you and Joyce.'
'Joyce,' she muttered.
'Try and be nice to her, okay?'
'Nice. Sure. What do you think Harrison was doing here?'
'I don't think you should jump to conclusions.'
'Did you happen to notice the master bedroom?'
'No.'
'Well, I did. The bed's been used.'
'That doesn't prove much. If she had anything to hide, don't you think she would've tidied up after herself?'
'That's what Bodie said.' Tossing the covers aside, Melanie crawled off the bed. She walked casually toward the corner of the room where her suitcase lay open on the floor. There were no tan lines on her skin. Apparently, she still believed in avoiding the sun. Areas of her back, buttocks and calves had a red hue from lying in bed.
They forced Pen to remember the coroner's slides.
Post-mortem lividity.
Dad. What if he…
The hospital would have called.
'You always were pals with that bitch,' Melanie said, squatting beside the suitcase.
'She's all right.'
Melanie found panties. She stood up, stepped into them, and turned to face Pen. She looked like a bizarre stranger: her sunless skin, her black hair, her black choker, her black lace panties. ' Harrison does get around,' she said.
'Cut it out.'
'I guess you and Joyce have quite a lot in common.'
'For God's sake, Mel.'
Melanie laughed softly. Shaking her head, she turned away and crouched over her suitcase.
The redness behind her shoulders had faded a little.
'I guess I should wear something decent for the hospital,' she said.
'Unless we make a stop by my apartment on the way over, I'm stuck with what I've got on.'
'Bodie thinks we should be staying with you.'
'The offer's still open,' Pen said.
'Do you want us to?' Melanie took a frilly white blouse from her suitcase and put it on.
'You'd probably be more comfortable here,' Pen admitted. 'Besides, you already told Joyce you'd stay.'
'That can be changed.'
'No. It wouldn't be nice.'
'Bodie thinks you're afraid to stay there alone.'
'How flattering.'
'Are you?'
She shrugged, but Melanie's back was to her. 'A little bit, maybe. Nothing I can't handle.'
Melanie lifted out a black skirt.
'We're not going to a funeral tonight,' Pen said.
'Not tonight.'
'You're really going to wear that?'
'Bodie likes me in black.'
'Oh. That's different.'
'You approve, then?'
'I approve.'
***
Bodie shook his head, rolled his eyes upward. 'What happened? Disaster. God save me from the streets of Los Angeles. It all started when I couldn't get over into the right-hand turn lane from San Vicente onto Wilshire. That resulted in quite a detour. When I finally did get to the restaurant, they didn't have our pizza. Apparently, something got screwed up with the phone order - they lost it or something. So I had to reorder and wait around while they made it.' He blew out a long breath. 'At any rate, here I am. An older man but wiser.' As they ate the pizza, they agreed that it was well worth his trouble.
By six o'clock, they were done eating.
That left an hour and a half before time to set out for the hospital.
Joyce went upstairs to bathe and change her clothes.
In the living room, Pen sat in an armchair. Melanie and Bodie took the couch, sitting close together, Melanie's hand on his leg. They talked. But there was no talk of Joyce or Harrison or Dad, as if the subjects were taboo.
Pen's uneasiness grew as the time passed. She had difficulty sitting still, and her chest had a tightness that made breathing a struggle. Finally, she got off her chair. She lay on the floor, knees upraised. That seemed to help.
'Are you all right?' Bodie
'Joyce,' she muttered.
'Try and be nice to her, okay?'
'Nice. Sure. What do you think Harrison was doing here?'
'I don't think you should jump to conclusions.'
'Did you happen to notice the master bedroom?'
'No.'
'Well, I did. The bed's been used.'
'That doesn't prove much. If she had anything to hide, don't you think she would've tidied up after herself?'
'That's what Bodie said.' Tossing the covers aside, Melanie crawled off the bed. She walked casually toward the corner of the room where her suitcase lay open on the floor. There were no tan lines on her skin. Apparently, she still believed in avoiding the sun. Areas of her back, buttocks and calves had a red hue from lying in bed.
They forced Pen to remember the coroner's slides.
Post-mortem lividity.
Dad. What if he…
The hospital would have called.
'You always were pals with that bitch,' Melanie said, squatting beside the suitcase.
'She's all right.'
Melanie found panties. She stood up, stepped into them, and turned to face Pen. She looked like a bizarre stranger: her sunless skin, her black hair, her black choker, her black lace panties. ' Harrison does get around,' she said.
'Cut it out.'
'I guess you and Joyce have quite a lot in common.'
'For God's sake, Mel.'
Melanie laughed softly. Shaking her head, she turned away and crouched over her suitcase.
The redness behind her shoulders had faded a little.
'I guess I should wear something decent for the hospital,' she said.
'Unless we make a stop by my apartment on the way over, I'm stuck with what I've got on.'
'Bodie thinks we should be staying with you.'
'The offer's still open,' Pen said.
'Do you want us to?' Melanie took a frilly white blouse from her suitcase and put it on.
'You'd probably be more comfortable here,' Pen admitted. 'Besides, you already told Joyce you'd stay.'
'That can be changed.'
'No. It wouldn't be nice.'
'Bodie thinks you're afraid to stay there alone.'
'How flattering.'
'Are you?'
She shrugged, but Melanie's back was to her. 'A little bit, maybe. Nothing I can't handle.'
Melanie lifted out a black skirt.
'We're not going to a funeral tonight,' Pen said.
'Not tonight.'
'You're really going to wear that?'
'Bodie likes me in black.'
'Oh. That's different.'
'You approve, then?'
'I approve.'
***
Bodie shook his head, rolled his eyes upward. 'What happened? Disaster. God save me from the streets of Los Angeles. It all started when I couldn't get over into the right-hand turn lane from San Vicente onto Wilshire. That resulted in quite a detour. When I finally did get to the restaurant, they didn't have our pizza. Apparently, something got screwed up with the phone order - they lost it or something. So I had to reorder and wait around while they made it.' He blew out a long breath. 'At any rate, here I am. An older man but wiser.' As they ate the pizza, they agreed that it was well worth his trouble.
By six o'clock, they were done eating.
That left an hour and a half before time to set out for the hospital.
Joyce went upstairs to bathe and change her clothes.
In the living room, Pen sat in an armchair. Melanie and Bodie took the couch, sitting close together, Melanie's hand on his leg. They talked. But there was no talk of Joyce or Harrison or Dad, as if the subjects were taboo.
Pen's uneasiness grew as the time passed. She had difficulty sitting still, and her chest had a tightness that made breathing a struggle. Finally, she got off her chair. She lay on the floor, knees upraised. That seemed to help.
'Are you all right?' Bodie
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