purse.
“Why are you being such a…” There
was no need to finish the thought; she knew what I meant. “I mean, aren’t you
curious about who murdered our friend?”
Eve opened a compact and began
studying her face in the small mirror. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly say Rosemary
and I were friends,” she sighed. “More like acquaintances through the book
club.” She snapped the compact and dropped it into her purse. “Which, by the
way, I’m going to have to stop attending.”
Dora shot me a worried look. “Why?”
she asked, clutching Eve’s hand. “This is a time for all of us to band together
and support one another.”
Eve raised one eyebrow. “Isn’t that
what our therapists are for?” Her mouth formed an icy smile. “Or your Xanax
prescription?”
Dora was speechless. She frowned
and shook her head. I waited for a few seconds to see if she’d admonish Eve,
but she simply hunched over her cup and stared at the tepid coffee inside.
“Eve?” I kept my voice firm. “Can I
ask a question?”
“If you must,” Eve said.
“Why are you being so cold about
Rosemary?”
Eve smoothed a wrinkle from the
sleeve of her blouse. “It’s what Dr. Flagg would describe as shock,” she said.
“Yes, that’s it; I’m in shock at the untimely death of a member of your little
book club.”
I bristled at the reply. I wasn’t
close to Eve, but I’d never seen her being so frosty or detached. At our
monthly book club meetings, she’d engaged in lively banter and conversation
with the other girls. And the few times that I’d run into her around town,
she’d been cordial and friendly. I didn’t understand why she was suddenly being
so aloof and surly.
“Well, I hate to be a killjoy,” Eve
announced, reaching for her purse and jacket. “But I’ve got a facial in thirty
minutes on the other side of town. If you two decide what meals I can
contribute for Rosemary’s family, just text me and I’ll forward the details to
our chef. Julio will be glad to whip up something delicious for Ed and those
two brats that Rosemary used to drone on about.”
I bit the inside of my cheek,
trying to decide if I should let her have it or ignore the cruel insult. Before
I could settle on the right course of action, Dora grabbed Eve’s arm.
“What gives you the right to be
such a bitch!” she shrieked. “Our friend just died. And she was murdered! Now,
while we’re trying to discuss ways we can help her family, you suddenly drop
out of book club and start saying really mean things about Rosemary’s kids.
What is going on with you, Eve?”
“Don’t grab me like that!” Eve
snapped, tugging her arm away. “I agreed to meet you here today. And I’ll be
more than happy to have Julio help feed Rosemary’s family. But I’m not interested
in book club. Or anything else you’ve got to say!”
A few people at nearby tables were
now watching the outburst. An elderly woman sitting with two teenagers asked
Eve to keep it down, but there was no need. In a flash, Eve whirled on her
heel, hurried across the crowded coffee shop and disappeared out the door.
“What was that ?” I asked
Dora.
She fell back in her chair with a
stunned expression on her face. “I have no idea. She’s always been a
little chilly to me, but that was…” She giggled nervously. “That was truly
worthy of an Academy Award.”
“Do you think she’s joking then?”
Dora shook her head. “Not at all.
That was the shriek of a very sincere psychopath.”
The remark was out of character for
Dora. She was usually so soft-spoken and demure that I was momentarily rendered
speechless by her description of Eve.
“I’ve heard rumors around town,”
Dora said as I shifted closer. “And I didn’t want to say anything.”
“Rumors?” I whispered, glancing
over my shoulder to make sure no one could hear us. “About Eve?”
“And her husband,” Dora continued.
“She thinks he’s having an affair.”
My mouth fell open.
“Why are you being such a…” There
was no need to finish the thought; she knew what I meant. “I mean, aren’t you
curious about who murdered our friend?”
Eve opened a compact and began
studying her face in the small mirror. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly say Rosemary
and I were friends,” she sighed. “More like acquaintances through the book
club.” She snapped the compact and dropped it into her purse. “Which, by the
way, I’m going to have to stop attending.”
Dora shot me a worried look. “Why?”
she asked, clutching Eve’s hand. “This is a time for all of us to band together
and support one another.”
Eve raised one eyebrow. “Isn’t that
what our therapists are for?” Her mouth formed an icy smile. “Or your Xanax
prescription?”
Dora was speechless. She frowned
and shook her head. I waited for a few seconds to see if she’d admonish Eve,
but she simply hunched over her cup and stared at the tepid coffee inside.
“Eve?” I kept my voice firm. “Can I
ask a question?”
“If you must,” Eve said.
“Why are you being so cold about
Rosemary?”
Eve smoothed a wrinkle from the
sleeve of her blouse. “It’s what Dr. Flagg would describe as shock,” she said.
“Yes, that’s it; I’m in shock at the untimely death of a member of your little
book club.”
I bristled at the reply. I wasn’t
close to Eve, but I’d never seen her being so frosty or detached. At our
monthly book club meetings, she’d engaged in lively banter and conversation
with the other girls. And the few times that I’d run into her around town,
she’d been cordial and friendly. I didn’t understand why she was suddenly being
so aloof and surly.
“Well, I hate to be a killjoy,” Eve
announced, reaching for her purse and jacket. “But I’ve got a facial in thirty
minutes on the other side of town. If you two decide what meals I can
contribute for Rosemary’s family, just text me and I’ll forward the details to
our chef. Julio will be glad to whip up something delicious for Ed and those
two brats that Rosemary used to drone on about.”
I bit the inside of my cheek,
trying to decide if I should let her have it or ignore the cruel insult. Before
I could settle on the right course of action, Dora grabbed Eve’s arm.
“What gives you the right to be
such a bitch!” she shrieked. “Our friend just died. And she was murdered! Now,
while we’re trying to discuss ways we can help her family, you suddenly drop
out of book club and start saying really mean things about Rosemary’s kids.
What is going on with you, Eve?”
“Don’t grab me like that!” Eve
snapped, tugging her arm away. “I agreed to meet you here today. And I’ll be
more than happy to have Julio help feed Rosemary’s family. But I’m not interested
in book club. Or anything else you’ve got to say!”
A few people at nearby tables were
now watching the outburst. An elderly woman sitting with two teenagers asked
Eve to keep it down, but there was no need. In a flash, Eve whirled on her
heel, hurried across the crowded coffee shop and disappeared out the door.
“What was that ?” I asked
Dora.
She fell back in her chair with a
stunned expression on her face. “I have no idea. She’s always been a
little chilly to me, but that was…” She giggled nervously. “That was truly
worthy of an Academy Award.”
“Do you think she’s joking then?”
Dora shook her head. “Not at all.
That was the shriek of a very sincere psychopath.”
The remark was out of character for
Dora. She was usually so soft-spoken and demure that I was momentarily rendered
speechless by her description of Eve.
“I’ve heard rumors around town,”
Dora said as I shifted closer. “And I didn’t want to say anything.”
“Rumors?” I whispered, glancing
over my shoulder to make sure no one could hear us. “About Eve?”
“And her husband,” Dora continued.
“She thinks he’s having an affair.”
My mouth fell open.
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