by Joanne Fluke
“Come on, Jan. It’s not quite that bad.” Maura started to laugh. “At least the other Mrs. Thomas wasn’t a total bitch.”
“Mom!” Jan looked shocked for a moment, and then she laughed, too. “At least you managed to hang on to your sense of humor. Maybe you don’t exactly remember, but you laugh at the same things and you make the same jokes.”
Hank looked very serious as he nodded. “Just remember . . . ‘I hasten to laugh at everything for fear of being obliged to weep at it.’”
“Shakespeare?” Jan raised her eyebrows.
“Pierre de Beaumarchais. He was a French dramatist and he knew that laughing and crying were polar ends of the same emotion.”
“Psych major?” Jan was clearly interested.
“No, I’m studying film at Cal Arts. You have to be a student of human emotions if you expect to capture them on film.”
“Have you made any films, Hank?” Maura smiled at him.
“Not yet, but I’m almost ready to start my student project. Making a film is very expensive, and that’s the reason I drive limos for my uncle. The tips are good and I can work every weekend.”
“I made you coffee, Miss Maura.” Nita came in with a carafe of coffee and a tray of cookies. “Is there anything else you need?”
“Nothing. Thanks, Nita.”
Nita poured the coffee, and passed around the plate of cookies. She seemed pleased as Hank took two.
“I will take this little bambino now, and put him to bed.” Nita scooped up the puppy and carried him to the door in her arms. “I wrap the hot water bottle in a towel with the alarm clock. Is that right?”
Maura nodded. “That’s right. Make sure to wind the clock. The ticking’ll remind him of a heartbeat. He’ll think he’s cuddled up next to his mother, and he’ll go right to sleep.”
“That’s a great trick.” Hank looked impressed. “Are you sure you didn’t raise dogs, Mrs. Thomas?”
“I don’t think so.” Maura frowned slightly. “Tell me about the accident, Hank. I’d really like to know what happened that night.”
“Well . . . I was following you on the freeway. I thought the license plate was interesting, so I got close enough to read it. It said D-P-R-E-S-H-E-8.”
“What does that mean?” Maura was puzzled.
“Depreciate.” Jan smiled as she told her. “They have vanity plates now. You can order almost anything you like, as long as it’s no more than eight letters or numbers. Uncle Steve got him that license plate for Christmas one year, and he liked it so much he kept it.”
“Very clever.” Maura nodded. And then she turned to Hank again. “Did you see me in the car?”
Hank looked very uncomfortable. “I noticed you right away. You’d been crying and you were fixing your makeup in the lighted mirror on the visor.”
“Crying?” Jan turned to her mother in alarm. “But . . . why?”
Maura shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t remember it, honey.”
“Maybe I should ask Keith when he gets back. He probably knows exactly why you were crying.” Jan’s voice was hard, and Maura frowned slightly. It was clear that her initial impression had been correct. Jan wasn’t on the friendliest terms with her stepfather.
“Don’t do that, honey.” Maura reached out to touch her arm. “Perhaps I wasn’t crying at all. I could have gotten a piece of dust in my eye.”
“Well . . . all right.” Jan nodded. And then she turned to Hank. “Tell me about Uncle Grant. Did he look upset?”
“I don’t know. I just saw his face from the side. I noticed his haircut and the expensive suit he was wearing, but that’s about it.”
“Uncle Grant knew how to dress.” Jan nodded. “How was he driving?”
“Very carefully. He obeyed the speed limit and he signaled when he changed lanes. I remember thinking that he was a cautious driver.”
“Then what happened?” Maura leaned forward. “I thought we were speeding when we crashed through the guardrail.”
“You were. But that was afterward. He took it nice and slow when he got off at the exit. They’re working on the ramp, and there’s a blinking caution sign. He was driving perfectly, until he got into the curves. That’s when he started to go faster.”
“I don’t understand.” Maura was puzzled. “Why did he speed up then?”
