doing things for other people, not for yourself. Hey, I know I look like hell, but I’m okay with it. The babies keep me off the streets, right? If I had my way, Drake and Emilie would still be living here and attending ASU, letting me fuss over them, but no, Drake was determined to be an aerospace engineer and just had to go to Cal Tech. Emilie’s at Julliard.”
“She’s a musician?”
“Cello.” Fiona’s wry expression didn’t hide the pride in her eyes. “You have any idea how much a decent cello costs?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “You’re looking at ten thousand for starters, and they go up from there. God help us if she gets a job with a symphony orchestra. We’d have to take out a second mortgage on the house. A third, I mean. Already have a second.” She brightened. “Maybe she’ll get a job with the Phoenix Symphony. Then she could move back home, save us some money.”
She looked into the living room, where the twins’ babbling had stopped. “Uh oh. When it gets quiet, that’s when you have to worry. Excuse me while I go check.”
Fiona was gone long enough for me to reflect on some of my own foster mothers. Madeline topped the list of the good ones, with Mrs. Giblin close behind. Some women seemed to be born maternal, whether they could give birth or not. Whereas others…The act of giving birth was no guarantee of decency. If it had been, the twins wouldn’t be covered with scars.
Fiona finally returned, smelling like shit. Literally. “They’ve found a new game,” she grumbled, as she wetted down a towel in the sink. “Look, can we wrap this up for now? I need to spot-clean the carpet.”
“One more question.” The one I’d purposely put off until last. “Did Kyle shoplift?”
She didn’t turn around. “What makes you ask that?”
“The Cuisinart Elite IV sitting in his aunt’s kitchen.”
Her answer was so soft I had to ask her to repeat it. “We give him an allowance,” she finally said.
“That model can run to six hundred dollars.”
She dropped the towel into the sink and turned to face me. “Oh, all right. Yes, Kyle used to shoplift, but he hasn’t done that in a long time.”
“The Cuisinart looked brand new to me.”
“Appearances can be deceiving.” She bent down and began hauling out bottles and cans of various cleaning solutions. “Not that I haven’t enjoyed our little chat, but I’ve really got to spot-clean that carpet before the stains set.” She straightened back up and blew a stray hair out of her face. “Now, if you don’t mind…”
We were at an impasse, but fortunately I was able to talk her into seeing me again tomorrow at three, the twins’ nap time. By then she would have either come up with a better cover story for Kyle’s supposedly former bad habits, or tell the truth. I hoped it would be the latter.
“You’ve given me a clear sense of Kyle,” I said, as she hustled me through the reeking living room. “Maybe tomorrow we can talk more about his relationship with Ali.”
Opening the front door, she said, “Sure, but long story short, they were a real-life Romeo and Juliet couple.” For a moment, fear flickered across her face. “And you know how that turned out.”
As the door closed behind me, I recalled how the play ended.
With a double suicide.
Not wanting to wait until I got back to Desert Investigations, I drove down to the end of the block and parked under a shady eucalyptus. After making certain she wasn’t peeking out her window, I pulled the envelope out of my pocket and slashed through the duct tape with the penknife I kept in my carryall.
Unwrapped the notes inside. Most were the usual moony teenage professions of love. Except for the last one.
It read…
I HATE MY PARENTS. I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD JUST KILL THEM. MAYBE YOU????
XOXOXO
LUV LUV LUV YOU MADLY
ALI
Chapter Seven
The next morning I learned that the Camerons’ former maid, Eldora Morales, already had a new job. Once
“She’s a musician?”
“Cello.” Fiona’s wry expression didn’t hide the pride in her eyes. “You have any idea how much a decent cello costs?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “You’re looking at ten thousand for starters, and they go up from there. God help us if she gets a job with a symphony orchestra. We’d have to take out a second mortgage on the house. A third, I mean. Already have a second.” She brightened. “Maybe she’ll get a job with the Phoenix Symphony. Then she could move back home, save us some money.”
She looked into the living room, where the twins’ babbling had stopped. “Uh oh. When it gets quiet, that’s when you have to worry. Excuse me while I go check.”
Fiona was gone long enough for me to reflect on some of my own foster mothers. Madeline topped the list of the good ones, with Mrs. Giblin close behind. Some women seemed to be born maternal, whether they could give birth or not. Whereas others…The act of giving birth was no guarantee of decency. If it had been, the twins wouldn’t be covered with scars.
Fiona finally returned, smelling like shit. Literally. “They’ve found a new game,” she grumbled, as she wetted down a towel in the sink. “Look, can we wrap this up for now? I need to spot-clean the carpet.”
“One more question.” The one I’d purposely put off until last. “Did Kyle shoplift?”
She didn’t turn around. “What makes you ask that?”
“The Cuisinart Elite IV sitting in his aunt’s kitchen.”
Her answer was so soft I had to ask her to repeat it. “We give him an allowance,” she finally said.
“That model can run to six hundred dollars.”
She dropped the towel into the sink and turned to face me. “Oh, all right. Yes, Kyle used to shoplift, but he hasn’t done that in a long time.”
“The Cuisinart looked brand new to me.”
“Appearances can be deceiving.” She bent down and began hauling out bottles and cans of various cleaning solutions. “Not that I haven’t enjoyed our little chat, but I’ve really got to spot-clean that carpet before the stains set.” She straightened back up and blew a stray hair out of her face. “Now, if you don’t mind…”
We were at an impasse, but fortunately I was able to talk her into seeing me again tomorrow at three, the twins’ nap time. By then she would have either come up with a better cover story for Kyle’s supposedly former bad habits, or tell the truth. I hoped it would be the latter.
“You’ve given me a clear sense of Kyle,” I said, as she hustled me through the reeking living room. “Maybe tomorrow we can talk more about his relationship with Ali.”
Opening the front door, she said, “Sure, but long story short, they were a real-life Romeo and Juliet couple.” For a moment, fear flickered across her face. “And you know how that turned out.”
As the door closed behind me, I recalled how the play ended.
With a double suicide.
Not wanting to wait until I got back to Desert Investigations, I drove down to the end of the block and parked under a shady eucalyptus. After making certain she wasn’t peeking out her window, I pulled the envelope out of my pocket and slashed through the duct tape with the penknife I kept in my carryall.
Unwrapped the notes inside. Most were the usual moony teenage professions of love. Except for the last one.
It read…
I HATE MY PARENTS. I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD JUST KILL THEM. MAYBE YOU????
XOXOXO
LUV LUV LUV YOU MADLY
ALI
Chapter Seven
The next morning I learned that the Camerons’ former maid, Eldora Morales, already had a new job. Once
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