Carolina Moon

by Nora Roberts

  Good Christ, what was she doing? Working herself up into a mad on Wade over a dead woman? How petty, how shallow, how horrible could she be?

  "Faith?"

  "What?" She snapped it out, whirled with a box of Land O Lakes in her hand and a killing glare on her face.

  Dwight held up a hand for peace. "Whoa. Sorry."

  "No, I'm sorry. My mind was on something." Making the effort, she put a bright smile on her face and bent down to the toddler riding in the basket seat. "And aren't you the handsomest thing? You and Daddy doing the marketing today?"

  Luke held up an open box of Oreos. "Got cookies," he announced, and as his face was already smeared with black, he'd been enjoying them.

  "So I see." "His mama's going to scalp me if I don't clean him up before she sees him."

  "Faces wash." But Faith moved strategically out of the reach of chocolate-gunked fingers. "Lissy got you doing the shopping today?"

  "She's not feeling well. Got herself in a state about what happened yesterday. She says she's afraid to set foot outside the house, and had me checking locks six times last night."

  And wasn't it just like Lissy Frazier to make it all about her. Faith thought, but nodded sympathetically. "I guess it makes us all a little edgy."

  "She's a bundle of nerves right now. I'm that worried about her, Faith, seeing as she's got another month or so before the baby comes. Her mother's over there, staying with her awhile. I figure the Champ and me—" He paused to ruffle Luke's hair. "We'd take ourselves off for a while. Give her some peace and quiet."

  "Aren't you the good daddy? Have you heard any more about where things stand?" "Carl D.'s investigating, and he isn't sharing a lot. I guess it's too soon for that. I guess they'll get the autopsy results soon. Carl D.'s a good man, don't mean to say otherwise. But this sort of thing ... " He trailed off, shook his head. "It's not what he's used to dealing with. None of us is." "It's not the first time it's happened."

  He glanced back, looking blank for a minute, then his eyes clouded. "I'm sorry, Faith, I wasn't thinking. This must bring back bad memories for you."

  "The memories are always there. I just hope they catch this one, catch him and hang him by his toes and cut off his—"

  "Ah—" Lips twisted into a pained smile, Dwight squeezed her arm and rolled his eyes toward his son. "Little ears."

  "Sorry," she said, as Luke decorated his dandelion puff hair with the best part of an Oreo. "Honey, Lissy's going to stomp you into the ground till your ears bleed if you bring her boy home in that shape."

  "I oughta get points for bringing home groceries." "You get minor points for that, we're talking major here. For major, try jewelry."

  "Well, you'd know." Dwight scratched his head. "Actually, I was thinking of hunting her up a present, take her mind off her worries. Thought I'd stop by the drugstore and find some perfume."

  "They haven't got anything special in there. Old-lady scents mostly. You go by Tory's place, and you'll find what you're looking for. Put a smile back on Lissy's face."

  Dwight took a good look at Luke, who was now happily coating the red plastic handle of the cart with black Oreo goo. "You think I'm taking this bull calf in that china shop?"

  "You got a point there." The plan that formulated in her mind pleased her very much. "I'll tell you what we'll do, Dwight. You give me the money, and I'll go on in and find something that'll make you a hero. When you're done marketing, and scrape a few layers of cookie off your Luke, you just come by, and I'll run it out to you."

  "Really? You wouldn't mind?"

  "I was going by anyway. Besides, what are friends for?" She held out her hand, palm up.

  "Good thing I just went to the bank. I got cash." Delighted, he took out his wallet, counted bills into her hand. When he stopped, she simply stared balefully at him.

  "Cough it up, Dwight. You can't be a hero for under two hundred." "Two hundred? Jesus, Faith, you'll take all but my last dollar here."

  "Looks like you'll have to go by the bank again." She snatched the bills out of his wallet while he winced. "That'll give me more time to find just the right thing." "What about your groceries here?" he called after her. "Oh." She waved dismissively. "I'll come back later on."

  Dwight blew out & breath, put his nearly empty wallet back in his pocket. "I think," he told his son, "we've just been hosed."

  It was perfect, Faith decided. She could go in, pick Tory's brain, and do a good deed. Then it was only a hop and skip down to Wade's office. She'd have time to decide whether to punish him for making her imagine him imagining sex with Sherry Bellows.

  It couldn't have worked out better.

  This time she took Bee out of the car, snuggling, cooing. "Now, you're going to be a good girl, aren't you, so mean old Tory won't complain. You sit like a sweetheart and 1*11 give you a nice chewy bone. That's Mama's baby."

  "Don't you bring that dog in here again." Instantly Tory was out from behind the counter, ready to block Faith as she came in.

  "Oh, stop being so pissy. She's going to sit right here like a doll baby, aren't you, Bee honey." She lifted one of the puppy's paws, waved it, while they both stared at Faith with equally innocent expressions.

