smiled a little sadly. 'Why couldn't she be more like you?'
'Melanie sees things differently.'
'Don't I know it? I'm young enough to be Whit's daughter, a cold-hearted gold digger and a slut.'
'That about sums it up.'
'I love Whit.'
'You'd have a hard time convincing Melanie of that.'
'I shouldn't have to,' Joyce said. 'But it would be such a relief if she could learn to accept me. We don't have to be buddies. Just… I can feel the chill. Even when she's trying to act pleasant, there's always this chill.'
'I know.'
'Like I'm a spider, or something, and she'd like to step on me.'
CHAPTER TEN
Pen climbed the stairs and went down the corridor to Melanie's room. She knocked lightly on the door.
'Who is it?'
' Me. ' She entered and shut the door.
Melanie, on the bed, was covered to the chest. Her shoulders were bare.
'I wanted to make sure you were awake. Bodie went to get pizza. He should've been back by now, but…'
'Where'd he go?'
'La Barbera's. He's been gone over an hour. Hope he didn't get lost.'
'Did he go alone?'
Pen nodded. 'I offered to show him the way, but he thought I should stay here with
'Where is Melanie?' Pen asked.
'Still asleep. I was in LA a couple of years ago and had this great pizza at some place not far from here.'
'That must have been La Barbera's,' Pen said.
'Right, that's the place. Is it still around?'
'Sure.'
'Why don't I drive over and pick one up?'
'Oh,' Joyce said, 'that's a lot of trouble.'
'No more trouble than you making something for all of us. Besides, I've really got a craving for that stuff. It's the best pizza I've ever tasted.'
'If you feel that strongly about it,' Joyce said. 'The least I can do is call in the order. What kind should we get?'
'Melanie doesn't like mushrooms.'
'How about salami?' Pen suggested.
'Mushrooms on half.'
'Sounds good to me.'
Joyce took a sip of wine, then left to make the call.
'Maybe you could give me directions,' Bodie said.
'I can do better than that,' Pen told him. 'I'll go with you and act as navigator.'
'I'd be glad to have you along. Maybe you'd better stay here, though. Melanie might come down while we're gone, and I don't think she'd like the idea that both of us went off without her. Besides, you might be needed as a referee.'
Pen frowned.
Bodie glanced over his shoulder as if to make sure that Joyce wasn't returning. 'Melanie wasn't too happy about finding that Harrison fellow here. She thinks there was maybe some hanky-panky going on.'
'It crossed my mind, too,' Pen admitted.
'Anyway, I don't know whether she'd say anything, but it might help the situation if you're around.'
'I suppose you're right.'
Bodie sat up straight and drank the last of his beer. 'So. How do I get to La Barbera's from here?'
'Easy.'
While she was explaining the directions, Joyce returned, opening her purse. 'They said it should be ready in half an hour.'
'This is my treat,' Bodie told her.
'No, really, I insist.' She took out a twenty-dollar bill. Bodie waved it off. 'No way,' he said, and Joyce didn't argue.
When Bodie was gone, Joyce said, 'He seems like a very nice young man.'
'Yeah. I'd say Melanie lucked out. She's been involved with some awful twerps.'
'I wouldn't know about that.' Joyce sat down and took a sip of wine. She turned sideways, sliding a knee onto the couch and resting an arm on the back. 'I'm glad she's staying. It's awful that it took something like this to get her here, but maybe we'll finally have a chance to… mend fences. It would be nice if she could like me.' Joyce smiled a little sadly. 'Why couldn't she be more like you?'
'Melanie sees things differently.'
'Don't I know it? I'm young enough to be Whit's daughter, a cold-hearted gold digger and a slut.'
'That about sums it up.'
'I love Whit.'
'You'd have a hard time convincing Melanie of that.'
'I shouldn't have to,' Joyce said. 'But it would be such a relief if she could learn to accept me. We don't have to be buddies. Just… I can feel the chill. Even when she's trying to act pleasant, there's always this chill.'
'I know.'
'Like I'm a spider, or something, and she'd like to step on me.'
CHAPTER TEN
Pen climbed the stairs and went down the corridor to Melanie's room. She knocked lightly on the door.
'Who is it?'
' Me. ' She entered and shut the door.
Melanie, on the bed, was covered to the chest. Her shoulders were bare.
'I wanted to make sure you were awake. Bodie went to get pizza. He should've been back by now, but…'
'Where'd he go?'
'La Barbera's. He's been gone over an hour. Hope he didn't get lost.'
'Did he go alone?'
Pen nodded. 'I offered to show him the way, but he thought I should stay here with
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