trouble," I said. "This
is wonderful though."
"It was nothing. My housekeeper loves good food, so she
had a ball putting it together." She sipped orange juice, then
pointed at the fabrics with the goblet. "These look nice. Where
would you use them?"
I gulped down my bite of salmon-draped bagel. "I didn't
have a particular place in mind. I brought them to see what
you like."
With a tiny silver fork, Noreen picked up a translucent
orange curl of fish. She rolled it up, popped it into her mouth, and chewed, an appreciative smile on her face. "Naomi outdid
herself with this salmon."
I couldn't talk with a full mouth, so I nodded.
Noreen continued. "Anyway. I like all kinds of things, but
I insist on feel-good fabrics and upholstery. I want only the
best against my skin. I can't stand those trendy burlaps and
scratchy stuff. Give me a slinky silk any day."
I knew where to take this chat next. "What about colors?"
She wrinkled her nose. "I'm just so done with all this white
stuff on black stuff, you know?"
I nodded again.
"I want to surround myself with sultry, rich jewel tones. I
think they make a woman look younger, sexier."
My eyes nearly bugged out. She'd been having an affair
with a married man, now formerly married, and maybe with
a handsome bad-boy builder too, and she thought she needed
colors on her walls to make her more appealing?
I was so out of my league.
"Why don't you show me what colors you like?"
Noreen flipped through the color chips. She tipped her head
one way then the next, intent, focused, sipping juice every so
often. This seemed as good a time as any to launch my attack.
"Did Marge know about you and Steve?"
The goblet fell. Chips of glass flew into the cream cheese.
Juice splashed on the white leather. Noreen's eyes blazed
cobalt fire.
"What do you mean?"
I laughed. I was nervous, and her outraged look hit me
funny. "Don't take me for a fool. Did Marge know you were
having an affair with her husband?"
The color on Noreen's cheeks matched the preserves, which
I still hadn't tried and, even though they looked good, probably
never would now.
"I want you to decorate my new home, not stick your nose
in my private life."
"I'm not sticking my nose in your private life. I'm asking
a question about something that could affect my future. I'm
sure you know the police think I killed Marge."
"Do you think I killed Marge? For Steve?" Her smile wasn't
nice.
"I just asked a question. Did Marge know you were having
an affair with her husband?"
Her glare intensified.
The doorbell rang.
That would be the other man in Noreen's life. I didn't know
how involved she was with Dutch.
"I'll be right back," Noreen said between clenched teeth.
It didn't sound polite or like a promise. It struck me as a
threat.
At this rate, I'd be dismembered before I found out who'd
killed my friend.
"You're here already?" Dutch asked a minute later.
What could I say? I went with the obvious. "Evidently."
"I hope you haven't come up with structural changes for
the place. You'll have to wait until I check out the whole
building before you consider anything like that."
"I brought paint chips and fabrics to see what Noreen
likes-"
"She came to ask nosy questions," our would-be employer
said. "I hope you're not loaded for bear too."
Dutch gave me a dark look. "I came to talk about the Gerrity
mansion. What's your deal?"
"Can't help it if I want to stay out of jail."
He groaned. "What'd you do now?"
"I need to know how Noreen felt about sharing Steve with
Marge."
Dutch's green eyes opened wider. 'Are you crazy?"
"I'm as sane as the next guy." My perch on the white leather
sofa left me at a distinct disadvantage, so I stood. "You'd both
want to know if you were in my shoes."
Noreen sneered. "I'd never get into a mess like yours."
"And I'd never corner someone I thought might be a killer on
my own," Dutch added. "You'd be surprised how short your
life can get if you ask the
is wonderful though."
"It was nothing. My housekeeper loves good food, so she
had a ball putting it together." She sipped orange juice, then
pointed at the fabrics with the goblet. "These look nice. Where
would you use them?"
I gulped down my bite of salmon-draped bagel. "I didn't
have a particular place in mind. I brought them to see what
you like."
With a tiny silver fork, Noreen picked up a translucent
orange curl of fish. She rolled it up, popped it into her mouth, and chewed, an appreciative smile on her face. "Naomi outdid
herself with this salmon."
I couldn't talk with a full mouth, so I nodded.
Noreen continued. "Anyway. I like all kinds of things, but
I insist on feel-good fabrics and upholstery. I want only the
best against my skin. I can't stand those trendy burlaps and
scratchy stuff. Give me a slinky silk any day."
I knew where to take this chat next. "What about colors?"
She wrinkled her nose. "I'm just so done with all this white
stuff on black stuff, you know?"
I nodded again.
"I want to surround myself with sultry, rich jewel tones. I
think they make a woman look younger, sexier."
My eyes nearly bugged out. She'd been having an affair
with a married man, now formerly married, and maybe with
a handsome bad-boy builder too, and she thought she needed
colors on her walls to make her more appealing?
I was so out of my league.
"Why don't you show me what colors you like?"
Noreen flipped through the color chips. She tipped her head
one way then the next, intent, focused, sipping juice every so
often. This seemed as good a time as any to launch my attack.
"Did Marge know about you and Steve?"
The goblet fell. Chips of glass flew into the cream cheese.
Juice splashed on the white leather. Noreen's eyes blazed
cobalt fire.
"What do you mean?"
I laughed. I was nervous, and her outraged look hit me
funny. "Don't take me for a fool. Did Marge know you were
having an affair with her husband?"
The color on Noreen's cheeks matched the preserves, which
I still hadn't tried and, even though they looked good, probably
never would now.
"I want you to decorate my new home, not stick your nose
in my private life."
"I'm not sticking my nose in your private life. I'm asking
a question about something that could affect my future. I'm
sure you know the police think I killed Marge."
"Do you think I killed Marge? For Steve?" Her smile wasn't
nice.
"I just asked a question. Did Marge know you were having
an affair with her husband?"
Her glare intensified.
The doorbell rang.
That would be the other man in Noreen's life. I didn't know
how involved she was with Dutch.
"I'll be right back," Noreen said between clenched teeth.
It didn't sound polite or like a promise. It struck me as a
threat.
At this rate, I'd be dismembered before I found out who'd
killed my friend.
"You're here already?" Dutch asked a minute later.
What could I say? I went with the obvious. "Evidently."
"I hope you haven't come up with structural changes for
the place. You'll have to wait until I check out the whole
building before you consider anything like that."
"I brought paint chips and fabrics to see what Noreen
likes-"
"She came to ask nosy questions," our would-be employer
said. "I hope you're not loaded for bear too."
Dutch gave me a dark look. "I came to talk about the Gerrity
mansion. What's your deal?"
"Can't help it if I want to stay out of jail."
He groaned. "What'd you do now?"
"I need to know how Noreen felt about sharing Steve with
Marge."
Dutch's green eyes opened wider. 'Are you crazy?"
"I'm as sane as the next guy." My perch on the white leather
sofa left me at a distinct disadvantage, so I stood. "You'd both
want to know if you were in my shoes."
Noreen sneered. "I'd never get into a mess like yours."
"And I'd never corner someone I thought might be a killer on
my own," Dutch added. "You'd be surprised how short your
life can get if you ask the
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