Read Online The Long Way Home by Karen McQuestion - Free Book Online
Authors: Karen McQuestion
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“Do you need more help?”
“No, all I have is the suitcase. I can do that by myself.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
When Marnie came back down, luggage in hand, Rita again brought up the fact that Jazzy was nowhere in sight. “Is this something she does?” she asked, looking around.
“Not that I know of,” Marnie said. The sun was high in the sky. It was comfortably warm, in the midseventies, and not too humid. At last they’d gotten ideal weather—and she was leaving it behind.
“So she doesn’t generally wander off?” Rita brushed her hands against the front of her pants.
“Well, I don’t know,” Marnie said. “I haven’t known her for very long.”
“You haven’t known her for very long? Aren’t you two related?”
“No. I just met her at the grief group, same as you.”
“Hmmm. For some reason I thought the two of you had a connection. Relatives or neighbors or something.”
Marnie shook her head. “She gave me a ride home one night when my car wouldn’t start. After that I had her over for dinner as a thank-you. I like her and she seems very nice, but I can’t say I know her well.”
Rita frowned. “So we’re traveling with a complete stranger? Seems a little dicey to me, not to know someone and be sharing car space for a week.”
Complete strangers. It occurred to Marnie that the same could be said of Rita. In fact, she barely knew either of these women. For all she knew, they had homicidal tendencies. Or were just really annoying. Before she could say anything in response, Rita pointed to the house. “Oh there she is now. Odd that we didn’t see her when we were inside.” Marnie looked up to see Jazzy coming down the walk, a skip in her step.
“Good news!” Jazzy said, breaking into a wide grin. “Laverne wants to come with us.”
Chapter Twelve
Rita leaned against the car, a puzzled look on her face.
“Who’s Laverne?” Marnie asked.
“Laverne,” Jazzy said, pointing back at the house. “You know—Laverne.”
This was going nowhere. Marnie tried again. “How do you know her?”
“Your neighbor, silly.”
“My neighbor?”
“The lady who lives downstairs from you.” Jazzy stopped just an arm’s length from where the two women stood. At this distance, Marnie could really see Jazzy’s clear blue eyes and a scattering of very light freckles across her nose. “When I told her we were going to Las Vegas, she said she wanted to come along.”
“The lady downstairs. You mean Mrs. Benner?” Marnie asked, astonished.
“I don’t know her last name. She just said Laverne.”
Rita spoke up. “I wish you had talked to us first, Jazzy. There’s simply not enough room for another person. You’re going to have to tell her she can’t go.” Her voice was firm. A mom voice.
“Oh, sorry.” Jazzy looked crestfallen. “I wasn’t thinking I guess. It’s just that she was so excited, and I figured since she was Marnie’s neighbor, it would be okay. The more the merrier is my philosophy.”
“But I’ve never met Mrs. Benner,” Marnie said, protesting. “I don’t even know what she looks like.”
“You’ve never met her?” Now it was Rita’s turn to be astonished. “How can you live above someone and not know what they look like?”
“Her son told me she wants to be left alone. That under no circumstances should I bother her. He was very clear on that.”
“You need to march back inside and tell her that you made a mistake,” Rita said to Jazzy. “Blame me if you need to. Tell her I said there’s not enough room in the car, and that she can go with us the next time.” She ran her fingers through her hair.
Jazzy took a deep breath. “But see, I have this gut feeling that she needs to be on the trip with us.”
Rita sighed. “Jazzy, I hate to be a party pooper, but we’ve reached our limit already. It’s going to be hard enough with the three of us.”
“I don’t think she’ll take up much space,” Jazzy said,
“No, all I have is the suitcase. I can do that by myself.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
When Marnie came back down, luggage in hand, Rita again brought up the fact that Jazzy was nowhere in sight. “Is this something she does?” she asked, looking around.
“Not that I know of,” Marnie said. The sun was high in the sky. It was comfortably warm, in the midseventies, and not too humid. At last they’d gotten ideal weather—and she was leaving it behind.
“So she doesn’t generally wander off?” Rita brushed her hands against the front of her pants.
“Well, I don’t know,” Marnie said. “I haven’t known her for very long.”
“You haven’t known her for very long? Aren’t you two related?”
“No. I just met her at the grief group, same as you.”
“Hmmm. For some reason I thought the two of you had a connection. Relatives or neighbors or something.”
Marnie shook her head. “She gave me a ride home one night when my car wouldn’t start. After that I had her over for dinner as a thank-you. I like her and she seems very nice, but I can’t say I know her well.”
Rita frowned. “So we’re traveling with a complete stranger? Seems a little dicey to me, not to know someone and be sharing car space for a week.”
Complete strangers. It occurred to Marnie that the same could be said of Rita. In fact, she barely knew either of these women. For all she knew, they had homicidal tendencies. Or were just really annoying. Before she could say anything in response, Rita pointed to the house. “Oh there she is now. Odd that we didn’t see her when we were inside.” Marnie looked up to see Jazzy coming down the walk, a skip in her step.
“Good news!” Jazzy said, breaking into a wide grin. “Laverne wants to come with us.”
Chapter Twelve
Rita leaned against the car, a puzzled look on her face.
“Who’s Laverne?” Marnie asked.
“Laverne,” Jazzy said, pointing back at the house. “You know—Laverne.”
This was going nowhere. Marnie tried again. “How do you know her?”
“Your neighbor, silly.”
“My neighbor?”
“The lady who lives downstairs from you.” Jazzy stopped just an arm’s length from where the two women stood. At this distance, Marnie could really see Jazzy’s clear blue eyes and a scattering of very light freckles across her nose. “When I told her we were going to Las Vegas, she said she wanted to come along.”
“The lady downstairs. You mean Mrs. Benner?” Marnie asked, astonished.
“I don’t know her last name. She just said Laverne.”
Rita spoke up. “I wish you had talked to us first, Jazzy. There’s simply not enough room for another person. You’re going to have to tell her she can’t go.” Her voice was firm. A mom voice.
“Oh, sorry.” Jazzy looked crestfallen. “I wasn’t thinking I guess. It’s just that she was so excited, and I figured since she was Marnie’s neighbor, it would be okay. The more the merrier is my philosophy.”
“But I’ve never met Mrs. Benner,” Marnie said, protesting. “I don’t even know what she looks like.”
“You’ve never met her?” Now it was Rita’s turn to be astonished. “How can you live above someone and not know what they look like?”
“Her son told me she wants to be left alone. That under no circumstances should I bother her. He was very clear on that.”
“You need to march back inside and tell her that you made a mistake,” Rita said to Jazzy. “Blame me if you need to. Tell her I said there’s not enough room in the car, and that she can go with us the next time.” She ran her fingers through her hair.
Jazzy took a deep breath. “But see, I have this gut feeling that she needs to be on the trip with us.”
Rita sighed. “Jazzy, I hate to be a party pooper, but we’ve reached our limit already. It’s going to be hard enough with the three of us.”
“I don’t think she’ll take up much space,” Jazzy said,
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