Claire Voyant by Saralee Rosenberg

and self-absorbed that she was oblivious to the fact that Grams was slowly losing both her mind and her will to live.
    Then it hit me that this might be a wee bit hypocritical. In spite of what I’d led the Fabrikants to believe, I was hardly a good example of the caring, compassionate caregiver. And, too, I supposed Grams shouldn’t be my mother’s sole responsibility. She and Aunt Iris should be equal partners.
    I shuddered just thinking about the scene twenty years from now when it was my, Adam, and Lindsey’s turn to look after never-happy Roberta and know-it-all Lenny. Our luck, they’d be divorced and living in separate nursing homes, competing for the title of biggest pain in the ass.
    And if I had to take bets, Adam would wipe his hands of the whole mess, citing it as the daughters’ job, while Lindsey would probably space out and forget that she had parents altogether. Until the call came from the attorney that it was time for the reading of the will.
    Some bright future I’ve got, I thought as I tiptoed into the kitchen to get my phone. I was about to dial home when I noticed the voice-mail icon and discovered the call I’d missed while at gunpoint was from Drew Fabrikant. We had exchanged cell numbers before saying our good-byes at the airport, but I didn’t expect to hear from him so soon. If there was a God, he had called to tell me the family had second thoughts about my speaking at the funeral.
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    â€œAre you okay?” Drew asked when I reached him in his car. “You sound upset.”
    No. Indecisive. Should I kill myself or order in? Suicide or sushi? “It’s been a long day.”
    â€œCan I do anything for you? Get anything for you?”
    Yeah. See if within the next twenty-four hours you can drum up a furnished apartment with padded walls. “I’m sure I’ll feel better tomorrow. How are you doing? How is your dad?”
    â€œHe’s a mess. My mom’s a mess. My sister, Delia, is in a fetal position. We’re all in shock. But that’s not why I called…. We just found something out that kind of surprised us. I think we should talk.”
    â€œTalk?” Oh good. Here came the end to the perfect day. They’d found out I was a big liar, and as punishment I would have to wear a scarlet letter and reimburse them for Viktor and the limo.
    â€œActually, I was sort of hoping I could see you,” he continued. “There’s something I’d like to show you.”
    It better not be your penis, ’cause I’m in no mood for those games! “Right now?” I gulped.
    â€œAre you busy?”
    Yeah. I’m babysitting a crazed killer. Don’t let the Depends fool you. “I guess not. I mean, I’m really tired, and my grandmother is sleeping now. She might get upset if she woke up and I wasn’t here.”
    â€œCould you leave her a note?”
    â€œIt’s that important?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThen can you lay it on the line with me? ’Cause I am so on overload. Am I in trouble?”
    â€œIn trouble?” he said. “Why would you think that?”
    â€œNo reason. It’s just…to be perfectly honest? I’m sort of a mess myself.”
    â€œI understand. It was a difficult day.”
    â€œDrew, you don’t even know the half of it.”
    Just releasing those words, and realizing there was a sympathetic person at the other end of the line, was all it took. The emotionaldam broke, and it was a gusher. I just couldn’t bear one more minute of this insane, out-of-control day.
    I started babbling about ghosts, guns, and grandmothers. About a job I didn’t want but was afraid to turn down. About a bridal party I should have turned down but didn’t. About turning thirty while getting a sneak preview of eighty. And that was after having this nice man die on my lap.
    â€œI’m not far from your building,” Drew said. “I can be