“I don’t think he did it intentionally. He was trying to slow down. I saw his brake lights flash. But the car just went faster. I think his brakes went out.”
“That must be it. I know Grant would never speed up on a curve. Why, I remember one time when . . .” Maura stopped in midsentence. Her mind was suddenly blank. Whatever she’d been about to say was gone. But Jan was staring at her with a hopeful expression, and she knew she had to try to explain. “Sorry, Jan. I think I was beginning to remember something, but it’s gone now.”
Jan reached out to take her hand. “That’s okay, Mom. Almost remembering is better than drawing a complete and total blank. I’d say it was a step in the right direction. Wouldn’t you, Hank?”
“Absolutely!” Hank nodded. And then he began to frown. “Are you sure you want to hear the rest, Mrs. Thomas? It’s pretty scary.”
“Yes. I want to hear it.” Maura nodded. The details of her car crash couldn’t be any more frightening than the strange dreams she’d been having.
“Okay. The brake lights were on. I already told you that. He started to brake the moment you crested the top of the ramp. But the car just leaped forward into the curves, picking up speed and swerving all over the road. I heard the tires squeal against the pavement, and I think he was trying to turn back and forth to slow down. But it didn’t work. The grade was too steep, and you started to fishtail out of control. That’s when I put on my own brakes and stopped.”
Hank paused, but Maura motioned him on. She wanted to hear it all.
“I guess I shook up my passengers up pretty good when I stopped, but I wasn’t worried about them. We were safe at the side of the road. I jumped out and watched as you sideswiped the guardrail on the right side of the ramp. It held. I don’t know how. It was only a temporary wooden rail, but it didn’t break. But then your car bounced back and headed for the opposite rail.”
“Oh, Mom!” Jan moved closer, and put her arm around Maura’s shoulder. “You must have been terrified.”
“She was. I heard her scream, and I’ve never felt so helpless in my life. And then the car plowed through the left barrier and tumbled end over end down the side of the hill.”
Maura shivered slightly. What she’d heard had been horrifying, but it almost seemed as if it had happened to another person. She took a deep breath and asked, “How long did it take for help to come?”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t think it was more than a minute. They’d just finished treating a broken arm at the airport when the call came in, and they just jumped in their van and hightailed it out to you. There wasn’t anything they could do for your friend, but they hooked you up to some kind of life support and called for a helicopter. They’d just lifted off when the car blew up.”
“My God!” Jan turned pale. “It was that close?”
Hank nodded. “Just like in the movies. You could probably sue if the car hadn’t blown up. I’m absolutely sure the brakes were faulty, but now there’s no way to prove it.”
“It doesn’t really matter.” Maura drew a shaky breath. No one had told her that she’d come quite that close to death. “But why did you follow me to the hospital?”
Hank looked embarrassed for a moment and then he shrugged. “I guess I just felt close to you. When I saw you wiping those tears away, I wanted to do something to make you feel better. And then when your car crashed, I dropped off my passengers and drove straight to the hospital. I know I probably shouldn’t have interfered, but I held your hand and talked to you right up until they took you to surgery.”
“Thanks, Hank.” Jan blinked back tears. “That makes me feel a lot better. All this time, I thought that Mom was there all alone.�
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Maura nodded. “So did I. But why didn’t you visit me later, when I was awake?”
“They caught me.” Hank looked very sheepish. “I had to lie to get into the emergency room. It was family only. And I . . . well . . . I said I was your son. I hope you’re not mad about that.”
Maura laughed. “Of course not! I’m glad you kept me company, even though I didn’t know it. But how did you get caught?”
“Your husband told them that you didn’t have a son. And the next time I came, they told me to get lost before they pressed charges.”
“That’s too bad.” Jan frowned. “I wish I’d known. I would have taken you in with me. I could have said that you were my boyfriend. They never would have known the difference.”
Maura watched as Hank’s face began to color. It was clear he liked Jan.
“It wouldn’t have worked.” Hank looked down at the rug. “The minute you showed up with your real boyfriend, they would have known that I was a fake.”