  "Damn it, Faith."

  "She's just good as gold. You watch." She dug out the bone first, as insurance, then set Bee down, pressing her rump until it hit the floor. "Besides, what kind of welcome is that when I have a mission, and cash," she said, pulling out the wad of bills.

  "If that dog pees on my floor—"

  "She's got too much dignity for that. I'm doing Dwight a little favor. Lissy's feeling poorly and he wants to cheer her up with a nice present."

  Tory blew out a breath, but she calculated the number of bills Faith was cheerfully waving. "House or body decoration?"

  "Body."

  "Let's have a look."

  "Good thing Dwight ran into me. Men don't have a clue about such things most of the time, and Lissy's taste is all in her mouth. And it's not so keen there." Faith paused at the display case, lifted her eyebrows. "Was that a snicker?"

  "I have too much dignity for that."

  "You ask me, you've got too much dignity for your own good. Let's see that necklace there, the one with the pink topaz and moonstones."

  "You know your rocks."

  "You bet your ass. A woman wants to know if some man's trying to pass off a peridot as an emerald. This is nice." She held it up, let the light play over it. "But I think it's too much metal for her. Really more my style."

  "Is this how you accomplish a mission?"

  "I can do more than one thing at a time. Let's just put this aside here so I can think about it." She wandered down the case.

  "You doing all right?"

  "Yes." "Well, don't actually try to have a conversation and spoil your record."

  Tory opened her mouth, shut it again, blew out a breath. "I'm all right, a little shaky inside, I guess, but all right. How about you?"

  Faith glanced up, smiled thinly. "See, your tongue didn't turn black and fall out or anything. I'm well enough. Been gathering the gossip as I go. And don't bother to look down your nose. You're as interested in what people are saying as I am."

  "I've heard what they're saying. I've had considerable traffic in here today. People love to come in and get a look at me, then flap about it all. It's different for you, Faith, you're one of them. I'm not. I don't know why I thought I ever could be."

  "I can't understand why you'd want to be, but if you do, you just have to stick with it. People get used to you around here. They'd get used to a one-eyed midget with a limp if he lived here long enough."

  "That's comforting." "Let's see this bracelet. Cade seems to have gotten used to you mighty fast." "Pink and blue topaz in silver. Lobster-claw clasp."

  "Very nice, very Lissy. Those earrings there. She'd want them to match. She doesn't have the imagination for otherwise."

  "Seems odd you taking the time to pick out gifts for her when you don't appear to like
her."

  "Oh, I don't dislike her." Faith pursed her lips and considered the earrings. "She's too silly for me to work up the energy to dislike. Always was. She makes Dwight happy, and I like him. Box these up, and wrap them up pretty. Dwight'll owe me big. I think I'll take this necklace for myself. Cheer up my mood."

  "You're turning into my best customer." Tory carried the jewelry to her counter. "Hard to figure."

  "You have things I admire in here." Bee had fallen asleep with the bone in her mouth. Faith stopped long enough to beam at her in adoration. "Plus you seem to be making Cade happy, and I like him even more than I like Dwight." She leaned on the counter while Tory boxed Lissy's gifts. "Fact is, you're sleeping with my brother. I'm sleeping with your cousin."

  "That practically makes us lovers."

  Faith blinked, snorted, then threw back her head and laughed. "Christ, that's a frightening thought. And here I was wondering if I should consider us being friends."

  "Another frightening thought." "Isn't it? Still, it occurred to me yesterday when we were sitting out there that you and were probably feeling the same thing, thinking the same thing. Remembering the same thing. That's a powerful connection."

  Tory tied the cord very carefully, very precisely. "It was very considerate of you to stay with me. I tell myself, often, that it's better to be alone. But it's difficult. Sometimes it's very difficult."

  "I hate to be alone. More than anything else in the world. I am, so often, irritated by my own company." She caught herself, laughed. "Well, listen to us, having almost an intimate conversation. I'm going to give you Dwight's nice fresh cash for Lissy's, but I'll charge mine."

  Before she could reach into her purse, Tory reached out, laid a hand on hers. Odd, how it had become easier to touch, to be touched, since she'd come back to Progress. "In my life I never had another friend like Hope. I don't know as any of us ever have friends the way we do as children. But I could use a friend."

  Flustered, Faith stared at her. "I don't know that I make a particularly good one."

  "I know I haven't, not since Hope, so that starts us on level ground. I think I'm in love with your brother." She let out a long, shaky breath, moved her hand to keep it busy. "If it turns out I am, I think it would be nice, for everyone, if you and I could be friends."

  "I know I love my brother, though he is a regular pain in my ass. Life has some awfully screwy angles." Faith laid Dwight's money down, took out her credit card. "You close up at six, don't you?"

