Four
Sara’s well of intestinal fortitude was running dangerously low. The shrimp salad tasted like cardboard, the sweet tea bitter, and the noise in Riverbend’s newest restaurant deafening.
“You listening to me?” Cat leaned across the table, her chest coming close to dipping into her entrée. Her neon green scarf somehow complimented the tangerine top she wore, making her stand out in the conservative lunch crowd. At least her hair wasn’t quite as spiked as normal. Sara had chosen a silver pant suit with a teal silk top. She made a mental note to either go shopping or dig in her closet for a smaller size. No matter what she did, she kept losing weight.
Events of the morning had distracted Sara to the point of obsession. In her mind, she kept seeing Jason’s face. Did he move the book the night before? Of course that was ludicrous. Logically, she knew it was impossible. He was dead and she didn’t believe in ghosts. Mostly.
“Of course, I am.”
“Liar. You haven’t heard a word I said in the last ten minutes.”
Busted. “I’m sorry.” She smiled. “Forgive me?”
Cat grinned. “There isn’t anything to forgive. Hey, any news from the police or the grumpy dreamboat?”
“No. It’s too soon. They’ll let me know as soon as they can.” Cat didn’t need to know Morgan had been there last night or how he’d held her. Nor of the nightmarish events of the evening. Cat would think she’d finally lost it and ready for the psych ward. Which might not be too far off the mark. She shoved her fears of that happening into a mental box and turned the key.
“Lord, I want this over with. For your sake,”
“You and me both.”
They sat in silence for a while, ignoring everything, and everyone else, in the noisy restaurant.
Cat cleared her throat. “Um, I hate to add to your stress, but you’re on the front page of the paper today.”
Acid churned in Sara’s stomach. “Oh, please tell me you’re joking.”
“I wish.”
Shoulders slumped, she stared at her plate and shook her head. When would this end? “What’d they say?”
“Actually, they had a picture of you.”
Okay. No big deal there. She and Jason had been in the paper numerous times.
“Of you in tall, dark and grumpy’s arms. Which , you forgot to tell me about, by the way.”
Sara ignored her last comment. “How did they...?”
Cat shrugged. “How any reporter finds out I guess. Anyway, there was a lot of speculation as to why they’d exhumed Jason’s body. None of it good.”
It didn’t take any stretch of the imagination to figure out what the article had said. Oh, Lord. “Did it say anything about the—the bag and its contents?” Her voice quivered.
“No, thank goodness. That would’ve been a nightmare. Guess the cops kept them far enough away so they couldn’t get any shots.”
Thank goodness for small favors. She dabbed at her lips with the linen napkin, laying it on the table. She’d had enough pretense for the day. With three-fourths of her salad uneaten, they paid their checks and made their way out of the crowded restaurant.
When they reached Sara’s car, Cat hugged her briefly. “Are you okay?”
“I could lie and say I’m just fine, but the truth is I’m pretty whipped. I don’t know why because I slept like a rock last night.”
“You finally took one of those sleeping pills. Good for you.” Cat gave her a thumbs up. “I’ve always said you shouldn’t put yourself through the torture you do every night. Me? I would’ve been downing ’em by the handfuls.”
“No, you wouldn’t, and you know it.” Sara didn’t want to admit what had really happened the previous night. In fact, she wasn’t sure herself.
“Probably not, but you know me, Miss Tough As Nails who can handle anything.”
At this stage in Cat’s life, she probably could. Sara envied her for it. “You’d better get going. You said you have a one o’clock appointment. Don’t want to be late.”
“Oh, shoot! I
Sara’s well of intestinal fortitude was running dangerously low. The shrimp salad tasted like cardboard, the sweet tea bitter, and the noise in Riverbend’s newest restaurant deafening.
“You listening to me?” Cat leaned across the table, her chest coming close to dipping into her entrée. Her neon green scarf somehow complimented the tangerine top she wore, making her stand out in the conservative lunch crowd. At least her hair wasn’t quite as spiked as normal. Sara had chosen a silver pant suit with a teal silk top. She made a mental note to either go shopping or dig in her closet for a smaller size. No matter what she did, she kept losing weight.
Events of the morning had distracted Sara to the point of obsession. In her mind, she kept seeing Jason’s face. Did he move the book the night before? Of course that was ludicrous. Logically, she knew it was impossible. He was dead and she didn’t believe in ghosts. Mostly.
“Of course, I am.”
“Liar. You haven’t heard a word I said in the last ten minutes.”
Busted. “I’m sorry.” She smiled. “Forgive me?”
Cat grinned. “There isn’t anything to forgive. Hey, any news from the police or the grumpy dreamboat?”
“No. It’s too soon. They’ll let me know as soon as they can.” Cat didn’t need to know Morgan had been there last night or how he’d held her. Nor of the nightmarish events of the evening. Cat would think she’d finally lost it and ready for the psych ward. Which might not be too far off the mark. She shoved her fears of that happening into a mental box and turned the key.
“Lord, I want this over with. For your sake,”
“You and me both.”
They sat in silence for a while, ignoring everything, and everyone else, in the noisy restaurant.
Cat cleared her throat. “Um, I hate to add to your stress, but you’re on the front page of the paper today.”
Acid churned in Sara’s stomach. “Oh, please tell me you’re joking.”
“I wish.”
Shoulders slumped, she stared at her plate and shook her head. When would this end? “What’d they say?”
“Actually, they had a picture of you.”
Okay. No big deal there. She and Jason had been in the paper numerous times.
“Of you in tall, dark and grumpy’s arms. Which , you forgot to tell me about, by the way.”
Sara ignored her last comment. “How did they...?”
Cat shrugged. “How any reporter finds out I guess. Anyway, there was a lot of speculation as to why they’d exhumed Jason’s body. None of it good.”
It didn’t take any stretch of the imagination to figure out what the article had said. Oh, Lord. “Did it say anything about the—the bag and its contents?” Her voice quivered.
“No, thank goodness. That would’ve been a nightmare. Guess the cops kept them far enough away so they couldn’t get any shots.”
Thank goodness for small favors. She dabbed at her lips with the linen napkin, laying it on the table. She’d had enough pretense for the day. With three-fourths of her salad uneaten, they paid their checks and made their way out of the crowded restaurant.
When they reached Sara’s car, Cat hugged her briefly. “Are you okay?”
“I could lie and say I’m just fine, but the truth is I’m pretty whipped. I don’t know why because I slept like a rock last night.”
“You finally took one of those sleeping pills. Good for you.” Cat gave her a thumbs up. “I’ve always said you shouldn’t put yourself through the torture you do every night. Me? I would’ve been downing ’em by the handfuls.”
“No, you wouldn’t, and you know it.” Sara didn’t want to admit what had really happened the previous night. In fact, she wasn’t sure herself.
“Probably not, but you know me, Miss Tough As Nails who can handle anything.”
At this stage in Cat’s life, she probably could. Sara envied her for it. “You’d better get going. You said you have a one o’clock appointment. Don’t want to be late.”
“Oh, shoot! I
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