With knitted eyebrows, she looked as though she was trying to decide whether Charlotte was just kidding around. “You’re going to need to back up a minute, my dear, and tell me what you’re going on about.”
For the next hour, Charlotte told her about what she had found out and what she suspected. Erin listened attentively, interrupting only to ask questions, mostly about how Charlotte felt. They sat on the couch discussing everything as the soup simmered and reduced on the stove. When she’d finished telling Erin everything, Erin covered her friend’s hand with her own. Charlotte knew that this was meant as a comforting gesture, but she thought she detected a slight shaking to her hand, a quiver in her lip as Erin said, “Don’t worry.”
“Do you think I’m in over my head?” Charlotte asked her.
“I think…” Erin started then trailed off before saying, “I don’t think it’s too late. I think you could still make a clean break.”
“You mean, find a new place to work? Away from Joanna and Paul?”
“My darling, I’m more worried about you and this Harriet. You can walk away from colleagues, friends, but can you walk away from someone you’re infatuated with?”
“I don’t know if I’m... if I would put it quite like that. There’s so much I don’t know about her. And I’m not sure if I can even trust her. And, besides,” Charlotte said, feeling newly close to Erin after confiding so much in her this past hour, “I couldn’t walk away from a friend. I know I couldn’t just walk away from you .”
“That’s sweet,” Erin said. Her eyes looked watery.
“I’m not sure what to do, Erin,” Charlotte said.
“I know you don’t, Charlie. But I think you need to be very, very careful. Do you hear me?”
A tear had escaped and ran in a line down Erin’s cheek. Without thinking, Charlotte brushed her tear away with her thumb and cupped her cheek, leaning in and pressing her lips against hers.
Erin kissed her back for only a moment before murmuring, “Not like this.”
“I’m sorry,” Charlotte said.
Erin took her hand and squeezed it. “It’s okay. It’ll all be okay.” Even as she was saying it, they both knew that it was more of a hopeful thought than an assurance. After a moment, she stood abruptly and said the soup was ready.
Chapter Twenty
Charlotte arrived at 85 Westchester Place. She had felt an unfamiliar thrill when Joanna had told her the time of the next meeting – 19:30 hours. This was an hour and a half before her next shift, meaning she would need to wake early to make it there in time. She didn’t mind. In fact, she hardly even slept. She was awake when McGillicuddy announced it was time to get out of bed.
Charlotte looked for Joanna, who had said she would be waiting outside. She was beginning to doubt that Joanna would show when she slipped out from the shadows and walked into the light of a street lamp.
“I’m glad you came,” Joanna said. Apparently, she had had her doubts about Charlotte as well. “Are you ready to go in?”
“I’m ready,” Charlotte replied, although she wondered if she really was.
Upon entering the brownstone, they were confronted by two tall, well-muscled men. The men nodded to Joanna in recognition, but didn’t move to let Charlotte pass. “Is she with you?” the one asked Joanna without taking his eyes off Charlotte.
“Yes, this is Charlie,” she said by way of an introduction.
Charlotte held out her hand to shake his, but he didn’t make a move. Still looking at Charlotte, he again spoke to Joanna. “Have you searched her yet?”
“Searched me?” Charlotte asked, incredulous. She didn’t hear Joanna’s response but the other man began patting down her pockets. He pulled out her pocketknife and sunscreen, the latter of which he opened, sniffed, and then handed back to her.
“You can get the knife back on your way out,” he
For the next hour, Charlotte told her about what she had found out and what she suspected. Erin listened attentively, interrupting only to ask questions, mostly about how Charlotte felt. They sat on the couch discussing everything as the soup simmered and reduced on the stove. When she’d finished telling Erin everything, Erin covered her friend’s hand with her own. Charlotte knew that this was meant as a comforting gesture, but she thought she detected a slight shaking to her hand, a quiver in her lip as Erin said, “Don’t worry.”
“Do you think I’m in over my head?” Charlotte asked her.
“I think…” Erin started then trailed off before saying, “I don’t think it’s too late. I think you could still make a clean break.”
“You mean, find a new place to work? Away from Joanna and Paul?”
“My darling, I’m more worried about you and this Harriet. You can walk away from colleagues, friends, but can you walk away from someone you’re infatuated with?”
“I don’t know if I’m... if I would put it quite like that. There’s so much I don’t know about her. And I’m not sure if I can even trust her. And, besides,” Charlotte said, feeling newly close to Erin after confiding so much in her this past hour, “I couldn’t walk away from a friend. I know I couldn’t just walk away from you .”
“That’s sweet,” Erin said. Her eyes looked watery.
“I’m not sure what to do, Erin,” Charlotte said.
“I know you don’t, Charlie. But I think you need to be very, very careful. Do you hear me?”
A tear had escaped and ran in a line down Erin’s cheek. Without thinking, Charlotte brushed her tear away with her thumb and cupped her cheek, leaning in and pressing her lips against hers.
Erin kissed her back for only a moment before murmuring, “Not like this.”
“I’m sorry,” Charlotte said.
Erin took her hand and squeezed it. “It’s okay. It’ll all be okay.” Even as she was saying it, they both knew that it was more of a hopeful thought than an assurance. After a moment, she stood abruptly and said the soup was ready.
Chapter Twenty
Charlotte arrived at 85 Westchester Place. She had felt an unfamiliar thrill when Joanna had told her the time of the next meeting – 19:30 hours. This was an hour and a half before her next shift, meaning she would need to wake early to make it there in time. She didn’t mind. In fact, she hardly even slept. She was awake when McGillicuddy announced it was time to get out of bed.
Charlotte looked for Joanna, who had said she would be waiting outside. She was beginning to doubt that Joanna would show when she slipped out from the shadows and walked into the light of a street lamp.
“I’m glad you came,” Joanna said. Apparently, she had had her doubts about Charlotte as well. “Are you ready to go in?”
“I’m ready,” Charlotte replied, although she wondered if she really was.
Upon entering the brownstone, they were confronted by two tall, well-muscled men. The men nodded to Joanna in recognition, but didn’t move to let Charlotte pass. “Is she with you?” the one asked Joanna without taking his eyes off Charlotte.
“Yes, this is Charlie,” she said by way of an introduction.
Charlotte held out her hand to shake his, but he didn’t make a move. Still looking at Charlotte, he again spoke to Joanna. “Have you searched her yet?”
“Searched me?” Charlotte asked, incredulous. She didn’t hear Joanna’s response but the other man began patting down her pockets. He pulled out her pocketknife and sunscreen, the latter of which he opened, sniffed, and then handed back to her.
“You can get the knife back on your way out,” he
Similar Books