  "That's right."

  "Why don't you meet me after work? We'll have us a drink."

  "All right. Where?"

  Faith's eyes glittered. "Oh, I think Hope Memorial would be appropriate."

  "I'm sorry?"

  "In the swamp, you know where."

  "For God's sake, Faith."

  "Haven't been there yet, have you? Well, it's time, I'd say, and it strikes me as a good spot to see if you and I turn a corner. Got the belly for it?"

  Tory snapped up the credit card. "I do if you do."

  She hauled groceries home, and met Lilah's complaint about her late arrival with just enough bitchiness at being given the chore in the first place to satisfy them both.

  "And don't start yapping that the tomatoes are too soft or the bananas too green, or next time I won't be your errand girl."

  "You eat, don't you? Don't do another damn thing around here I can see, so you can haul the food in once in a blue moon."

  "The moon turns blue around here more than it used to." Faith got out the iced tea, two glasses, then settled down to relay the gossip.

  "So." Lilah sat down, shifted comfortably. "What are they saying?"

  "All manner of things, most of which are as far-fetched as a liberal Republican. Lot of people are saying it must've been an old boyfriend or a lover. A new, married lover. But I ran into Maxine in produce, and it turns out she was friends with Sherry, and she says Sherry didn't have a boyfriend just now."

  "Don't mean some idiot man didn't think he should be." Lilah took out her lipstick, twirling the tube up and down. "I heard she let him in though, 'cause her dog didn't send up a racket and there wasn't no break-in like people thought at first."

  "Letting a man into your house doesn't mean you want him to rape you."

  "Didn't say so." Lilah colored her lips, rubbed them together. "Just saying a woman's got to be careful. You open a door for a man, you better be ready to boot his ass right back out again."

  "You're such a romantic, Lilah."

  "I got plenty of romance in me. Miss Faith. I just balance it with good hard sense. Something you're missing when it comes to men. Maybe that poor girl was missing it, too."

  "I've been sensible enough to kick plenty of them out on their ass." "Had to go and marry two of them first, though, didn't you?"

  Faith took out a cigarette, smiled blandly. "I could have married more than two. Least I'm not a spinster."

  Lilah met the smile equably. "Marriage was all it's cracked up to be, it'd last longer. That girl, she didn't have an ex-husband, did she?"

  "No, I don't think so."

  "Faith?" Margaret stood in the doorway, her face rigid. "I need to speak with you. In the parlor."

  "All right." Faith rolled her eyes at Lilah, crushed out her cigarette. "I should've found more to do in town."

  "You show your mama some respect." "It would certainly be a shock to the system if she did the same for me."

  She took her time wandering to the parlor. Stopped once to check her manicure, another to smooth her hair in the hall mirror. When she walked in, her mother was sitting, stiff as dry plaster.

  "I don't approve of you gossiping with the servants." "I wasn't. I was gossiping with Lilah." "Don't take that tone with me. Lilah may be a valued member of this household, but it's inappropriate for you to sit in the kitchen and gossip."

  "Is it appropriate for you to eavesdrop?" Faith slumped into a chair. "I'm twenty-six years old, Mama. It's a long time since it would do you a lick of good to lecture me on behavior."

  "It never did any good. I'm told that you were with Victoria Bodeen yesterday. That you were together and were responsible for contacting the police."

  "That's right."

  "It's distressing enough that you have any connection with a situation as unseemly as this, but it's intolerable that you are now linked with that woman."

  "That woman being Tory rather than the one who was raped and murdered?" Faith's spine stiffened, but she remained lazily slumped.

  "I will not have it. I will not have you associating with Victoria Bodeen."

  "Or?" Faith waited a beat. "You see, there aren't any or's at this point in our lives, Mama. I come and go when I please and with whom. I always did, but now you really have nothing to say about it."

  "I would think out of respect for your sister you would sever any connection, however tenuous it is, with the person I hold responsible for her death."

  "Maybe it's out of respect for my sister that I've made this connection. You never could stand her," Faith said conversationally. "I took your lead there, I suppose. You would have forbidden Hope to associate with her, but you could never really bring yourself to forbid Hope in anything. And if you did, she got around you. She was infinitely more clever than I in that area."

  "Don't speak of my daughter in that manner."

  "Yes, your daughter." Now the brittle tone reflected in her eyes. "Something I never quite managed to be. Here's something you may never have considered. Tory isn't responsible for what happened to Hope, but she may very well be the key to it. It might bring you comfort to remember Hope as a bright light, as a life cut off before it really lived. It would bring me more comfort to finally know why. And know who."

  "You won't find your comfort, or your answers, with that woman. You'll only find lies. Her whole life is a lie."

  "Well then." With a bright smile, Faith got to her feet. "Just gives us one more thing in common, doesn't it?"