Read Online Death and Deceit by Carol Marlene Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Carol Marlene Smith
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bad.”
Jessie pulled away and ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing it down. She made herself busy boiling water for tea and shaking cereal into a bowl. After she’d popped two slices of toast down, she turned to Liz who was now folding up bedding from the sofa.
“Mom’s only forty-five. She’s been different though these past few years since Dad died. So quiet and sad. I guess the grief got her.”
“Yeah. It will do that. Grief...and stress are not friendly body companions,” Liz remarked.
Jessie buttered her toast and took her breakfast to the coffee table. Liz took her place at the kitchen counter and poured a dish of cereal then splashed milk on it. “Are you going home today?”
“No. I can’t. I’ll have to work tomorrow and hope I can find someone to take my classes for Tuesday.”
“You shouldn’t have to do that,” Liz said taking her breakfast over to join Jessie. “I’ll take a sick day and fill in for you.”
Jessie looked across at Liz. Was there nothing this friend wouldn’t do for her? Guilty pangs filled her mind when she thought of how she’d dated Kent, even after Liz made it obvious how much she liked him.
“No, Liz. Thanks, but I’m sure one of the other instructors or a couple of them can fill in for me, as soon as we can arrange a schedule. I’ll go home on Tuesday, if Mom stays the same. And I’ll see how things are then.”
“Yeah, you’re right. They probably wouldn’t let me take the classes anyway,” Liz said.
“Really? I’m sure they would. You’re good. I’ll mention it anyway, just in case I need you in the future. That is if you’re sure you really want to do it.”
“No problem. I’d love to do it.”
Jessie picked up her dishes and headed for the counter. “I have to call Alan and tell him. I dread it.”
“Why, Jessie?” Liz put her dishes in the sink and started the hot water to wash them up.
“We...ah, aren’t on the best of terms,” Jessie said. “But this is important.” She picked up the phone and called Alan. “Hi, Alan. It’s me, Jessie.”
“So? What do you want?”
Jessie didn’t want to startled or frighten him so she refrained from telling him about their mother at first.
“I e mailed you. Didn’t you get it?”
“Of course I did. I check my mail.”
“Why didn’t you answer?”
“I would have...in time.”
“How many times do I have to say I’m sorry, Alan? I can’t go back and date that guy. And your girlfriend was not very faithful anyway, if she could walk off on you just like that. You’re well rid of her.”
Jessie knew she’d said too much too soon, and she decided to dive in to the real reason she’d called before Alan got madder and hung up on her. “But I’m not calling for all that, Alan. Sandra called me. Mom is in the hospital. She’s had an anxiety attack.”
“Well, Mom always was a worrier.”
Jessie thought he didn’t seem upset. “She’s had a lot to deal with, Alan. For God’s sake, don’t you even care?”
“Don’t be stupid. You know I do. But Mom’s been asking for trouble. I wanted her to shut down the house and come back with me. I even told her I’d find her an apartment if that was what she wanted. But she would rather hang around there and mope over Dad with only garish Sandra for company.”
“That’s awful, Alan. Sandra is her constant companion. She spends more time with Mom than we do.”
“Exactly,” Alan said. “Sandra is overbearing and pushy. She practically tells Mom what do and she doesn’t want her to leave there. Why she’s the one that got Mom started on cigarettes in the first place. Sandra smokes like a chimney herself.”
“Alan!”
“Well, it’s true.”
“You’re so spiteful. It’s bad enough with me, but now you’ve taken out your hostility on Mom too. No wonder she wouldn’t want to live with you. And you must remember that Dad was as much an influence on Mom’s smoking as Sandra.”
Jessie slammed down the
Jessie pulled away and ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing it down. She made herself busy boiling water for tea and shaking cereal into a bowl. After she’d popped two slices of toast down, she turned to Liz who was now folding up bedding from the sofa.
“Mom’s only forty-five. She’s been different though these past few years since Dad died. So quiet and sad. I guess the grief got her.”
“Yeah. It will do that. Grief...and stress are not friendly body companions,” Liz remarked.
Jessie buttered her toast and took her breakfast to the coffee table. Liz took her place at the kitchen counter and poured a dish of cereal then splashed milk on it. “Are you going home today?”
“No. I can’t. I’ll have to work tomorrow and hope I can find someone to take my classes for Tuesday.”
“You shouldn’t have to do that,” Liz said taking her breakfast over to join Jessie. “I’ll take a sick day and fill in for you.”
Jessie looked across at Liz. Was there nothing this friend wouldn’t do for her? Guilty pangs filled her mind when she thought of how she’d dated Kent, even after Liz made it obvious how much she liked him.
“No, Liz. Thanks, but I’m sure one of the other instructors or a couple of them can fill in for me, as soon as we can arrange a schedule. I’ll go home on Tuesday, if Mom stays the same. And I’ll see how things are then.”
“Yeah, you’re right. They probably wouldn’t let me take the classes anyway,” Liz said.
“Really? I’m sure they would. You’re good. I’ll mention it anyway, just in case I need you in the future. That is if you’re sure you really want to do it.”
“No problem. I’d love to do it.”
Jessie picked up her dishes and headed for the counter. “I have to call Alan and tell him. I dread it.”
“Why, Jessie?” Liz put her dishes in the sink and started the hot water to wash them up.
“We...ah, aren’t on the best of terms,” Jessie said. “But this is important.” She picked up the phone and called Alan. “Hi, Alan. It’s me, Jessie.”
“So? What do you want?”
Jessie didn’t want to startled or frighten him so she refrained from telling him about their mother at first.
“I e mailed you. Didn’t you get it?”
“Of course I did. I check my mail.”
“Why didn’t you answer?”
“I would have...in time.”
“How many times do I have to say I’m sorry, Alan? I can’t go back and date that guy. And your girlfriend was not very faithful anyway, if she could walk off on you just like that. You’re well rid of her.”
Jessie knew she’d said too much too soon, and she decided to dive in to the real reason she’d called before Alan got madder and hung up on her. “But I’m not calling for all that, Alan. Sandra called me. Mom is in the hospital. She’s had an anxiety attack.”
“Well, Mom always was a worrier.”
Jessie thought he didn’t seem upset. “She’s had a lot to deal with, Alan. For God’s sake, don’t you even care?”
“Don’t be stupid. You know I do. But Mom’s been asking for trouble. I wanted her to shut down the house and come back with me. I even told her I’d find her an apartment if that was what she wanted. But she would rather hang around there and mope over Dad with only garish Sandra for company.”
“That’s awful, Alan. Sandra is her constant companion. She spends more time with Mom than we do.”
“Exactly,” Alan said. “Sandra is overbearing and pushy. She practically tells Mom what do and she doesn’t want her to leave there. Why she’s the one that got Mom started on cigarettes in the first place. Sandra smokes like a chimney herself.”
“Alan!”
“Well, it’s true.”
“You’re so spiteful. It’s bad enough with me, but now you’ve taken out your hostility on Mom too. No wonder she wouldn’t want to live with you. And you must remember that Dad was as much an influence on Mom’s smoking as Sandra.”
Jessie slammed down the
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