Read Online Getting Old is the Best Revenge by Rita Lakin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rita Lakin
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Mystery Fiction, Political, Women Detectives, Gold, Florida, Older People, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.), Retirees, Cruise Ships, Older women, Bingo, Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.), Gladdy (Fictitious Character)
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didn't I? I asked them to go door-to-door in the other phases to find out if anybody would like to report on a Peeping Tom incident."
I think about Evvie when she was a kid. Always asking "Why?" No matter how many times I'd answer, there was another why . Even though I was only two years older, big sister was supposed to know everything.
"And besides," I say, "aren't you glad to have a day alone with me for a change?"
"Yeah, but I still would like to know why."
I smile. Good old dependable Ev. It used to drive me crazy when I was young, but now I really like her "enquiring mind."
Evvie pulls at her black cotton blouse, trying to blow air down her front. "Black makes you hotter and I'm sweating. Turn up the air."
"It's as 'up' as it goes."
"But why didn't you just tell them where we were headed?"
"All right already. It's because we're going to a funeral. And you know how they behave at cemeteries. Bella won't walk on the grave markers, Ida hates anything to do with death--"
"Wait a minute. Somebody died?"
"If one is attending a funeral, one might say that. But relax, it's nobody we know."
"Then why are we going?"
I sigh and turn off my Andrea Bocelli tape. Boy, do I love that guy's voice. "I intended to use the time on the trip to fill you in, but no--you have to know everything all at once. I'm filling you in now."
"Well, if you had just said so . . ."
"Shh, listen. When I had dinner the other night with Jack and Morrie, I opened my big mouth and said I thought those two women, the one in Boca and the one in West Palm Beach, were murdered."
"You're kidding."
"Don't comment. Those two women were both wealthy, both died unexpectedly of heart attacks. Less than a week apart? Too convenient."
She looks at me for a long moment. "You believe that?"
"I've no idea. It just popped out of my mouth. I really made a fool of myself, spinning theories like there might be a serial killer who hated rich women, or someone was killing them to work their way up the twenty-five-richest list."
Evvie ponders that for a moment. "Like Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts and Coronets ?" Evvie relates everything to movies she's seen.
"I mean, it's possible, isn't it?" I ask her. "How come unexpected heart attacks? They weren't that old. They had plenty of dough to spend on keeping healthy. My money's on the ones who will be getting their money. Like their husbands."
Evvie's look is shrewd. "You can't just be happy finding cheating husbands and lost purses?"
I don't answer.
"You already solved a big murder in our condo. Wasn't that enough? Now you think everyone with heart attacks is murdered?" She looks at me intently. "Glad, what are you doing?"
For a long moment I don't speak. My sister knows me better than I ever give her credit for. Evvie waits.
"I don't know."
Evvie reaches over and pats my shoulder. I see tears form in her eyes. "You can't save the world," she says.
"All I want is closure."
"It won't bring him back."
"Please change the subject." I'm sorry now that I let this come up. What's the use? Even after forty years the pain is still fresh.
For a while we concentrate on scenery. We are afforded quick views of the beach between the fancy high-rise condos along the road.
"Wonder what those babies must cost," Evvie says to break the tension.
"A lot."
After a few moments, I look at Evvie. She's too quiet. "What?"
"Just remembering some stuff."
"What?"
"When our kids were little. And Emily used to come to my house after school."
"Until I got home from my job at the library."
"Yeah."
"Our kids got along real well." She laughs. "When they weren't beating one another up."
"And when Emily wasn't crying over losing her father."
"That, too. She was very brave. She didn't inflict her sadness on the rest of us."
"No, she saved it for when I got home and the two of us cried together."
Evvie leans her head against my shoulder for a moment. "Those were hard days."
"Yes, but thanks to you, there were so many wonderful
I think about Evvie when she was a kid. Always asking "Why?" No matter how many times I'd answer, there was another why . Even though I was only two years older, big sister was supposed to know everything.
"And besides," I say, "aren't you glad to have a day alone with me for a change?"
"Yeah, but I still would like to know why."
I smile. Good old dependable Ev. It used to drive me crazy when I was young, but now I really like her "enquiring mind."
Evvie pulls at her black cotton blouse, trying to blow air down her front. "Black makes you hotter and I'm sweating. Turn up the air."
"It's as 'up' as it goes."
"But why didn't you just tell them where we were headed?"
"All right already. It's because we're going to a funeral. And you know how they behave at cemeteries. Bella won't walk on the grave markers, Ida hates anything to do with death--"
"Wait a minute. Somebody died?"
"If one is attending a funeral, one might say that. But relax, it's nobody we know."
"Then why are we going?"
I sigh and turn off my Andrea Bocelli tape. Boy, do I love that guy's voice. "I intended to use the time on the trip to fill you in, but no--you have to know everything all at once. I'm filling you in now."
"Well, if you had just said so . . ."
"Shh, listen. When I had dinner the other night with Jack and Morrie, I opened my big mouth and said I thought those two women, the one in Boca and the one in West Palm Beach, were murdered."
"You're kidding."
"Don't comment. Those two women were both wealthy, both died unexpectedly of heart attacks. Less than a week apart? Too convenient."
She looks at me for a long moment. "You believe that?"
"I've no idea. It just popped out of my mouth. I really made a fool of myself, spinning theories like there might be a serial killer who hated rich women, or someone was killing them to work their way up the twenty-five-richest list."
Evvie ponders that for a moment. "Like Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts and Coronets ?" Evvie relates everything to movies she's seen.
"I mean, it's possible, isn't it?" I ask her. "How come unexpected heart attacks? They weren't that old. They had plenty of dough to spend on keeping healthy. My money's on the ones who will be getting their money. Like their husbands."
Evvie's look is shrewd. "You can't just be happy finding cheating husbands and lost purses?"
I don't answer.
"You already solved a big murder in our condo. Wasn't that enough? Now you think everyone with heart attacks is murdered?" She looks at me intently. "Glad, what are you doing?"
For a long moment I don't speak. My sister knows me better than I ever give her credit for. Evvie waits.
"I don't know."
Evvie reaches over and pats my shoulder. I see tears form in her eyes. "You can't save the world," she says.
"All I want is closure."
"It won't bring him back."
"Please change the subject." I'm sorry now that I let this come up. What's the use? Even after forty years the pain is still fresh.
For a while we concentrate on scenery. We are afforded quick views of the beach between the fancy high-rise condos along the road.
"Wonder what those babies must cost," Evvie says to break the tension.
"A lot."
After a few moments, I look at Evvie. She's too quiet. "What?"
"Just remembering some stuff."
"What?"
"When our kids were little. And Emily used to come to my house after school."
"Until I got home from my job at the library."
"Yeah."
"Our kids got along real well." She laughs. "When they weren't beating one another up."
"And when Emily wasn't crying over losing her father."
"That, too. She was very brave. She didn't inflict her sadness on the rest of us."
"No, she saved it for when I got home and the two of us cried together."
Evvie leans her head against my shoulder for a moment. "Those were hard days."
"Yes, but thanks to you, there were so many wonderful
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