to let us in. I have your father’s Social Security number.”
He turned on the computer and laid it on the bed. “I’ll hack into it tonight.”
“Anyone hungry?” Tony swept into the room with a mobile phone in his hand. As soon as he entered, the lamp in the mirror cast a reddish glow over his reflection. Hunching over and wearing nothing but an animal skin, his image looked like a caveman carrying a slingshot.
Kelly stepped between her father and the reflection, blocking his view.
“It’s halftime,” he continued, “and my stomach’s begging for a liver and anchovy pizza. I could order an extra large if anyone’s got the munchies.”
Nathan edged away from the mirror, hoping Tony’s gaze would follow. He had to do something to keep his attention diverted. “Liver and anchovies? You really put that on a pizza?”
“I guess your dad never fed you a real man’s food.” Tony flexed his bicep. “Stick with me, and you’ll have a set of these in no time.” Now his reflected image grew long hair all over his body and looked like a chimpanzee showing off his muscles.
“Dad,” Kelly said, sliding her arm around her father’s elbow and turning him toward the door, “why don’t you go to the Pizza Ranch and get an extra large with half liver and anchovies and the other half with…” She raised her eyebrows at Nathan.
“Uh…pepperoni?” Nathan offered.
“Yeah. Pepperoni.”
“Pepperoni’s okay,” Tony said, nodding. “It has protein.” He dug a set of keys out of his jeans pocket. “Anything else?”
Nathan suppressed a grin. Seeing a chimpanzee in the mirror holding a set of keys almost made him burst out laughing.
“Sure. Can you pick up some of those fruit drinks at Wal-Mart? They’re Nathan’s favorite.”
Nathan lifted his eyebrows at her, but she shot a keep-your-mouth-shut glare at him. He complied. This was no time to protest.
“But that’s the opposite direction from the Pizza Ranch,”Tony said. “I don’t have time to do both before the second half.”
Kelly pushed him toward the door. “I’ll record it for you, and we can all watch it together when you get back.”
Setting his feet, he paused and eyed the photos on the bed. “What’s up with the pictures? Did you get something cool?”
“They’re some old ones that belonged to Nathan’s father.” She pushed harder and guided him out the door and down the hall, her voice fading. “You’d better get going. I heard Nathan’s stomach growling.”
As soon as the door closed, Clara’s shadow dimmed, and the reflection returned to normal.
Nathan ran his hand through his hair. “Whew! That was close!”
“I know.” Clara laid a hand on her abdomen. “When I saw that chimpanzee, I strained so hard to keep from laughing, I think I reopened my hernia.”
He touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“It’s a joke,” she said, patting him on the shoulder. “I hope you get your sense of humor back soon.”
“Yeah.” He dipped his head low. “Me, too.”
She slid the photos together into a pile next to the laptop, careful to keep them in order.
She pointed at his laptop bag. “By the way, I put a new cell phone in there and a debit card for any immediate expenses, so make sure you find them and put them away.”
“I will. Thanks.”
Clara turned the laptop on the bed and tapped a few keys. “Better get started on your father’s email as soon as possible. We need to figure everything out before your parents’ funeral on Tuesday.”
“Tuesday? Did the police find them?”
“An anonymous person sent a photograph of their bodies andsaid he would reveal their location by Monday. If that tip pans out, I want to be ready.”
Nathan swallowed a painful lump. “Do I have to go?”
“Of course you have to. You will be a pallbearer, and I was hoping you’d play something. Dr. Malenkov suggested that you and he should play your favorite duet.”
“No.” Pressing his lips together, he
He turned on the computer and laid it on the bed. “I’ll hack into it tonight.”
“Anyone hungry?” Tony swept into the room with a mobile phone in his hand. As soon as he entered, the lamp in the mirror cast a reddish glow over his reflection. Hunching over and wearing nothing but an animal skin, his image looked like a caveman carrying a slingshot.
Kelly stepped between her father and the reflection, blocking his view.
“It’s halftime,” he continued, “and my stomach’s begging for a liver and anchovy pizza. I could order an extra large if anyone’s got the munchies.”
Nathan edged away from the mirror, hoping Tony’s gaze would follow. He had to do something to keep his attention diverted. “Liver and anchovies? You really put that on a pizza?”
“I guess your dad never fed you a real man’s food.” Tony flexed his bicep. “Stick with me, and you’ll have a set of these in no time.” Now his reflected image grew long hair all over his body and looked like a chimpanzee showing off his muscles.
“Dad,” Kelly said, sliding her arm around her father’s elbow and turning him toward the door, “why don’t you go to the Pizza Ranch and get an extra large with half liver and anchovies and the other half with…” She raised her eyebrows at Nathan.
“Uh…pepperoni?” Nathan offered.
“Yeah. Pepperoni.”
“Pepperoni’s okay,” Tony said, nodding. “It has protein.” He dug a set of keys out of his jeans pocket. “Anything else?”
Nathan suppressed a grin. Seeing a chimpanzee in the mirror holding a set of keys almost made him burst out laughing.
“Sure. Can you pick up some of those fruit drinks at Wal-Mart? They’re Nathan’s favorite.”
Nathan lifted his eyebrows at her, but she shot a keep-your-mouth-shut glare at him. He complied. This was no time to protest.
“But that’s the opposite direction from the Pizza Ranch,”Tony said. “I don’t have time to do both before the second half.”
Kelly pushed him toward the door. “I’ll record it for you, and we can all watch it together when you get back.”
Setting his feet, he paused and eyed the photos on the bed. “What’s up with the pictures? Did you get something cool?”
“They’re some old ones that belonged to Nathan’s father.” She pushed harder and guided him out the door and down the hall, her voice fading. “You’d better get going. I heard Nathan’s stomach growling.”
As soon as the door closed, Clara’s shadow dimmed, and the reflection returned to normal.
Nathan ran his hand through his hair. “Whew! That was close!”
“I know.” Clara laid a hand on her abdomen. “When I saw that chimpanzee, I strained so hard to keep from laughing, I think I reopened my hernia.”
He touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“It’s a joke,” she said, patting him on the shoulder. “I hope you get your sense of humor back soon.”
“Yeah.” He dipped his head low. “Me, too.”
She slid the photos together into a pile next to the laptop, careful to keep them in order.
She pointed at his laptop bag. “By the way, I put a new cell phone in there and a debit card for any immediate expenses, so make sure you find them and put them away.”
“I will. Thanks.”
Clara turned the laptop on the bed and tapped a few keys. “Better get started on your father’s email as soon as possible. We need to figure everything out before your parents’ funeral on Tuesday.”
“Tuesday? Did the police find them?”
“An anonymous person sent a photograph of their bodies andsaid he would reveal their location by Monday. If that tip pans out, I want to be ready.”
Nathan swallowed a painful lump. “Do I have to go?”
“Of course you have to. You will be a pallbearer, and I was hoping you’d play something. Dr. Malenkov suggested that you and he should play your favorite duet.”
“No.” Pressing his lips together, he
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