Read Online Deadly Descent by Charlotte Hinger - Free Book Online
Authors: Charlotte Hinger
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what it is, Elizabeth. A cliché.”
I hung up, leaving Keith to finish the conversation with his darling daughter. Furiously, I stormed past him and concentrated on the hamburger.
“Talk to you later, Elizabeth,” said Keith, glancing at me sharply.
I slapped the plates onto the table, nuked some vegetables, and slid a loaf of bread, still in the sack, by Keith’s place.
“Supper’s on,” I said coldly.
“Lottie!”
Angry that he would address me like a parent trying to reprimand a child, I stood with my arms crossed and glared.
“There’s something you two women need to know. I don’t do cat fights.”
“You could have stuck up for me.”
“I did,” he said solemnly. “If you’ll think back to before you got on the phone, I told her you didn’t lose that letter.”
“Why did you bring it up at all?”
“You know it’ll be all over town by tomorrow. And in the paper Thursday, since you reported it to the sheriff. So I thought she should hear it from us. Me. Besides, she had just lost a custody case and was feeling rotten. Inadequate.”
“So knowing I had been knocked flat too was going to make her feel better somehow?”
He looked stricken. “You’re right, I was wrong. I know Elizabeth never misses a chance to give you a hard time. And I give you the credit for not fanning the flames. I hate this kind of thing, but you’re my
wife
, Lottie. I’m going to stick up for you. Unless you’re dead wrong. Don’t you know that by now?”
“Oh, Keith, I’m sorry.” I ran over to him and he kissed my trembling mouth. “I’m sorry I took this out on you.”
He hugged me hard. “It was weird to see you lose control. Maturity doesn’t have much to do with age, sweetheart. You’re old beyond your years,” he said. “Hate to put the burden on you, but if you can find it in your heart to cut Elizabeth a little slack, I’d appreciate it. She’s under more stress than usual right now because a number of her cases have involved abused children.”
I didn’t lose control
, I thought.
The lady needed to be told off. I did it on purpose.
“I’ll make every effort to keep the peace with Elizabeth.”
***
That night when I curled up against his broad back, I could not sleep. I stiffened whenever I recalled Elizabeth’s jab that my work didn’t require a high degree of alertness. What utter nonsense! I felt like grabbing her by the hair and forcing her to watch me for a day.
When I did manage to put her words from my mind and was about to doze off, I jerked awake, still tormented by the theft and burdened by my promise to Judy to look into her mother’s death.
I had to be in a position to ask better questions. And fast. The way came to me after two restless hours. A way about as real-time, real-life as it gets. It would show Elizabeth, too. I knew at once it would be better not to inform Keith until after it was a done deal.
I smiled before I drifted into the deep soundless sleep of the innocent and the ignorant. The sleep of a woman who thinks God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world. The sleep of a woman who in her heart of hearts doesn’t really believe bad things happen to good people.
Chapter Eleven
“Can I help you, Lottie?”
“I’m here about the ad.”
Sam Abbott looked at me blankly.
“Ad?”
“In the paper. The one asking for volunteers to become deputies?”
“Yes?”
Sam was not a stupid person, but he really did not understand.
“I want to become a deputy.”
He blinked slowly. He reached toward an ash tray for his pipe. He opened his desk drawer, took out a little zippered pouch, got up, walked over to a roll of paper towels, and ripped one off the holder.
I could feel my cheeks growing hot and red. If he thought a little bit of silence was enough to scare me off, he had another thing coming.
He came back to the desk. He smoothed the paper towel, steadied the pipe on the paper, shook tobacco into the bowl, and tamped it down firmly. He
I hung up, leaving Keith to finish the conversation with his darling daughter. Furiously, I stormed past him and concentrated on the hamburger.
“Talk to you later, Elizabeth,” said Keith, glancing at me sharply.
I slapped the plates onto the table, nuked some vegetables, and slid a loaf of bread, still in the sack, by Keith’s place.
“Supper’s on,” I said coldly.
“Lottie!”
Angry that he would address me like a parent trying to reprimand a child, I stood with my arms crossed and glared.
“There’s something you two women need to know. I don’t do cat fights.”
“You could have stuck up for me.”
“I did,” he said solemnly. “If you’ll think back to before you got on the phone, I told her you didn’t lose that letter.”
“Why did you bring it up at all?”
“You know it’ll be all over town by tomorrow. And in the paper Thursday, since you reported it to the sheriff. So I thought she should hear it from us. Me. Besides, she had just lost a custody case and was feeling rotten. Inadequate.”
“So knowing I had been knocked flat too was going to make her feel better somehow?”
He looked stricken. “You’re right, I was wrong. I know Elizabeth never misses a chance to give you a hard time. And I give you the credit for not fanning the flames. I hate this kind of thing, but you’re my
wife
, Lottie. I’m going to stick up for you. Unless you’re dead wrong. Don’t you know that by now?”
“Oh, Keith, I’m sorry.” I ran over to him and he kissed my trembling mouth. “I’m sorry I took this out on you.”
He hugged me hard. “It was weird to see you lose control. Maturity doesn’t have much to do with age, sweetheart. You’re old beyond your years,” he said. “Hate to put the burden on you, but if you can find it in your heart to cut Elizabeth a little slack, I’d appreciate it. She’s under more stress than usual right now because a number of her cases have involved abused children.”
I didn’t lose control
, I thought.
The lady needed to be told off. I did it on purpose.
“I’ll make every effort to keep the peace with Elizabeth.”
***
That night when I curled up against his broad back, I could not sleep. I stiffened whenever I recalled Elizabeth’s jab that my work didn’t require a high degree of alertness. What utter nonsense! I felt like grabbing her by the hair and forcing her to watch me for a day.
When I did manage to put her words from my mind and was about to doze off, I jerked awake, still tormented by the theft and burdened by my promise to Judy to look into her mother’s death.
I had to be in a position to ask better questions. And fast. The way came to me after two restless hours. A way about as real-time, real-life as it gets. It would show Elizabeth, too. I knew at once it would be better not to inform Keith until after it was a done deal.
I smiled before I drifted into the deep soundless sleep of the innocent and the ignorant. The sleep of a woman who thinks God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world. The sleep of a woman who in her heart of hearts doesn’t really believe bad things happen to good people.
Chapter Eleven
“Can I help you, Lottie?”
“I’m here about the ad.”
Sam Abbott looked at me blankly.
“Ad?”
“In the paper. The one asking for volunteers to become deputies?”
“Yes?”
Sam was not a stupid person, but he really did not understand.
“I want to become a deputy.”
He blinked slowly. He reached toward an ash tray for his pipe. He opened his desk drawer, took out a little zippered pouch, got up, walked over to a roll of paper towels, and ripped one off the holder.
I could feel my cheeks growing hot and red. If he thought a little bit of silence was enough to scare me off, he had another thing coming.
He came back to the desk. He smoothed the paper towel, steadied the pipe on the paper, shook tobacco into the bowl, and tamped it down firmly. He
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