Motherhood Is Murder

“Not much, Margaret. I followed Alan the other day. He came directly home. Didn’t stop anywhere. Do you think he’s still having the affair?”

“It’s strange. I know. He’s been coming home on time lately and is seemingly more interested in me and the kids. I’m not buying it, though. He’s only doing that because I confronted him. I think he’s trying to get me off my guard. I can’t trust him, Kate.”

“Are you going to stay with your mom for a while?”

Her face conveyed a sudden sadness. “Yes, I’m leaving with the kids tomorrow. I haven’t told Alan, though.”

Another car rolled down the street and had to maneuver around me.

“Is it okay if I park in your driveway? I’d like to ask Sara a few things.”

Margaret looked annoyed. She crossed her bare arms in front of herself and rubbed them. “Sara? What do you need to see her about?”

“Well, I’m trying to get to the bottom of what happened to Helene.”

What did she think I wanted to see her about?

“Well, Sara doesn’t know anything.”

Another car came down the street. I waved at the driver to go around.

“Okay. Sure, park here.” Margaret motioned for me to pull into her driveway.

I parked and got out of the car, then unhitched Laurie’s car seat from the back. She was sound asleep. I tucked a knit blanket securely around her to protect her from the wind that threatened to bluster at any moment.

The exchange between us now felt halted and awkward. “I’m going to run across the street and meet Sara.”

“Of course.” Margaret reached out and patted my arm. “Do you need help with the diaper bag and gear and all?”

I smiled, reassuring her all was fine between us. “No. I got it. Thanks!”

I was a little nervous about meeting with Sara since the last time I’d seen her, at Helene’s funeral, she’d given me such an unwelcoming vibe and now wasn’t even returning my calls.

She answered the bell on the first ring. She had on a red wool sweater and fitted jeans.

“Oh, hi, Kate.” She looked beyond me then back. “Are you here alone?”

I held up Laurie’s bucket. “Just me and my monkey.”

She smiled. “Right. Yes. I got your messages. I’m sorry I haven’t called you back. Busy, busy, busy.”

After an awkward moment, she ushered Laurie and me into her enormous living room. A baby play station, complete with swing, rocking chair, colorful balls, and mirrors, dominated the room. In the center of it all sat a beautiful rosy-cheeked little girl, who graced us with a toothless smile as we entered the room.

“This is Amanda. You can put Laurie on the playmat with her when she wakes up. Amanda loves company.”

At that moment Amanda squeezed a cow on the play station. A high-pitched rendition of “Old MacDonald” started playing.

I nodded, nestling Laurie’s car seat next to my chair as I took a seat by the window. “Great. I’m sure she’ll love all the colors and sounds.”

If they don’t wake her immediately.

“Probably too little for it still. Amanda just started playing in it a few weeks ago. She’s six months now,” Sara said.

“Is she your first?”

Sara nodded.

“So you joined Roo amp; You a few months ago after Amanda was born?”

Sara looked up toward the ceiling as if trying to recall the actual date. “Let’s see. I joined, more or less, unofficially before she was born. Because I knew Margaret from across the street, the others were always hanging out at her place. So when I was about six months pregnant and full of baby questions, I started attending the playdates.” She indicated my car through the front window. “I see that you spoke with Margaret already.”

I turned to look out the window and could plainly see my Chevy parked in Margaret’s driveway. “Yeah. I didn’t know you two were neighbors until Evelyn mentioned it the other day.”

At the mention of Evelyn’s name, anger flashed across Sara’s eyes and she glanced toward Amanda.

After a moment, she said, “I’ve lived here about four years. We’re a tight group of neighbors. Watch each other’s dogs when we vacation and pick up mail. That sort of thing.”

I looked around for signs of a dog but didn’t see any. Maybe Sara was only a dog watcher.

“Margaret befriended me immediately when I moved in. Which was great, because coming from the East Coast, I didn’t know a lot of people and Howard works a lot. He’s a general contractor. It was nice to have a friend right away.”

“She’s very nice. I imagine she’s been a good friend to have.”

Sara tilted her head and looked across the street thoughtfully. “Margaret is a good friend. Very trusting. She only sees the best in people. When she’s talking to you, it’s as if you’re the only other person in the world. She has a gift for making you feel special. The problem is she can be taken advantage of it and not know it. It’s hard for me to stand by and watch.”

“Taken advantage of how?”

Sara rolled up the sleeves of her wool sweater. “People use her. Helene was definitely what I would classify a taker. And Margaret is a giver. You can imagine what kind of relationship it was.”

“Margaret said Helene was her best friend.”

Sara sighed and shook her head in disapproval.

I waited in silence for her to continue, resisting the urge to check on Laurie and focusing only on Miss No-Nonsense. She seemed to like attention and I hoped it would urge her to open up to me.

Amanda played with some knobs on the playmat and squealed. Both Sara and I turned to her.

“She is so cute. I can’t wait until Laurie can sit up and play like that,” I said.

Sara smiled. “It won’t be long. Time flies. Amanda’s only been sitting since we started water acclamation class. I had no idea it would help with motor skill development.”

It did?

Water acclamation? Weren’t infants just getting used to being out of water?

I hated to ask, but I had to know.

“Where do you take classes?”

She looked down her nose at me. “La Petite Grenouille, of course. Aren’t you enrolled?”