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Authors: Caitlin Rother
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And when he gave her The Big Book from Alcoholics Anonymous she refused to read it.
“Maybe I’ll feel more like having sex later,” she told him. “Just give me some time. In the meantime, do whatever you need to do. Just don’t flaunt it in my face.”
He knew some men might enjoy the chance to explore other women, but he wasn’t a player, really. Nothing like his daughter. He’d tried to date a girl recently, and it had helped a little, but then she disappeared on him, which only exacerbated his loneliness. What he really wanted was for Helen to stop drinking so he could have his wife back. He missed her. And now Tania was gone as well.
Tony poured his ice water into the sink and went back to the fridge for some fresh ice so he could have some of the good scotch before it was all gone. The cubes clinked into the glass as he pressed it into the dispenser in the door. The thing kept getting clogged lately. He fought back the urge to pick up the phone and call Tania’s voice mail to listen to her voice. Maybe if he called, she would pick up and say there’d been some bizarre mix-up, a case of mistaken identity.
He walked into the living room and grabbed the neck of the scotch bottle, pouring until the glass was dangerously close to overflowing. He sucked in some of the liquid so as not to spill it. Then he picked up the glass, put the bottle under his arm and started for the back door to the pool. He needed some air.
“Tony?” came Helen’s croaking voice from the sofa.
“You awake?” he said.
“Yeah. C’mere,” she said, her words slurring together. In the dim light from the moon, he saw she was lying naked on the couch. She held a hand out to him and he took it.
“Our baby is gone,” she moaned.
Tony set down the bottle and glass on the table and lay with her on the couch. It was the first real physical or emotional contact they’d had in a long time. He’d missed her even more than he’d realized.
“I know, Helen. I heard all about it on the machine when I got home. Then the police called again. Why didn’t you call me at the club this afternoon?”
Helen rubbed her nose against his chest. “I tried, but you’d already gone. The police called and—” She disintegrated into tears.
“Shhhh,” Tony said.
“What are we going to do?” Helen whispered.
“I’m going down there tonight,” he said, starting to get up.
Helen pulled on his shirt. “No, it’s too late. Let’s get some sleep and go down in the morning.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Tony settled back into her arms. It felt strange at first; it had been so long. Helen pressed her wet face into his neck. He felt her tears creep down his skin, seeking refuge in the deep wrinkles the sun had carved into him during the long hours he spent outside. Although he was touched that she’d turned to him for comfort, it was a bittersweet embrace. He knew it would be a fleeting moment.
The banter of crickets echoed throughout the room. The sound was so loud he thought there must be one under the sofa. He remembered sitting with Tania by the pool the previous Saturday night. Serenaded by the chirping, they discussed her plans to open a designer salon after she graduated from the high-end beauty school he was paying for in La Jolla. He’d promised to loan her all the start-up money she needed as long as she promised to work hard. She would have been a rich woman someday.
He turned his head away from Helen so she wouldn’t feel his tears. Then, he decided, to hell with it, and let them roll where they may.
Chapter 6
Norman
N orman Klein paced around the courtyard as he watched the detectives questioning residents. It was getting close to the point where he would have to leave to meet his deadline and yet the sergeant still hadn’t given him a decent set of facts about what had happened to the dead girl. This was Norman’s first big story since getting promoted from editorial assistant to night cops reporter and
“Maybe I’ll feel more like having sex later,” she told him. “Just give me some time. In the meantime, do whatever you need to do. Just don’t flaunt it in my face.”
He knew some men might enjoy the chance to explore other women, but he wasn’t a player, really. Nothing like his daughter. He’d tried to date a girl recently, and it had helped a little, but then she disappeared on him, which only exacerbated his loneliness. What he really wanted was for Helen to stop drinking so he could have his wife back. He missed her. And now Tania was gone as well.
Tony poured his ice water into the sink and went back to the fridge for some fresh ice so he could have some of the good scotch before it was all gone. The cubes clinked into the glass as he pressed it into the dispenser in the door. The thing kept getting clogged lately. He fought back the urge to pick up the phone and call Tania’s voice mail to listen to her voice. Maybe if he called, she would pick up and say there’d been some bizarre mix-up, a case of mistaken identity.
He walked into the living room and grabbed the neck of the scotch bottle, pouring until the glass was dangerously close to overflowing. He sucked in some of the liquid so as not to spill it. Then he picked up the glass, put the bottle under his arm and started for the back door to the pool. He needed some air.
“Tony?” came Helen’s croaking voice from the sofa.
“You awake?” he said.
“Yeah. C’mere,” she said, her words slurring together. In the dim light from the moon, he saw she was lying naked on the couch. She held a hand out to him and he took it.
“Our baby is gone,” she moaned.
Tony set down the bottle and glass on the table and lay with her on the couch. It was the first real physical or emotional contact they’d had in a long time. He’d missed her even more than he’d realized.
“I know, Helen. I heard all about it on the machine when I got home. Then the police called again. Why didn’t you call me at the club this afternoon?”
Helen rubbed her nose against his chest. “I tried, but you’d already gone. The police called and—” She disintegrated into tears.
“Shhhh,” Tony said.
“What are we going to do?” Helen whispered.
“I’m going down there tonight,” he said, starting to get up.
Helen pulled on his shirt. “No, it’s too late. Let’s get some sleep and go down in the morning.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Tony settled back into her arms. It felt strange at first; it had been so long. Helen pressed her wet face into his neck. He felt her tears creep down his skin, seeking refuge in the deep wrinkles the sun had carved into him during the long hours he spent outside. Although he was touched that she’d turned to him for comfort, it was a bittersweet embrace. He knew it would be a fleeting moment.
The banter of crickets echoed throughout the room. The sound was so loud he thought there must be one under the sofa. He remembered sitting with Tania by the pool the previous Saturday night. Serenaded by the chirping, they discussed her plans to open a designer salon after she graduated from the high-end beauty school he was paying for in La Jolla. He’d promised to loan her all the start-up money she needed as long as she promised to work hard. She would have been a rich woman someday.
He turned his head away from Helen so she wouldn’t feel his tears. Then, he decided, to hell with it, and let them roll where they may.
Chapter 6
Norman
N orman Klein paced around the courtyard as he watched the detectives questioning residents. It was getting close to the point where he would have to leave to meet his deadline and yet the sergeant still hadn’t given him a decent set of facts about what had happened to the dead girl. This was Norman’s first big story since getting promoted from editorial assistant to night cops reporter and
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