“What real boyfriend?” Jan laughed. “I don’t have one.”
“You don’t? But you’re so pretty, and nice, and . . . I don’t believe it!”
“Believe it. It’s true.” Jan laughed, again. “I’ve never been Miss Popularity. I guess I’m just too serious.”
Hank nodded. “Yeah. Me, too. And this film I’m making takes up almost every minute of my time. Say, Jan . . . do you know how to play tennis?”
“Yes.” Jan grinned at him. “I’m not very good, though. Do you?”
“No, but I’ve got to learn. You can’t break into film in this town without knowing how to play tennis.”
“But . . . why?” Jan looked puzzled.
“Because that’s where you make all your important contacts. It used to be golf, and then it was racquetball. And now it’s tennis . . . at least that’s what my professor says. I know I’m probably out of line here, but I can’t afford a tennis coach, and I was thinking that maybe you’d . . .”
“I’d love to.” Jan jumped in quickly. “And we’ve got lots of extra racquets and things like that. When are you free?”
“How about tomorrow afternoon? I get out of class at two, and I could be here by three. I could even pick you up in the limo so you could impress your friends.”
“Great idea!” Jan grinned at him. “I’ll call and reserve a court. You don’t mind playing at the country club, do you?”
Hank laughed. “Do I mind? You’ve got to be kidding! I’ve never been inside a country club in my life!”
“You’d better get used to it. When you’re a big important producer, you’ll have to join. Isn’t that right, Mom?”
“Definitely.” Maura smiled at them. “How about an early dinner at the club, after your game? It’ll be my treat.”
Jan nodded. “Great! That sounds just . . . uh-oh. You can’t take us out tomorrow, Mom. Keith’s coming home, and Uncle Steve invited both of you for dinner. Did you forget?”
“Yes, I did.” Maura sighed. She felt every bit as disappointed as Jan looked. But she could do something about her daughter’s disappointment.
“I guess you’ll just have to go without me.” Maura smiled at both of them. “They’ll let you sign for me, won’t they, Jan?”
Jan nodded, but Hank still looked upset. “You don’t have to buy my dinner, Mrs. Thomas. I can pay my own way.”
“I’m sure you can.” Maura smiled at him. “But I’d really like this to be my treat. It’s my way of saying thank you for visiting me in the hospital.”
“But I explained all that. I wanted to visit you.”
“And I want to say thank you by treating you to dinner. Is it a deal?”
“Well . . . okay.” Hank still looked a little uncomfortable. “But the next time you need a limo, it’s free.”
They visited for a few more minutes, and then Maura excused herself. She was still smiling as she went into her room and closed the door. Jan was positively blossoming. Nita had told her that Jan hadn’t gone out much in high school, and Jan had admitted that she hadn’t dated anyone during her freshman year at Princeton. Suddenly there were two possible boyfriends on the scene, and Maura wasn’t sure which one she liked best. David seemed like a wonderful young man, and so did Hank.
It took only a few minutes to get ready for bed, and Maura sighed as she switched off the light. It had been an exhausting day, and she simply had to get some sleep. She was about drop off to sleep when she thought of it.
Keith was coming home tomorrow.
Maura shivered slightly, even though her room was warm. She knew nothing about her husband. He was still a stranger to her. Perhaps that was why Steve had extended his dinner invitation. He’d known that this first night with Keith would be awkward for her, and he’d attempted to make things easier.
There was a frown on Maura’s face as she went over their schedule. Steve was picking Keith up at the airport, and bringing him back here. And there would barely be time for him to shower and dress before they had to leave for the restaurant. Dinner would be fine. Steve had a date, and they would make a foursome. But how about after dinner, when they came back here and Steve and his date left? Would Keith insist on reinitiating the intimate relationship they must have shared?
Maura shivered again. The prospect of making love with her husband was more than a little disconcerting. It was like sleeping with a man on a first date, something she doubted she’d done in the past. What sorts of things did Keith like in bed? And would she be able to please him? These were all questions that would be answered by this time tomorrow night.
