next on our list of godmothers for Oscar. You weren’t not chosen because we don’t trust you with our baby—I mean, of course we trust you.”
Of course you do. That was why you had me drive all the way up to your house to sit me down in your formal living room to tell me that given my history of inappropriate boyfriends, I couldn’t be counted on to marry a man of quality, and therefore, you and Olivia were choosing a more mature person as godmother. He was sure I understood.
“So I’m next on your list?” I asked.
“That’s right. Next.”
“Meaning, if something happens to the person you did choose, I’ll be godmother.”
Silence.
“Well, yes, I suppose,” he said.
“Aren’t you worried I’ll kill the person you’ve chosen so that I’ll get to be godmother?” I asked while rolling my eyes heavenward. “Who is it, anyway?”
He hung up on me.
Shelley was bringing me another cup of tea (not because she thought me guilty but because she thought I needed soothing) when Ben called ten minutes later.
“Oliver Grunwald has filled out an order of protection against you. You’re not to go within fifty feet of him or Oscar Grunwald.”
“Wait a minute! What? That’s crazy! I can’t go near my own nephew? Does Olivia know about this?”
Ben said he had another call and would be in touch. Click.
Phone receiver in hand, I dialed Olivia’s number. This was ridiculous! She’d set Oliver straight, I was sure.
“Hello?”
“Olivia, it’s Abby.”
Silence.
“Olivia?”
“Abby, I really can’t talk right now. I’ll be in touch, okay?”
“From fifty-one feet?” I asked.
“I’ll call soon,” she said, and hung up.
I stared at the receiver in my hand, tears stinging the backs of my eyes. Oliver was one thing; he’d always been an arrogant jerk. But Olivia?
I heard a discreet cough and whirled around.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping,” Marcella said, tucking her thin brown hair behind her ears, which she always did when she was nervous. “I really wasn’t. I didn’t hear anything.”
“Did you need me for something?” I asked.
Nervous smile. “Mr. Finch would like to see you in his office.”
“I’ll be right there,” I said, and she darted off in her ridiculously high heels.
“Am I being fired?” I whispered to Shelley. “Could you get fired for being a murder suspect? You probably could.”
Your discrimination lawsuit has been thrown out, Miss Foote. If your boss believes you might kill the entire staff, he may fire you.
“Don’t worry,” Shelley said. “Maybe he’s just going to give you the rest of the week off until this crazy circus dies down. Come on, Abs, he’s known you for three years. There’s no way he thinks you could have killed anyone.”
“My brother-in-law has known me for four years and thinks I not only killed one person but tried to kill two more.”
She squeezed my hand. “Tell me everything Finch says.”
I stood up. “Lunch today?”
“You’re a sweetie,” she said. Shelley and Baxter had lunch together every day except Fridays, when he had a staff meeting, and now that they’d broken up, she would probably be feeling very weird come noontime. She’d arrived a half hour late today, a little red eyed from crying. She and Baxter had broken up two days ago because she wouldn’t move in without a ring, and he wouldn’t offer a ring without a trial run. “But stop worrying about me. I’ll be fine. Baxter and I will be back together by next week. Maybe. If he coughs up a diamond.” She sighed. “I’d even take a cubic zirconia.” Her eyes teared up again. “But forget my stupid love life,” she said, dabbing under her eyes. “Just go see what Finch wants. And report back. Then we’ll deal with your dumb brother-in-law. I’m sure if you talk to your sister, she’ll get her husband to undo the order of protection.”
I squeezed her hand. I might be a murder suspect, but at least I
Of course you do. That was why you had me drive all the way up to your house to sit me down in your formal living room to tell me that given my history of inappropriate boyfriends, I couldn’t be counted on to marry a man of quality, and therefore, you and Olivia were choosing a more mature person as godmother. He was sure I understood.
“So I’m next on your list?” I asked.
“That’s right. Next.”
“Meaning, if something happens to the person you did choose, I’ll be godmother.”
Silence.
“Well, yes, I suppose,” he said.
“Aren’t you worried I’ll kill the person you’ve chosen so that I’ll get to be godmother?” I asked while rolling my eyes heavenward. “Who is it, anyway?”
He hung up on me.
Shelley was bringing me another cup of tea (not because she thought me guilty but because she thought I needed soothing) when Ben called ten minutes later.
“Oliver Grunwald has filled out an order of protection against you. You’re not to go within fifty feet of him or Oscar Grunwald.”
“Wait a minute! What? That’s crazy! I can’t go near my own nephew? Does Olivia know about this?”
Ben said he had another call and would be in touch. Click.
Phone receiver in hand, I dialed Olivia’s number. This was ridiculous! She’d set Oliver straight, I was sure.
“Hello?”
“Olivia, it’s Abby.”
Silence.
“Olivia?”
“Abby, I really can’t talk right now. I’ll be in touch, okay?”
“From fifty-one feet?” I asked.
“I’ll call soon,” she said, and hung up.
I stared at the receiver in my hand, tears stinging the backs of my eyes. Oliver was one thing; he’d always been an arrogant jerk. But Olivia?
I heard a discreet cough and whirled around.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping,” Marcella said, tucking her thin brown hair behind her ears, which she always did when she was nervous. “I really wasn’t. I didn’t hear anything.”
“Did you need me for something?” I asked.
Nervous smile. “Mr. Finch would like to see you in his office.”
“I’ll be right there,” I said, and she darted off in her ridiculously high heels.
“Am I being fired?” I whispered to Shelley. “Could you get fired for being a murder suspect? You probably could.”
Your discrimination lawsuit has been thrown out, Miss Foote. If your boss believes you might kill the entire staff, he may fire you.
“Don’t worry,” Shelley said. “Maybe he’s just going to give you the rest of the week off until this crazy circus dies down. Come on, Abs, he’s known you for three years. There’s no way he thinks you could have killed anyone.”
“My brother-in-law has known me for four years and thinks I not only killed one person but tried to kill two more.”
She squeezed my hand. “Tell me everything Finch says.”
I stood up. “Lunch today?”
“You’re a sweetie,” she said. Shelley and Baxter had lunch together every day except Fridays, when he had a staff meeting, and now that they’d broken up, she would probably be feeling very weird come noontime. She’d arrived a half hour late today, a little red eyed from crying. She and Baxter had broken up two days ago because she wouldn’t move in without a ring, and he wouldn’t offer a ring without a trial run. “But stop worrying about me. I’ll be fine. Baxter and I will be back together by next week. Maybe. If he coughs up a diamond.” She sighed. “I’d even take a cubic zirconia.” Her eyes teared up again. “But forget my stupid love life,” she said, dabbing under her eyes. “Just go see what Finch wants. And report back. Then we’ll deal with your dumb brother-in-law. I’m sure if you talk to your sister, she’ll get her husband to undo the order of protection.”
I squeezed her hand. I might be a murder suspect, but at least I
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