from.”
April felt her face flush. “What about the explosion last year? Wasn’t that because of someone making methamphetamine?”
Mary Lou’s face froze with her hostess smile in place. Her eyes darkened. She glared at April.
Rocky and Mitch had come up from the basement and stepped into the already crowded kitchen. April saw Peter, Mary Lou’s husband, behind her.
Deana leaned in and whispered in April’s ear, “Maybe you should dial it down a notch.”
“Why? If there’s meth around, shouldn’t people know? What about it, Officer Yost,” she said, raising her voice so all could hear her. This sanctimonious prick.
“There was no evidence of a meth-making operation,” Yost said.
“No evidence because it all blew up,” April said.
Mary Lou was shooting daggers at her now. April knew she shouldn’t talk about it here. She was messing up Mary Lou’s perfect soiree. People didn’t buy bigger houses and move their friends into neighborhoods where there were drug problems.
But it seemed to her that if Yost was really concerned about doing his job, he’d be concerned about all illegal activity.
Rocky pulled on her sleeve. “Leave it alone,” she said.
“Are you quite positive that no one else has started making meth?” April wondered if Yost would know how to break up a ring of meth makers. Meth had been a hot-button issue in California. April remembered reading about damage done in the rural forests of Northern California, streams ruined by the toxic runoff.
Yost was glowering at her now, and Mary Lou’s newcomers had begun to back away. Yost left her with no reason.
“April,” Rocky said. April had just taken in a deep breath, ready to go one more round with Yost. She could show him up for the fool he was. Something in Rocky’s voice made her stop. She let the air out of her lungs and faced Rocky.
“What?”
Rocky leaned over her, blocking April from view with her hair. She whispered softly, “That’s how Mary Lou’s brother died,” Rocky said. “In that house.”
April glanced up at Mary Lou, who was escaping into the dining room.
She’d had no idea. “In the meth house?”
That did explain the cremains. Certainly there couldn’t be much left for burial.
April felt her stomach churn. She hadn’t meant to hurt Mary Lou. She looked up, but Mary Lou had turned her back and was disappearing into the crowd. April heard her voice, low and purring, but she could see from the stiffness in her shoulders that she was furious.
She turned to Rocky. She glanced at Deana and Mitch. Their heads were hung low. “Are you telling me her brother was making meth?”
“Not really. I think he was more of an errand boy. He was never a druggie, just a drunk.”
Mitch came up behind her and kissed her ear. “Ready to go?” he said.
“I need to go say good-bye to Mary Lou first,” April said, watching her friend as she herded her guests into the family room for a nightcap.
“Maybe not tonight,” Mitch said. “You can call her tomorrow.”
April glanced from Rocky to Deana and Mark. They all looked disappointed in her.
“I didn’t know,” she said. “I didn’t know.”
CHAPTER 6
“I didn’t know,” April said to Mitch for the tenth time since they’d gotten in the car. They were only a half mile from Mary Lou’s place. April kept looking behind them, as if she could still see the house and know what was going on.
“There was no way you could have. You were in California.”
“Deana could have told me, instead of making it seem like a state secret.”
Mitch repeated himself. “You couldn’t have known. Mary Lou’s just hurting. She won’t stay mad.”
April wasn’t so sure. Mary Lou could hold a grudge. There were several Realtors in town that she’d cut out of her business because of their sketchy dealings. April didn’t want to be cut out of the stamping group. She liked Mary Lou, Suzi, Rocky, and Deana. They were her closest friends here. If she didn’t
April felt her face flush. “What about the explosion last year? Wasn’t that because of someone making methamphetamine?”
Mary Lou’s face froze with her hostess smile in place. Her eyes darkened. She glared at April.
Rocky and Mitch had come up from the basement and stepped into the already crowded kitchen. April saw Peter, Mary Lou’s husband, behind her.
Deana leaned in and whispered in April’s ear, “Maybe you should dial it down a notch.”
“Why? If there’s meth around, shouldn’t people know? What about it, Officer Yost,” she said, raising her voice so all could hear her. This sanctimonious prick.
“There was no evidence of a meth-making operation,” Yost said.
“No evidence because it all blew up,” April said.
Mary Lou was shooting daggers at her now. April knew she shouldn’t talk about it here. She was messing up Mary Lou’s perfect soiree. People didn’t buy bigger houses and move their friends into neighborhoods where there were drug problems.
But it seemed to her that if Yost was really concerned about doing his job, he’d be concerned about all illegal activity.
Rocky pulled on her sleeve. “Leave it alone,” she said.
“Are you quite positive that no one else has started making meth?” April wondered if Yost would know how to break up a ring of meth makers. Meth had been a hot-button issue in California. April remembered reading about damage done in the rural forests of Northern California, streams ruined by the toxic runoff.
Yost was glowering at her now, and Mary Lou’s newcomers had begun to back away. Yost left her with no reason.
“April,” Rocky said. April had just taken in a deep breath, ready to go one more round with Yost. She could show him up for the fool he was. Something in Rocky’s voice made her stop. She let the air out of her lungs and faced Rocky.
“What?”
Rocky leaned over her, blocking April from view with her hair. She whispered softly, “That’s how Mary Lou’s brother died,” Rocky said. “In that house.”
April glanced up at Mary Lou, who was escaping into the dining room.
She’d had no idea. “In the meth house?”
That did explain the cremains. Certainly there couldn’t be much left for burial.
April felt her stomach churn. She hadn’t meant to hurt Mary Lou. She looked up, but Mary Lou had turned her back and was disappearing into the crowd. April heard her voice, low and purring, but she could see from the stiffness in her shoulders that she was furious.
She turned to Rocky. She glanced at Deana and Mitch. Their heads were hung low. “Are you telling me her brother was making meth?”
“Not really. I think he was more of an errand boy. He was never a druggie, just a drunk.”
Mitch came up behind her and kissed her ear. “Ready to go?” he said.
“I need to go say good-bye to Mary Lou first,” April said, watching her friend as she herded her guests into the family room for a nightcap.
“Maybe not tonight,” Mitch said. “You can call her tomorrow.”
April glanced from Rocky to Deana and Mark. They all looked disappointed in her.
“I didn’t know,” she said. “I didn’t know.”
CHAPTER 6
“I didn’t know,” April said to Mitch for the tenth time since they’d gotten in the car. They were only a half mile from Mary Lou’s place. April kept looking behind them, as if she could still see the house and know what was going on.
“There was no way you could have. You were in California.”
“Deana could have told me, instead of making it seem like a state secret.”
Mitch repeated himself. “You couldn’t have known. Mary Lou’s just hurting. She won’t stay mad.”
April wasn’t so sure. Mary Lou could hold a grudge. There were several Realtors in town that she’d cut out of her business because of their sketchy dealings. April didn’t want to be cut out of the stamping group. She liked Mary Lou, Suzi, Rocky, and Deana. They were her closest friends here. If she didn’t
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