why.”
Bernadette and Tony had finished their meal in record time and retreated to the rec room to watch television. Little Lucy had gone down early and they wanted to take advantage of it.
“Something’s wrong, isn’t it, Lu.” Frankie transferred the piece of eggplant from Lucille’s plate to his own.
“I didn’t want to say nothing.”
“Come on, Lu, out with it. You’ll feel better if you tell me.”
That was true, Lucille thought. Lucille began shredding her paper napkin. “I got a call from the doctor’s office today.”
She explained to Frank about having to go for a repeat mammogram the following morning.
“The lady said there’s nothing to worry about, right?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Then listen to her, Lucille. Don’t go borrowing trouble if you don’t have to. Everything is going to be fine.” He got up from the table and put his plate on the counter. “I’ve got my Knights of Columbus meeting tonight. You going to be okay?”
“Sure, sure. You go on. I’ll be fine.”
As Lucille did the dishes, she tried to think of something else besides the test. Like Rocky Abruzzo. She didn’t trust that guy. He had a temper, and there was something sneaky about him.
She’d really like to know if he had an alibi for the time of Sal’s murder, but how was she going to find out?
She thought about it as she stacked the dishes in the dishwasher and wiped down the stove. Maybe that waitress would know. If Rocky had been at the restaurant all day that would rule him out.
She picked up the phone and dialed Flo’s number.
• • •
Lucille was getting her leather jacket out of the closet when Flo arrived.
“We taking your car or mine?”
“Let’s take yours,” Lucille said as she slipped into her jacket. “Sometimes the Olds doesn’t want to start, and we don’t want to miss Nicole. The restaurant closes at nine o’clock.”
“We’d better get a move on then.”
They got into Flo’s Mustang and shot out of the driveway.
“Whoa, we don’t have to rush that much,” Lucille said when Flo floored it.
Still, when they pulled into the parking lot behind Rocky’s they could see the lights were already out.
“Guess we’ll have to try again tomorrow,” Flo said as they sat idling.
“Wait! There’s Nicole now.” Lucille pointed to the back door of Rocky’s. “She must be locking up.”
Before Flo could put the car in gear, Nicole had gotten into her own car and started it up.
“Follow her,” Lucille yelled, pointing out the window.
“What? Like stalk her?”
“We’re not stalking her.”
“Tell that to the cops.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Flo. Nothing’s going to happen. Just don’t lose her.”
“If you say so.” Flo roared out of the driveway, sending loose gravel flying.
“Left, go left,” Lucille shouted. “I wonder where she’s going?”
“Probably home,” Flo grumbled. She stuck close to the tail of Nicole’s car.
“Looks like she’s pulling into the bank parking lot.”
“Probably making the bank deposit.” Flo shivered. “I hated doing that when I worked at the beauty parlor. I always half expected to be robbed before I could turn the money in.”
Flo put on her blinker and followed the car into the parking lot of the Wells Fargo Bank.
Nicole pulled up in front of the night deposit drop-off but didn’t get out of the car.
“I wonder what she’s doing?” Lucille hissed at Flo.
“Maybe she’s still preparing the deposit.”
Lucille grunted. “What’s that noise?”
Flo listened. “Sounds like sirens.”
“Yeah.” Lucille leaned back in her seat. “Something must be going on.”
Nicole still hadn’t gotten out of her car. Flo fiddled with the radio, tuning in an oldies station. “Lucille” by Little Richard came on and Lucille sat up.
“Hey, that’s my song.” She began to sing along, slightly off-key.
Flo gave her a dirty look. “You’re ruining the song with your singing.”
“Well, I am so
Bernadette and Tony had finished their meal in record time and retreated to the rec room to watch television. Little Lucy had gone down early and they wanted to take advantage of it.
“Something’s wrong, isn’t it, Lu.” Frankie transferred the piece of eggplant from Lucille’s plate to his own.
“I didn’t want to say nothing.”
“Come on, Lu, out with it. You’ll feel better if you tell me.”
That was true, Lucille thought. Lucille began shredding her paper napkin. “I got a call from the doctor’s office today.”
She explained to Frank about having to go for a repeat mammogram the following morning.
“The lady said there’s nothing to worry about, right?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Then listen to her, Lucille. Don’t go borrowing trouble if you don’t have to. Everything is going to be fine.” He got up from the table and put his plate on the counter. “I’ve got my Knights of Columbus meeting tonight. You going to be okay?”
“Sure, sure. You go on. I’ll be fine.”
As Lucille did the dishes, she tried to think of something else besides the test. Like Rocky Abruzzo. She didn’t trust that guy. He had a temper, and there was something sneaky about him.
She’d really like to know if he had an alibi for the time of Sal’s murder, but how was she going to find out?
She thought about it as she stacked the dishes in the dishwasher and wiped down the stove. Maybe that waitress would know. If Rocky had been at the restaurant all day that would rule him out.
She picked up the phone and dialed Flo’s number.
• • •
Lucille was getting her leather jacket out of the closet when Flo arrived.
“We taking your car or mine?”
“Let’s take yours,” Lucille said as she slipped into her jacket. “Sometimes the Olds doesn’t want to start, and we don’t want to miss Nicole. The restaurant closes at nine o’clock.”
“We’d better get a move on then.”
They got into Flo’s Mustang and shot out of the driveway.
“Whoa, we don’t have to rush that much,” Lucille said when Flo floored it.
Still, when they pulled into the parking lot behind Rocky’s they could see the lights were already out.
“Guess we’ll have to try again tomorrow,” Flo said as they sat idling.
“Wait! There’s Nicole now.” Lucille pointed to the back door of Rocky’s. “She must be locking up.”
Before Flo could put the car in gear, Nicole had gotten into her own car and started it up.
“Follow her,” Lucille yelled, pointing out the window.
“What? Like stalk her?”
“We’re not stalking her.”
“Tell that to the cops.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Flo. Nothing’s going to happen. Just don’t lose her.”
“If you say so.” Flo roared out of the driveway, sending loose gravel flying.
“Left, go left,” Lucille shouted. “I wonder where she’s going?”
“Probably home,” Flo grumbled. She stuck close to the tail of Nicole’s car.
“Looks like she’s pulling into the bank parking lot.”
“Probably making the bank deposit.” Flo shivered. “I hated doing that when I worked at the beauty parlor. I always half expected to be robbed before I could turn the money in.”
Flo put on her blinker and followed the car into the parking lot of the Wells Fargo Bank.
Nicole pulled up in front of the night deposit drop-off but didn’t get out of the car.
“I wonder what she’s doing?” Lucille hissed at Flo.
“Maybe she’s still preparing the deposit.”
Lucille grunted. “What’s that noise?”
Flo listened. “Sounds like sirens.”
“Yeah.” Lucille leaned back in her seat. “Something must be going on.”
Nicole still hadn’t gotten out of her car. Flo fiddled with the radio, tuning in an oldies station. “Lucille” by Little Richard came on and Lucille sat up.
“Hey, that’s my song.” She began to sing along, slightly off-key.
Flo gave her a dirty look. “You’re ruining the song with your singing.”
“Well, I am so
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