together.
“We’re in here, Sally.’’ Turning in her chair, Mama quickly surveyed her reflection in the countertop toaster. She Apricot Iced. Then, she offered the lipstick to me. In vain, of course.
“Well, at least wipe the barbecue sauce off your face,’’ she hissed.
“Carlos likes barbecue sauce.’’
Maddie laughed, and the sound warmed my heart.
I handed Mama a banana from the fruit bowl on the table. “Quick, take the peel off this and drop it down your blouse.’’
She cocked her head in a question.
“I told Maddie how good that rotten banana looked on you when we were digging through the dump for your ring.’’
“Shhh!’’ She craned her neck to look toward the living room. “Don’t remind Sal. He’s none too happy his ring nearly got trashed.’’
The ceramic ducks on Mama’s display shelves shook as Sal’s heavy footsteps led the way to the kitchen. “There’s my gorgeous gal!’’ Gawgeous, he said. “Am I the luckiest husband in the world, or what?’’
Mama jumped up for a hug. Sal gave her a long, wet-sounding kiss. Trapped in the center of their tight embrace, Teensy squirmed to get free. Sal placed the dog on the floor and went in for a second smooch, this one even more passionate.
“Get a room, would you?’’ Maddie said.
Carlos squeezed around Sal to put a hand on my shoulder. When
I lifted my face for a more personal greeting, he pointed a finger toward my chin. “You’ve got something orangey-red all over there.’’
Mama’s smile was victorious as she handed me a damp napkin.
I wiped the remnants of dinner off my face while the two men got settled at the table. Teensy hopped onto Sal’s lap, and was soon snoring atop the spacious expanse of the big man’s stomach. Carlos asked, “How’d it go with the victim’s sister?’’
“Prudence,’’ I said. “And the dead girl’s name was Camilla.’’
“I’m working the case. I know their names.’’
“So why don’t you use them?’’
“Carlos don’t mean nothing by it, Mace. Sometimes cops depersonalize the people involved in crimes—both the victims and the perps. It makes the job easier. Right, partner?’’
Carlos’s only answer was a curt nod.
“Well,’’ I said, “we just spent a couple of hours with Prudence. It seems to me the death of her sister was quite personal.’’
Carlos glowered at me. “I think I know that better than most.’’
I felt a sharp jab on the top of my foot. Mama should have stomped even harder with that kitten heel. I deserved it, for pointing out that murder is personal to a man who lost his wife in a vicious homicide.
Maddie rescued me. “Prudence told us she and Camilla were estranged.’’
Carlos lifted an eyebrow. “How estranged?’’ I could almost hear the wheels and gears grinding in his detective’s brain.
We caught him up with what she’d said—how their twin bond was strained but not torn, and how she didn’t want to elaborate on exactly why. “Did anyone else notice that mean look on her face when she talked about how Camilla was dressed?’’ I asked.
I was met with blank stares from Mama and my sisters. “I did think it was strange she wanted to grill Mace about solving murders,’’ Marty said.
“Prudence had the tough task today of officially identifying her sister’s body,’’ Carlos said. “She took it pretty hard.’’
“Has the medical examiner determined how Camilla died?’’ I asked.
Carlos exchanged a look with Sal. “It’ll all be in the newspaper tomorrow.’’
“My cousin Henry already told us what he’d discovered from his sources at the courthouse,’’ I said. “She was strangled, right?’’
Another curt nod.
Sal gently petted the sleeping dog. “Strangulation often has sexual overtones.’’
Flashing back to the racy getup Camilla wore, I fought the urge to say, Gee Sal, ya think?
Mama stood up and began clearing the table. “I’m putting a mora torium tonight on any
“We’re in here, Sally.’’ Turning in her chair, Mama quickly surveyed her reflection in the countertop toaster. She Apricot Iced. Then, she offered the lipstick to me. In vain, of course.
“Well, at least wipe the barbecue sauce off your face,’’ she hissed.
“Carlos likes barbecue sauce.’’
Maddie laughed, and the sound warmed my heart.
I handed Mama a banana from the fruit bowl on the table. “Quick, take the peel off this and drop it down your blouse.’’
She cocked her head in a question.
“I told Maddie how good that rotten banana looked on you when we were digging through the dump for your ring.’’
“Shhh!’’ She craned her neck to look toward the living room. “Don’t remind Sal. He’s none too happy his ring nearly got trashed.’’
The ceramic ducks on Mama’s display shelves shook as Sal’s heavy footsteps led the way to the kitchen. “There’s my gorgeous gal!’’ Gawgeous, he said. “Am I the luckiest husband in the world, or what?’’
Mama jumped up for a hug. Sal gave her a long, wet-sounding kiss. Trapped in the center of their tight embrace, Teensy squirmed to get free. Sal placed the dog on the floor and went in for a second smooch, this one even more passionate.
“Get a room, would you?’’ Maddie said.
Carlos squeezed around Sal to put a hand on my shoulder. When
I lifted my face for a more personal greeting, he pointed a finger toward my chin. “You’ve got something orangey-red all over there.’’
Mama’s smile was victorious as she handed me a damp napkin.
I wiped the remnants of dinner off my face while the two men got settled at the table. Teensy hopped onto Sal’s lap, and was soon snoring atop the spacious expanse of the big man’s stomach. Carlos asked, “How’d it go with the victim’s sister?’’
“Prudence,’’ I said. “And the dead girl’s name was Camilla.’’
“I’m working the case. I know their names.’’
“So why don’t you use them?’’
“Carlos don’t mean nothing by it, Mace. Sometimes cops depersonalize the people involved in crimes—both the victims and the perps. It makes the job easier. Right, partner?’’
Carlos’s only answer was a curt nod.
“Well,’’ I said, “we just spent a couple of hours with Prudence. It seems to me the death of her sister was quite personal.’’
Carlos glowered at me. “I think I know that better than most.’’
I felt a sharp jab on the top of my foot. Mama should have stomped even harder with that kitten heel. I deserved it, for pointing out that murder is personal to a man who lost his wife in a vicious homicide.
Maddie rescued me. “Prudence told us she and Camilla were estranged.’’
Carlos lifted an eyebrow. “How estranged?’’ I could almost hear the wheels and gears grinding in his detective’s brain.
We caught him up with what she’d said—how their twin bond was strained but not torn, and how she didn’t want to elaborate on exactly why. “Did anyone else notice that mean look on her face when she talked about how Camilla was dressed?’’ I asked.
I was met with blank stares from Mama and my sisters. “I did think it was strange she wanted to grill Mace about solving murders,’’ Marty said.
“Prudence had the tough task today of officially identifying her sister’s body,’’ Carlos said. “She took it pretty hard.’’
“Has the medical examiner determined how Camilla died?’’ I asked.
Carlos exchanged a look with Sal. “It’ll all be in the newspaper tomorrow.’’
“My cousin Henry already told us what he’d discovered from his sources at the courthouse,’’ I said. “She was strangled, right?’’
Another curt nod.
Sal gently petted the sleeping dog. “Strangulation often has sexual overtones.’’
Flashing back to the racy getup Camilla wore, I fought the urge to say, Gee Sal, ya think?
Mama stood up and began clearing the table. “I’m putting a mora torium tonight on any
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