bully her into going to work. “Take an aspirin,” I’d say. “Don’t be such a big baby.”
Now I understood how cruel I’d been, though perhaps justified.
The house phone rang. The noise sent violent spikes of pain through my skull. I groaned, rolled over, and pressed my face into my pillow. After four rings, the answering machine picked up.
"Ms. Winslow? This is James Todd, from the San Francisco Police Department. I'm calling in regards to --"
I sat up and grabbed for the handset by my bed. My head and stomach protested, but I ignored them. "Yes? Hello? I'm here."
"Good. We need to talk."
"Oh!" I needed some good news. "Did Ricky confess?"
"Hardly." His voice was grim. "Ms. Winslow, I did some checking. Ricky Jones has no criminal record, nothing at all. His grades are decent. His teachers have never had any issues with him."
"But you talked to him, right? You asked him where he was Wednesday night around --"
"I'm not finished," Detective Todd broke in. "I did some additional checking. After I was done with Ricky, I looked into your record, Ms. Winslow."
"My -- ?"
"That's right. You neglected to tell me a few things when you came by yesterday. The arrest for shoplifting? And I found out you've spent a little time in the mental health system, Ms. Winslow. A private, very upscale facility, but an institution all the same."
"Oh." I didn't know what else to say; I hadn't known. "But that doesn't change --"
"I also spoke to Jamie's friend Maria. Maria describes a young woman very much like you, Ms. Winslow, who came to her door on Thursday and claimed to be -- what did she say? Claimed to be Jamie reincarnated, or something like that. Does any of this ring a bell?"
"No, I --" This conversation was going very badly.
"Jamie's mother also saw you, or your identical twin perhaps. She says you were standing outside her window and spying on her. I have to tell you, Ms. Winslow, this doesn't look good. If there wasn't a rape involved, I might even consider you as a suspect. I have no idea why you latched on to this particular case, but I suggest you drop it pretty damn fast."
"Won't you please just talk to Ricky?" I begged. "Okay, maybe this does seem strange, but there's an explanation."
"Really? I'd like to hear it, then."
"I -- I can't tell you."
Detective Todd heaved a sigh. "All I can say, Ms. Winslow, is that I advise you to stay far away from Jamie's family and anyone related to this case."
He hung up. I sat listening in horror to the dial tone. So Ricky was going to get away with murder, it seemed. But I wasn’t about to let Detective Todd keep me away from my mother and Maria.
Speaking of whom – I grabbed for the clock next to the bed. It was already 10:30. The funeral was in half an hour, on the other side of town.
“Can’t be late for my own funeral,” I said aloud, then giggled. That was so creepy it was funny.
I jumped out of bed, and immediately regretted it. It felt like Thor had taken his hammer to my head. As I dressed – in a black wool designer suit, its skirt a little too short and tight for the occasion – I fought off nausea. My mother always said a little food made her feel better, but even the thought made me wince.
I scrubbed last night’s lipstick off my face and ran my fingers through my hair. One thing I could say for Sarah – she looked great no matter what. Her skin might be a little pale this morning, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, but I still thought she was beautiful.
I made it to the front door of the building before I nearly collided with Nick, who came bounding up the stairs to ring the buzzer. “Just who I was looking for,” he said, and swept me up in a hug before I could protest. He held up a paper bag. “Look, I brought bagels! I can’t stay long –“
I pulled away from him. “I suppose you have to get back to your wife.”
He shrugged. “So? Let’s not get into this, Sarah.”
“No, let’s not. I don’t have time
Now I understood how cruel I’d been, though perhaps justified.
The house phone rang. The noise sent violent spikes of pain through my skull. I groaned, rolled over, and pressed my face into my pillow. After four rings, the answering machine picked up.
"Ms. Winslow? This is James Todd, from the San Francisco Police Department. I'm calling in regards to --"
I sat up and grabbed for the handset by my bed. My head and stomach protested, but I ignored them. "Yes? Hello? I'm here."
"Good. We need to talk."
"Oh!" I needed some good news. "Did Ricky confess?"
"Hardly." His voice was grim. "Ms. Winslow, I did some checking. Ricky Jones has no criminal record, nothing at all. His grades are decent. His teachers have never had any issues with him."
"But you talked to him, right? You asked him where he was Wednesday night around --"
"I'm not finished," Detective Todd broke in. "I did some additional checking. After I was done with Ricky, I looked into your record, Ms. Winslow."
"My -- ?"
"That's right. You neglected to tell me a few things when you came by yesterday. The arrest for shoplifting? And I found out you've spent a little time in the mental health system, Ms. Winslow. A private, very upscale facility, but an institution all the same."
"Oh." I didn't know what else to say; I hadn't known. "But that doesn't change --"
"I also spoke to Jamie's friend Maria. Maria describes a young woman very much like you, Ms. Winslow, who came to her door on Thursday and claimed to be -- what did she say? Claimed to be Jamie reincarnated, or something like that. Does any of this ring a bell?"
"No, I --" This conversation was going very badly.
"Jamie's mother also saw you, or your identical twin perhaps. She says you were standing outside her window and spying on her. I have to tell you, Ms. Winslow, this doesn't look good. If there wasn't a rape involved, I might even consider you as a suspect. I have no idea why you latched on to this particular case, but I suggest you drop it pretty damn fast."
"Won't you please just talk to Ricky?" I begged. "Okay, maybe this does seem strange, but there's an explanation."
"Really? I'd like to hear it, then."
"I -- I can't tell you."
Detective Todd heaved a sigh. "All I can say, Ms. Winslow, is that I advise you to stay far away from Jamie's family and anyone related to this case."
He hung up. I sat listening in horror to the dial tone. So Ricky was going to get away with murder, it seemed. But I wasn’t about to let Detective Todd keep me away from my mother and Maria.
Speaking of whom – I grabbed for the clock next to the bed. It was already 10:30. The funeral was in half an hour, on the other side of town.
“Can’t be late for my own funeral,” I said aloud, then giggled. That was so creepy it was funny.
I jumped out of bed, and immediately regretted it. It felt like Thor had taken his hammer to my head. As I dressed – in a black wool designer suit, its skirt a little too short and tight for the occasion – I fought off nausea. My mother always said a little food made her feel better, but even the thought made me wince.
I scrubbed last night’s lipstick off my face and ran my fingers through my hair. One thing I could say for Sarah – she looked great no matter what. Her skin might be a little pale this morning, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, but I still thought she was beautiful.
I made it to the front door of the building before I nearly collided with Nick, who came bounding up the stairs to ring the buzzer. “Just who I was looking for,” he said, and swept me up in a hug before I could protest. He held up a paper bag. “Look, I brought bagels! I can’t stay long –“
I pulled away from him. “I suppose you have to get back to your wife.”
He shrugged. “So? Let’s not get into this, Sarah.”
“No, let’s not. I don’t have time
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