the table. “I don’t know what else to say.”
“You could say, ‘David is a total creep and bastard and he was never good enough for you.’”
“David
is
a total creep and a bastard, and I never did think he was good enough for you, Lucy.”
Lucy nodded. “That was good, Cassie.”
“I never understood what you saw in him. He’s not worthy of your tears.”
“You’re getting better at this.”
“Actually, I thought you were crazy to marry him in the first place.”
“Nice, honey. Thank you.”
“To tell the truth, he always reminded me a bit of Mr. Janner.”
“Mr. Janner?”
“Sleazy guy who ran the movie theater when we were kids and who always seemed to have teenage boys hanging around him.”
“Okay, perhaps we can ease up a little now. I get the point, and I appreciate it. We’ll reserve the right to reopen the David-bashing at a future time. And I might need a shoulder to cry on now and then. Just a little.”
Cass reached across the table and patted Lucy’s hand. “You can cry on my shoulder anytime.”
“I might take you up on that, you know, so you might want to think twice.” Lucy began to tear up.
“What are you going to do?”
“You mean, am I going to divorce his sorry ass?”
Cass nodded.
“Yes.” Lucy took a deep breath. “One of the reasons I wanted to stay here a little longer was to have some time to get my game plan down, you know? What I want and how we’re going to tell the kids and all that. Oh, I know they’re not babies, but still, it’s going to be a big shock, and I need to find a way to tell them. I just need some space.”
“You can have all the space you want, Luce. If you want to talk, we’ll talk. If you want to be alone, that’s okay, too. And you can stay until you feel like going back. Whenever that might be.”
“You’re still like a sister to me.” Lucy’s eyes filled with tears. Again.
“Hey, you know what they say about blood being thicker, and all that.”
“I want you to know that I appreciate it. I’ll try to stay out of your hair.”
“Truthfully, with this sudden rash of murders, I’m almost never home. And when I am, for the most part I’m asleep.”
“You just go about your business. I’ll do my own little thing.”
“Oh, shit.” Cass frowned. “I meant to change the linens on your bed before you got here. And I was going to go food shopping.”
“I can do the grocery thing tomorrow, not to worry. And you can just tell me where the sheets are. Oh. Wait. Let me guess.” Lucy grinned. “Same place they’ve always been, right? Honestly, Cass, you walk into this house and it’s 1950 all over again. Nothing has changed since Gramma died.”
“I haven’t really had a lot of time to spend decorating, Lucy. For the past few years, I’ve been the only detective in town. We finally hired another one, and his wife decides she hates it here and she wants to go back to Wisconsin. So he, being a good husband, packs it in and leaves us in the middle of a couple of nasty homicides. Long story short, I’m back to being the only detective in town.” Cass blew out a long breath. “Which is a roundabout way of saying I just haven’t had the time.”
“I thought you looked tired. You have dark circles under your eyes. Hey, I have some really good eye cream that takes that dark puffiness away.” Lucy pushed back from the table. “Come on, if you’re finished eating, I’ll get it for you.”
“I’m finished eating—thank you very much for stopping to pick up dinner—but I’m exhausted, Lucy. I think I’ll turn in.”
“No, no, you need to try this cream first. Come on . . .”
Cass got up wearily and locked the back door. She swung her bag over her shoulder and followed Lucy out of the room.
“Leave the kitchen lights on, Cass,” Lucy was saying as she went up the steps. “I’ll come back down and clean up from dinner. I’ll be awake for a while yet.”
She reached the top of the steps and said,
“You could say, ‘David is a total creep and bastard and he was never good enough for you.’”
“David
is
a total creep and a bastard, and I never did think he was good enough for you, Lucy.”
Lucy nodded. “That was good, Cassie.”
“I never understood what you saw in him. He’s not worthy of your tears.”
“You’re getting better at this.”
“Actually, I thought you were crazy to marry him in the first place.”
“Nice, honey. Thank you.”
“To tell the truth, he always reminded me a bit of Mr. Janner.”
“Mr. Janner?”
“Sleazy guy who ran the movie theater when we were kids and who always seemed to have teenage boys hanging around him.”
“Okay, perhaps we can ease up a little now. I get the point, and I appreciate it. We’ll reserve the right to reopen the David-bashing at a future time. And I might need a shoulder to cry on now and then. Just a little.”
Cass reached across the table and patted Lucy’s hand. “You can cry on my shoulder anytime.”
“I might take you up on that, you know, so you might want to think twice.” Lucy began to tear up.
“What are you going to do?”
“You mean, am I going to divorce his sorry ass?”
Cass nodded.
“Yes.” Lucy took a deep breath. “One of the reasons I wanted to stay here a little longer was to have some time to get my game plan down, you know? What I want and how we’re going to tell the kids and all that. Oh, I know they’re not babies, but still, it’s going to be a big shock, and I need to find a way to tell them. I just need some space.”
“You can have all the space you want, Luce. If you want to talk, we’ll talk. If you want to be alone, that’s okay, too. And you can stay until you feel like going back. Whenever that might be.”
“You’re still like a sister to me.” Lucy’s eyes filled with tears. Again.
“Hey, you know what they say about blood being thicker, and all that.”
“I want you to know that I appreciate it. I’ll try to stay out of your hair.”
“Truthfully, with this sudden rash of murders, I’m almost never home. And when I am, for the most part I’m asleep.”
“You just go about your business. I’ll do my own little thing.”
“Oh, shit.” Cass frowned. “I meant to change the linens on your bed before you got here. And I was going to go food shopping.”
“I can do the grocery thing tomorrow, not to worry. And you can just tell me where the sheets are. Oh. Wait. Let me guess.” Lucy grinned. “Same place they’ve always been, right? Honestly, Cass, you walk into this house and it’s 1950 all over again. Nothing has changed since Gramma died.”
“I haven’t really had a lot of time to spend decorating, Lucy. For the past few years, I’ve been the only detective in town. We finally hired another one, and his wife decides she hates it here and she wants to go back to Wisconsin. So he, being a good husband, packs it in and leaves us in the middle of a couple of nasty homicides. Long story short, I’m back to being the only detective in town.” Cass blew out a long breath. “Which is a roundabout way of saying I just haven’t had the time.”
“I thought you looked tired. You have dark circles under your eyes. Hey, I have some really good eye cream that takes that dark puffiness away.” Lucy pushed back from the table. “Come on, if you’re finished eating, I’ll get it for you.”
“I’m finished eating—thank you very much for stopping to pick up dinner—but I’m exhausted, Lucy. I think I’ll turn in.”
“No, no, you need to try this cream first. Come on . . .”
Cass got up wearily and locked the back door. She swung her bag over her shoulder and followed Lucy out of the room.
“Leave the kitchen lights on, Cass,” Lucy was saying as she went up the steps. “I’ll come back down and clean up from dinner. I’ll be awake for a while yet.”
She reached the top of the steps and said,
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