like that, there would be no record deals and no gold records for songs featuring copulation.”
Nikki’s BlackBerry on the coffee table vibrated.
“I’m not interested in the rapper, Mother. The bulletin on the bottom.”
Victoria changed the station back. The ticker now read something about the surrogate birth of some TV celebrity’s daughter.
Nikki picked up her phone, saw who was calling, and answered.
“You just see that? On Entertainment Tonight ? O-M-G, Nikki.”
“Marshall, I thought you had that fundraiser to go to.”
“I’m going,” he groaned. “My date is running late. Some French supermodel. My agent made the arrangements. Did they really arrest Jorge? Nikki, what’s going on over there? Eddie was killed in your mother’s backyard? That’s not possible. I was just there last night.”
“Eddie wasn’t killed in Mother’s yard.” She exhaled. “He was found dead in the alley.”
“And I have to hear about this on TV? And they’ve got it wrong, as usual?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have time to call you.” Nikki got up to pace. So they’d done it. The police had arrested Jorge. She had to do something. But what could she do? “Things have been crazy here.”
“Is that Jeremy?” Victoria asked. “It’s about time. I left him two messages today.”
Nikki glanced at her mother. “You called Jeremy?”
“No, I didn’t call Jeremy,” Marshall said. “I’m supposed to be your best friend. Your next-door neighbor is murdered by your gardener and you can’t bother to ring me?”
“Jorge didn’t do it,” she insisted.
“Tell him I think he should come over.” Victoria pointed at Nikki with a toast point.
“Mother, it’s not Jeremy. It’s Marshall.”
“Victoria called Jeremy and not me?” Marshall sounded hurt.
Nikki rubbed her forehead. She could smell the caviar on her fingertips and she wished she hadn’t eaten it. “I’m not sure what to do,” she said into the phone, closing her eyes.
“You should stay out of it, this time.” Victoria flipped through channels. “ Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is coming on. Shall we?”
Nikki walked to the far side of the luxurious bedroom suite that, despite all the pink, was decorated in good taste. “Mother offered to pay for an attorney. Jorge said no. I shouldn’t have left him there alone at the police station,” she fretted. “I should be there.”
“You were right to go home,” Marshall insisted. All the silliness was gone from his tone; he was someone Nikki could always count on when she really needed him.
“That would have made him look guilty, being there with him,” Marshall continued.
“How would my being at the police station make Jorge look guilty?” Nikki asked, exasperated, not so much with him, but with the situation.
“It just does,” Victoria said.
Nikki almost tripped over Ollie as she turned to pace in the other direction. “I can’t just sit here and let this happen.”
“Stay out of it!” Marshall and Victoria spoke simultaneously.
“Marshall, go to your fundraiser,” Nikki said into the phone.
“What are you going to do? Ah, hell’s bells,” Marshall muttered. “She’s here.”
“Who’s there?”
“Who’s where?” Victoria asked. “Lobster rolls.” She pointed to the TV with the remote. “You see this, Nicolette? It’s a little place in Massachusetts. I do enjoy a good lobster roll.”
Nikki felt as if she were going to explode. She couldn’t imagine what Jorge was going through right now, and her mother was talking about lobster rolls. “Please go to your dinner, Marshall. Go looking handsome and straight with your supermodel date on your arm and I’ll talk with you tomorrow.”
“Nikki, I know that tone,” Marshall said. “What are you going to do?”
“Good night.” Nikki hung up and marched over to the coffee table. She swept up an unopened jar of caviar. She grabbed the delft china plate of toast points. “I’ll be back.”
“Where
Nikki’s BlackBerry on the coffee table vibrated.
“I’m not interested in the rapper, Mother. The bulletin on the bottom.”
Victoria changed the station back. The ticker now read something about the surrogate birth of some TV celebrity’s daughter.
Nikki picked up her phone, saw who was calling, and answered.
“You just see that? On Entertainment Tonight ? O-M-G, Nikki.”
“Marshall, I thought you had that fundraiser to go to.”
“I’m going,” he groaned. “My date is running late. Some French supermodel. My agent made the arrangements. Did they really arrest Jorge? Nikki, what’s going on over there? Eddie was killed in your mother’s backyard? That’s not possible. I was just there last night.”
“Eddie wasn’t killed in Mother’s yard.” She exhaled. “He was found dead in the alley.”
“And I have to hear about this on TV? And they’ve got it wrong, as usual?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have time to call you.” Nikki got up to pace. So they’d done it. The police had arrested Jorge. She had to do something. But what could she do? “Things have been crazy here.”
“Is that Jeremy?” Victoria asked. “It’s about time. I left him two messages today.”
Nikki glanced at her mother. “You called Jeremy?”
“No, I didn’t call Jeremy,” Marshall said. “I’m supposed to be your best friend. Your next-door neighbor is murdered by your gardener and you can’t bother to ring me?”
“Jorge didn’t do it,” she insisted.
“Tell him I think he should come over.” Victoria pointed at Nikki with a toast point.
“Mother, it’s not Jeremy. It’s Marshall.”
“Victoria called Jeremy and not me?” Marshall sounded hurt.
Nikki rubbed her forehead. She could smell the caviar on her fingertips and she wished she hadn’t eaten it. “I’m not sure what to do,” she said into the phone, closing her eyes.
“You should stay out of it, this time.” Victoria flipped through channels. “ Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is coming on. Shall we?”
Nikki walked to the far side of the luxurious bedroom suite that, despite all the pink, was decorated in good taste. “Mother offered to pay for an attorney. Jorge said no. I shouldn’t have left him there alone at the police station,” she fretted. “I should be there.”
“You were right to go home,” Marshall insisted. All the silliness was gone from his tone; he was someone Nikki could always count on when she really needed him.
“That would have made him look guilty, being there with him,” Marshall continued.
“How would my being at the police station make Jorge look guilty?” Nikki asked, exasperated, not so much with him, but with the situation.
“It just does,” Victoria said.
Nikki almost tripped over Ollie as she turned to pace in the other direction. “I can’t just sit here and let this happen.”
“Stay out of it!” Marshall and Victoria spoke simultaneously.
“Marshall, go to your fundraiser,” Nikki said into the phone.
“What are you going to do? Ah, hell’s bells,” Marshall muttered. “She’s here.”
“Who’s there?”
“Who’s where?” Victoria asked. “Lobster rolls.” She pointed to the TV with the remote. “You see this, Nicolette? It’s a little place in Massachusetts. I do enjoy a good lobster roll.”
Nikki felt as if she were going to explode. She couldn’t imagine what Jorge was going through right now, and her mother was talking about lobster rolls. “Please go to your dinner, Marshall. Go looking handsome and straight with your supermodel date on your arm and I’ll talk with you tomorrow.”
“Nikki, I know that tone,” Marshall said. “What are you going to do?”
“Good night.” Nikki hung up and marched over to the coffee table. She swept up an unopened jar of caviar. She grabbed the delft china plate of toast points. “I’ll be back.”
“Where
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