When I opened the front door, I froze. What the hell was Plan B? I wondered as I saw my parents, Uncle Walt, Goldie, Miles, Jagger, Buzz Lightyear (sitting next to Lilla) and ER Dano, all sitting in the living room.
Even my mother didn’t stock enough Renuzit to get me through these kinds of moments.
I sat on the hamper, leaned against the wall, sprayed the Renuzit and inhaled. It wasn’t as if it were a drug and I was really inhaling, but more like it was a breath of home-Mom and Dad.
Knock. Knock.
“Just a sec,” I said, stuck the Renuzit on the back of the commode and opened the door. “What?”
Jagger looked at me and sniffed.
“Shut up,” I said and started to push past him.
He grabbed my arm.
I sighed before pulling away. Actually, I hesitated before I pulled away. “What are you doing here anyway? And why the crowd?” I said.
“Your mother invited-”
I waved his words away. “No nonsense. Just stop. What are Dano and Buzz doing here?”
Jagger looked at me. I knew he’d never answer a direct question to my satisfaction. He said, “You should be glad I brought them. They might help your case.”
Hmm. “What do you know?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why tease me with-”
Jagger’s lips touched mine, taking my words away. Then again, who cared? Words were cheap and flowing, but a kiss from Jagger was special and rare.
I savored every second, until I heard someone clear their throat and turned to see Goldie coming down the hallway. “Sincere apologies, you two, but nature calls,” he said as he whisked past us, shut the door and, I think, giggled.
Jagger stepped back. “Where were you before? I thought you were supposed to be home resting.”
“I was.” He looked at me. Damn it. Why did I even try? “Okay. Okay. I got into Pansy’s office and then Payne’s again.”
“And?”
“And she’s cleaned everything out, if there was anything, which I highly suspect there was.”
“And in Payne’s? Anything new?”
Suddenly the vision of waking up with Sky Palmer leaning over me, dripping a cold compress on my head came over me. “Er…no. She must have cleaned that out too. Where do you suppose she took it all?”
“I’d say her home.”
“Damn it. Now we need to find out where she lives and get into her place? That could be more than I’m capable of or at least willing to do.”
Jagger chuckled. “It’s not as if you’ve never committed breaking and entering, Sherlock.”
I smiled.
He smiled back.
We smiled together, and suddenly I felt something. Some kind of bond with Jagger.
Could life get any better?
“She and Payne had apartments in the Tudor-style house on the northern part of the TLC property.”
Leave it to him to know that. “Wait! That means it’ll be easier to get into it, since it’s on the property.”
Life did just get better, until Jagger shook his head.
“What?” I said. “What?”
“Why does that make it easier? It’ll still have to be B and E.”
I punched his arm, said, “You are always so freaking negative,” and walked away, all the while knowing full well that I had no idea why I’d said it’d be easier-other than the fact that I hoped it would be. Wait! After the memorial service. Great timing. Yeah.
Back at the dining-room table, I sat down, ignored looks from everyone-who I’m sure was wondering what the hell was wrong with me that I was gone so long-and picked up my knife and fork.
“You can cut my beef with a fork, Pauline,” my mother said in a chastising tone.
I looked up. Yes, everyone was staring. “Force of habit. Guess I’m just used to eating my own cooking.” I forced a laugh.
Goldie returned and joined us.
“Where’s Mr. Jagger, Goldie?” Mother asked.
“Oh. He said he was sorry, everything was delicious but he had to go.” Goldie sat down and picked up his fork, cut his meat and took a bite.
Damn it.
And where the hell did Jagger go? If he went to snoop at Pansy’s by himself, I’d cut him with my fork.
“You boys sit still,” Mother said to ER Dano and Buzz. “Pauline and Lilla will help clean up.” She gave me the “mother eye”.
I sat mesmerized for a few seconds as if in a trance. She tended to do that to me. Then I came to-obviously the change in my career also included a change in personality-and said, “Why? Why do women have to do all the work?”
Goldie and Miles gasped.
Buzz remained silent, although he looked frightened. Obviously he’d gotten to know my mother in a very short time.
Lilla mumbled that she didn’t mind helping.
And ER Dano grinned.
I looked him square in the eye. “How about it? A little help?”
He got up, gathered up a stack of dishes and started toward the kitchen.
“Payback for me cleaning the ambulance,” I whispered as he passed me but fully not intending for him to hear.
“Touché,” he said over his shoulder.
Yikes. I had to keep my thoughts to myself around this guy. He was a sharp one.
Sharp enough to commit fraud?
I leaned back and watched him walk through the doorway.
Great butt.
Geez, I hope he wasn’t involved…in the fraud…or with anyone!
Thank goodness I had the job of cleaning up, I thought. It at least kept me from continuing to ogle ER Dano and his great butt.
How pathetic.
Once the dishes were cleared, I took the salt and pepper shakers-Mickey and Minnie Mouse, which Mother had since the fifties I’m sure-into the kitchen. Lilla was wiping the counter.
Daddy had gone to the living room to read-an all-night affair. Uncle Walt excused himself to go out-a date with Old Lady Wimple, he’d whispered to me with a wink.
Eeeeeeyew!
“I’m beat, Mrs. Sokol,” Miles said. “Gold, you ready?”
Goldie looked horrified.
My mother touched his arm. “Not to worry, dearie, I’ll put a slice of chocolate cake on a paper plate and you can take it home. Okay?”
He looked like one of my nephews on Christmas morning.
Gotta love Goldie.
Buzz watched my mother cut the cake, and I think he started to drool.
I had to laugh, until I noticed ER Dano-staring at me.
I wanted to say, “What?” but held my tongue so as not to get into an argument in front of everyone. What the hell was he looking at? When I peeked at him again, he nodded his head toward the back door. Toward the back porch door.
Did he want me to follow him?
When he turned and hesitated, I nearly pointed to my chest and mouthed, “Me?” but it was clear, so I said, “I need some air after all that work,” and before my mother could ask what work, I headed out the door. I heard Dano say, “Good idea. Save me a piece, Mrs. S.”
The moon’s glow shone rays of light onto the porch. In the distance the peepers chirped and a gentle breeze bathed the porch in comfort. The neighbors were their usual quiet selves and only the din of traffic could be heard in the distance.
How very romantic, I thought, until I turned around. Romantic is not the term I’d use to describe ER Dano’s glaring at me.
“What the hell were you doing in Payne’s office today, Nightingale?”
Oops.
Ten
I was never a good liar, but standing out on my parents’ porch with ER Dano interrogating me in an almost threatening way, I decided I had to give it a shot. Lying that was. And, oh yeah, that sure was a threatening way.
“I got lost.” Even before the words came out, I heard myself scream inside my head, “Are you nuts? That’s the worse excuse I’ve ever heard, Pauline!” However, the stupid words still came out. And now I felt stupid.