Read Online Cult by Warren Adler - Free Book Online

her, his eyes were still moist. Without looking at him, she handed him some tissues. His exclusion had, inexplicably, angered her.
What did it matter?
she told herself bravely. He had no obligation to include her.
    â€œAmazing,” Barney said as the car headed into Washington. Time had slipped away and it had grown dark. She flicked on her headlights. “I’ve seen it on television, read it all in the papers. I’ve heard this all before. Other names. Other faces. It meant nothing. It’s what happens to other people.”
    â€œBarney….”
    She needed to punch a fresh breeze into this vacuum of emotion, into herself as well. Seeing Barney like this reminded her that they were different people, living on different planets. They felt different things, thought different thoughts.
    â€œI don’t believe it can happen to just anyone,” she said, remembering what Mrs. Prococino had told her.
    He shrugged, lost in his own thoughts. She hadn’t made any impact.
    â€œWhere are you staying?” she asked.
    â€œOh.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key.
    â€œThe Marriott. Near the Pentagon.”
    Heading the car through traffic on 16th Street, she realized she was taking the longest way, stalling. She needed to make sure to cover all the possibilities.
    â€œI’m just wondering… was there anything between you and Charlotte before she left to visit her sister?”
    His wife’s name seemed to recall his sense of the present.
    â€œNone.”
    â€œNo arguments?”
    â€œWe had arguments, sure,” he said, growing restless. His foot tapped on the car floor. “Nothing cataclysmic. We have plenty of money. We traveled. Last year, I made nearly five hundred thousand. She had everything she needed.”
    â€œEverything?”
    She was probing now, the stiletto in her mind sharpening, the old curiosity exploding. Often in her work, she had to burrow in this way to get at the truth. Recently, she had probed a government official in Rwanda in this way, showing no mercy, deflecting his obfuscations.
I’m speaking for the dead and missing,
she assured herself. Bleeding for them. Was she bleeding for Charlotte now? Identifying with her?
    â€œNot everything is measured in material things, Barney,” she lectured, an echo of the past. He bit his lip. She was surprised at his concurrence in the conversation, surprised that he was lending himself so readily. It encouraged her to probe deeper.
    â€œShe had Kevin.” A nerve began to palpitate in his jaw.
    â€œAnd you.”
    â€œWas she happy?”
    â€œHappy? Why not?” He seemed to be looking deeply within himself now, the flare-up of belligerence subsiding.
    â€œWhat kind of a person is Charlotte?” she asked suddenly.
    â€œShe’s like a piece of fine china. I’m not saying she’s a mental giant. She’s smart, but not an intellectual. Not into… you know.” Naomi knew. Not into politics, causes, all the rest. “She was just a decent, good, loving young woman. Her life was her family. Just like me.”
    â€œWas she Irish?”
    â€œShe was of Irish extraction, as a matter of fact.” He showed some irritation. She knew his sudden testiness was directed at her.
    His parents must have been happy at that
, she thought.
    â€œDid she like your parents?”
    â€œShe tolerated them. As you know, they’re not exactly charming. My father’s still the great black Irish hater.”
    â€œI remember,” she said, remembering them, not with fondness.
    â€œBut they loved Kevin. They’ve moved to Lauderdale. I helped get them this condo.”
    â€œWas she religious?”
    She felt his gaze, but she did not turn her eyes from watching the road.
    â€œA Catholic. Moderate. Not a fanatic. She went to church a few times a year.”
    â€œConfession?”
    He hesitated.
    â€œApparently not. She said she didn’t need