As she dropped off to sleep, Maura was still frowning. But her last conscious thought wasn’t about Keith and whether or not he would make love to her. She was trying to imagine what Steve’s date would be like, and wishing that they could switch places.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
She had just slipped into one of her favorite dresses, a knee-length, midnight blue silk that hugged her figure like a second skin. The dress was simple, one of her own creations, with a bodice cut low enough to be provocative, held in place by thin spaghetti straps.
He was fixing his collar in front of the mirror and he gave an appreciative whistle as he caught sight of her, entering the room. “You look incredible! But are you sure you want to wear that dress? You’re going to attract a lot of attention.”
“Why not?” She shrugged and the bodice slipped down slightly. “No one knows us here.”
“That’s true, but there may be photographers. Some pretty big names hang out at the restaurant. I tell you what... let’s have dinner at the hotel, instead.”
“Oh, Donny!” Her lips formed into a pout. “It’s our last night and I want it to be special. And I’ve never been to the Four Seasons before. No one’ll pay any attention to us. We’re not celebrities.”
He raised his eyebrows and leered at her. “You look like one in that dress. It’s one of yours?”
“Of course.” She bent over to slip on her shoes, giving him an excellent glimpse of her breasts. “I designed it last year, but this is the first time I’ve actually worn it.”
“It’s really . . . uh . . . I don’t know how to describe it.”
She laughed and turned around slowly, giving him a full view. “It’s fashionable and feminine, and very sexy. That’s why she wouldn’t buy it for her line. She said it was too revealing, that a woman would need a perfect body to wear it, and most of her clients wouldn’t want to take the chance.”
“She’s right.” He chuckled as he walked over to kiss the side of her neck. “Her clients want clothes that hide their faults. That’s why she designs all those loose, drapey things.”
“But this looks good on me, doesn’t it?”
She turned slightly, so he could see her in profile, and he nodded. “It looks great! But it needs something, and I think I know what it is.”
“A different hemline?” She frowned slightly. As far as she was concerned, the hemline was perfect.
“No. T
hink higher.”
“A belt?”
“Definitely not, but you’re going in the right direction.”
“The neckline?” Her frown deepened. “You think it’s too low?”
“It’s perfect, but you could use something to set it off. Shut your eyes and I’ll show you.”
She shut her eyes and waited as his footsteps receded. She hoped he wasn’t about to give her one of those tacky gold chains everyone in California seemed to wear. Then his footsteps returned and she felt something cold and metallic being placed around her neck. Costume jewelry. She just hoped it wouldn’t be something that would ruin the look of her dress.
“Keep your eyes closed and walk to the mirror. I’ll guide you.”
His voice was filled with anticipation, and she felt a tingle of pleasure. He’d never presented her with a gift before, and even if his choice was a piece of cheap-looking trash, she’d wear it with a smile on her face.
“Okay. You can open your eyes now.”
She drew a deep breath and reminded herself that it was the thought that counted. And then she opened her eyes.
“It’s . . . it’s gorgeous!” Her eyes widened as she stared at the necklace he’d fastened around her neck. If this was costume jewelry, it was a great knock-off. It looked genuinely antique, with heavy gold overlapping circles each one containing a stone. The stones were gorgeous and they looked to her untrained eye like opals. Of course that wasn’t possible, unless . . .
“It’s not real . . .” There was fear in her eyes as she turned to face him. “Is it?”
He nodded and grinned like a schoolboy caught with his hand in the milk money. “It’s real. I had it made up especially for you.”
“But . . . how?” She turned to look at the necklace again, her face a curious mixture of fear and pleasure. She loved the look of its glittering beauty, the solid feel of precious metal resting around her neck, but she knew he couldn’t afford to give her something this expensive.
“Don’t worry about it.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her. “I found the gold base in a box in the attic, along with some other broken jewelry. It used to be set with pearls, but most of them were missing. I had my jeweler repair it and put in the opals.”
