she was at the restaurant. If he found out Josie was mystery-shopping for TAG Tours, she would have handed the police Tillie’s motive on a platter.
After Josie had been interviewed by the police, she’d face another tough interrogator—her mother. Jane knew her daughter well. Josie had called her mother from her cell phone in the car. Her mother could tell that Josie was trying to downplay the seriousness of the situation. Talking to Jane had been an ordeal. Josie wanted to leave the neighborhood and so did Alyce, but she wouldn’t try to drive while delivering this news to her mother.
Alyce eyed the deserted street uneasily, while Josie tried to calm Jane. Her mother was upset that Tillie had lost out on a TAG Tour. “She’s worked all her life, Josie, and now it’s gone,” she kept repeating.
“Maybe not, Mom. Clay is still alive.”
“If he dies, she could lose her restaurant,” Jane said. “She could be arrested for—what’s that thing when you didn’t mean to kill someone but you do anyway?”
“Manslaughter,” Josie said.
“I’m going to call her right now,” Jane said. “She needs my support.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Josie said. “Did you call Ted and tell him I couldn’t go out to dinner with him tonight?”
“I did as I was told. Now you tell me: Is something wrong between you two?” Jane didn’t bother hiding her alarm. She wanted Ted to be her son-in-law.
“No, Mom, I’m just wrung out. I wouldn’t be good company. I want to go to bed early.”
“You’re too young to feel like that, Josie. I worry about you driving in rush hour traffic if you’re that tired.”
“I’ll be fine, Mom. I have to take Alyce home first. I’ll call you after I get to her house, then come straight home.”
“Well, then,” Jane said, “get off the phone. You can’t drive right if you’re talking to me.”
Josie hung up and started laughing. She loved her tough little mom, every irrational ounce of her. She started the car and told Alyce, “I hope Ted won’t be upset because I’ve canceled our dinner date.”
“He’s too good a guy not to understand, Josie. Are you really that tired?”
“Tired and bedraggled. Besides, I don’t want to sit in another restaurant after spending all afternoon at Tillie’s. I’m looking forward to a soothing hot shower, a bowl of soup, and an early bedtime.”
“You are?” Alyce asked.
“I sound one step away from the nursing home, don’t I?” Josie said.
“A hot man is no match for hot soup,” Alyce said. “But I don’t feel much perkier.”
“At least you have the excuse of an active toddler and a dog,” Josie said.
“Bruiser is active, all right,” Alyce said. “But that little dog runs around so much he helps tire out Justin. Bruiser does me a favor. I never thought I’d own a Chihuahua, but he’s a good addition to our family.”
The two women waved to the guard at the entrance to the Estates at Wood Winds and Josie drove into Alyce’s subdivision. They passed an Italian palace, a French château, and a Victorian Gothic horror. Alyce lived in a Tudor mansion with a half-timbered garage.
“Do you want to come in?” Alyce asked.
“I’d better get home,” Josie said. “I’ll call Mom from the driveway.”
She waved to her friend as she speed-dialed her mother.
“I’ll expect you home in twenty minutes,” Jane said. “The sooner you get here, the sooner I can spend time with Tillie. She needs me.”
Jane’s two-story flat looked good in the gathering dusk. The red brick was mellowed with age. Jane had brightened the front porch with pots of fat bronze mums. Josie parked her car in front, then walked quickly to the house, crunching the fall leaves. She took childish delight in stomping dinner-plate-sized sycamore leaves and the bright maple leaves that gave her town its name.
Josie sniffed the evening breeze. The air smelled like . . . steak.
Steak?
She inhaled again. Definitely steak. The
After Josie had been interviewed by the police, she’d face another tough interrogator—her mother. Jane knew her daughter well. Josie had called her mother from her cell phone in the car. Her mother could tell that Josie was trying to downplay the seriousness of the situation. Talking to Jane had been an ordeal. Josie wanted to leave the neighborhood and so did Alyce, but she wouldn’t try to drive while delivering this news to her mother.
Alyce eyed the deserted street uneasily, while Josie tried to calm Jane. Her mother was upset that Tillie had lost out on a TAG Tour. “She’s worked all her life, Josie, and now it’s gone,” she kept repeating.
“Maybe not, Mom. Clay is still alive.”
“If he dies, she could lose her restaurant,” Jane said. “She could be arrested for—what’s that thing when you didn’t mean to kill someone but you do anyway?”
“Manslaughter,” Josie said.
“I’m going to call her right now,” Jane said. “She needs my support.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Josie said. “Did you call Ted and tell him I couldn’t go out to dinner with him tonight?”
“I did as I was told. Now you tell me: Is something wrong between you two?” Jane didn’t bother hiding her alarm. She wanted Ted to be her son-in-law.
“No, Mom, I’m just wrung out. I wouldn’t be good company. I want to go to bed early.”
“You’re too young to feel like that, Josie. I worry about you driving in rush hour traffic if you’re that tired.”
“I’ll be fine, Mom. I have to take Alyce home first. I’ll call you after I get to her house, then come straight home.”
“Well, then,” Jane said, “get off the phone. You can’t drive right if you’re talking to me.”
Josie hung up and started laughing. She loved her tough little mom, every irrational ounce of her. She started the car and told Alyce, “I hope Ted won’t be upset because I’ve canceled our dinner date.”
“He’s too good a guy not to understand, Josie. Are you really that tired?”
“Tired and bedraggled. Besides, I don’t want to sit in another restaurant after spending all afternoon at Tillie’s. I’m looking forward to a soothing hot shower, a bowl of soup, and an early bedtime.”
“You are?” Alyce asked.
“I sound one step away from the nursing home, don’t I?” Josie said.
“A hot man is no match for hot soup,” Alyce said. “But I don’t feel much perkier.”
“At least you have the excuse of an active toddler and a dog,” Josie said.
“Bruiser is active, all right,” Alyce said. “But that little dog runs around so much he helps tire out Justin. Bruiser does me a favor. I never thought I’d own a Chihuahua, but he’s a good addition to our family.”
The two women waved to the guard at the entrance to the Estates at Wood Winds and Josie drove into Alyce’s subdivision. They passed an Italian palace, a French château, and a Victorian Gothic horror. Alyce lived in a Tudor mansion with a half-timbered garage.
“Do you want to come in?” Alyce asked.
“I’d better get home,” Josie said. “I’ll call Mom from the driveway.”
She waved to her friend as she speed-dialed her mother.
“I’ll expect you home in twenty minutes,” Jane said. “The sooner you get here, the sooner I can spend time with Tillie. She needs me.”
Jane’s two-story flat looked good in the gathering dusk. The red brick was mellowed with age. Jane had brightened the front porch with pots of fat bronze mums. Josie parked her car in front, then walked quickly to the house, crunching the fall leaves. She took childish delight in stomping dinner-plate-sized sycamore leaves and the bright maple leaves that gave her town its name.
Josie sniffed the evening breeze. The air smelled like . . . steak.
Steak?
She inhaled again. Definitely steak. The
Similar Books
