made; and all of us caught up in the wreckage that had been Crystal’s life after returning to her native turf.
“Crystal was here just long enough to make enemies,” I said. “Father Den found her body.”
Rosemary speared a pineapple chunk from her salad. “I definitely remember that. He offered prayers for her at Mass, though she wasn’t Catholic. It happened before I became prosecutor. I’ll have to fill in the background for Des and ask if Conley is his landlord.” She turned wistful. “He plans to stay only for the summer. Oh—he’s not Catholic.”
“Neither is Milo,” I pointed out. “Are you engaged already?”
Rosemary almost choked on her pineapple. “No,” she finally sputtered. “But he’s the first guy I’ve gone out with in ages that has
possibilities
. We had such a good time last night. Our reservation wasn’t until eight and we were the last ones still there when they closed at eleven. We had so much to talk about.”
“That’s a good sign,” I said. “At first I felt Milo and I had little in common. But we always talked a lot from the start. It didn’t dawn on me until I married him that what we had together was Alpine itself.”
Rosemary’s eyes twinkled. “That figures. He’s the law around here and you’re the voice of the people. You’re icons. Have you forgotten the gossip you two caused when he kissed you on a street corner?”
I looked askance. “That was so dumb I still can’t believe it, especially at our age. We’re more like relics then icons. When are you seeing Des again?”
“Friday,” she replied. “Maybe a movie and then a late supper at the ski lodge. Des hasn’t been here long enough to get frustrated by the lack of places to go on a date or just out for an evening. Besides, being a writer, he likes the relative quiet. I guess L.A. can get overwhelming.”
The conversation drifted off along the lines of how contemporary courtship had changed and yet remained the same, why it was so hard to find the Right Person or any person, and being thankful that neither of us had been stupid enough to get married when we weren’t yet grown-ups. I was tempted to mention Vida’s outburst, but opted for discretion. Rosemary already knew from her own experience how touchy my House & Home editor could be, especially when it came to Roger.
Not only had it grown warmer when I stepped out from the diner, but I dreaded going back to the office. Worse yet, I was resentful of Vida for making me feel that way. So many Alpiners thought she ran the newspaper and I worked for her. That’s always bothered me, but it’s understandable, given her high profile in town and her longer tenure with the
Advocate
. My other concern was that her attitude would contaminate the rest of the staff. It was already making me feel sick, at least at heart.
To put off the inevitable, I pulled up in front of the sheriff’s headquarters. Maybe there was some news. Jack Mullins was on the phone and Lori either wasn’t on the job or else hadn’t returned from lunch. Jack winked and gestured at the sheriff’s open door.
“Where’d you come from?” Milo asked, looking up from his monitor.
I fell gracelessly into one of his two visitor chairs. “Vida pitched a five-star fit and I’m upset.”
Milo seemed unmoved. “So? It’s not the first time.”
“This is different,” I asserted. “She doesn’t think I trust her and feels I’ve broken our friendship by marrying you.”
Milo just looked at me. “She thought you’d marry
her
? Things have gotten a little weird in the last few years, but even if you women want to marry each other, isn’t she kind of old for you?”
I slapped my hand too hard on his desk and winced. “It’s not funny!” I yipped.
“You’ve done this before with her,” he said. “If you’re really pissed, fire her. You know damned well that job means everything to her, especially now that Roger’s in the slammer. She’ll come around.”
“But
“Crystal was here just long enough to make enemies,” I said. “Father Den found her body.”
Rosemary speared a pineapple chunk from her salad. “I definitely remember that. He offered prayers for her at Mass, though she wasn’t Catholic. It happened before I became prosecutor. I’ll have to fill in the background for Des and ask if Conley is his landlord.” She turned wistful. “He plans to stay only for the summer. Oh—he’s not Catholic.”
“Neither is Milo,” I pointed out. “Are you engaged already?”
Rosemary almost choked on her pineapple. “No,” she finally sputtered. “But he’s the first guy I’ve gone out with in ages that has
possibilities
. We had such a good time last night. Our reservation wasn’t until eight and we were the last ones still there when they closed at eleven. We had so much to talk about.”
“That’s a good sign,” I said. “At first I felt Milo and I had little in common. But we always talked a lot from the start. It didn’t dawn on me until I married him that what we had together was Alpine itself.”
Rosemary’s eyes twinkled. “That figures. He’s the law around here and you’re the voice of the people. You’re icons. Have you forgotten the gossip you two caused when he kissed you on a street corner?”
I looked askance. “That was so dumb I still can’t believe it, especially at our age. We’re more like relics then icons. When are you seeing Des again?”
“Friday,” she replied. “Maybe a movie and then a late supper at the ski lodge. Des hasn’t been here long enough to get frustrated by the lack of places to go on a date or just out for an evening. Besides, being a writer, he likes the relative quiet. I guess L.A. can get overwhelming.”
The conversation drifted off along the lines of how contemporary courtship had changed and yet remained the same, why it was so hard to find the Right Person or any person, and being thankful that neither of us had been stupid enough to get married when we weren’t yet grown-ups. I was tempted to mention Vida’s outburst, but opted for discretion. Rosemary already knew from her own experience how touchy my House & Home editor could be, especially when it came to Roger.
Not only had it grown warmer when I stepped out from the diner, but I dreaded going back to the office. Worse yet, I was resentful of Vida for making me feel that way. So many Alpiners thought she ran the newspaper and I worked for her. That’s always bothered me, but it’s understandable, given her high profile in town and her longer tenure with the
Advocate
. My other concern was that her attitude would contaminate the rest of the staff. It was already making me feel sick, at least at heart.
To put off the inevitable, I pulled up in front of the sheriff’s headquarters. Maybe there was some news. Jack Mullins was on the phone and Lori either wasn’t on the job or else hadn’t returned from lunch. Jack winked and gestured at the sheriff’s open door.
“Where’d you come from?” Milo asked, looking up from his monitor.
I fell gracelessly into one of his two visitor chairs. “Vida pitched a five-star fit and I’m upset.”
Milo seemed unmoved. “So? It’s not the first time.”
“This is different,” I asserted. “She doesn’t think I trust her and feels I’ve broken our friendship by marrying you.”
Milo just looked at me. “She thought you’d marry
her
? Things have gotten a little weird in the last few years, but even if you women want to marry each other, isn’t she kind of old for you?”
I slapped my hand too hard on his desk and winced. “It’s not funny!” I yipped.
“You’ve done this before with her,” he said. “If you’re really pissed, fire her. You know damned well that job means everything to her, especially now that Roger’s in the slammer. She’ll come around.”
“But
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