Obstruction of Justice by Perri O'Shaughnessy Page B

morning.
    A deep, loud bark came from the door.
    "I’m going to get you, you dirty dog," Nina said, hobbling over to him, wrapping her robe around her.
    When Nina finally made it to the kitchen for coffee, Andrea was already tossing dirty cereal bowls into a sinkful of suds, her red hair looking almost toned down above her brick-red shirt. "There’s our big filthy beast," Andrea crooned, waving a bowl at the dog. "Ready for your kibble, boy?" Hitchcock perked up his floppy ears, trotting eagerly toward his food bowl, drool hanging from one flap of his jaws. While Andrea tenderly mashed canned dog food into the kibble, Nina made herself a bowl of Rice Krispies and a cup of coffee. She said, "I had to put him on a leash at the bottom of the hill. He was chasing the cars."
    "He’s not very bright," Andrea said. "But he does have a way about him." She smoothed his coat while Hitchcock crunched through an enormous bowl of kibble.
    Matt slammed through the open back door, grabbed a cup from the shelf, poured himself coffee, and sat down, shooting a spray of fine sawdust in all directions.
    "Has anyone else ever noticed that everything men do is noisy?" asked Nina. She didn’t see much of Matt these days. He spent most of his spare time lately in the garage.
    "And grungy," Andrea added, giving him a careful kiss on the forehead. She put a hand up to push back his hair. "You have to hunt for a clean spot."
    "Good morning to you, too, ladies," said Matt, bending down to pet Hitchcock, who had appeared at his side and cocked his head at just the right height for an arm hanging at loose ends.
    Matt had a frizzle of ash color over his ears these days. A dirty cap disguised the rest of his hair, but couldn’t hide his mood. He looked like a man with a lot on his mind, a lot to do, as disturbed and lacking in peace as Nina was. The hand he rested on one knee jittered to the rhythm of his private thoughts.
    "Matt, I’ve been thinking ..." started Nina.
    Matt stood up abruptly, holding tight to his cup, screeching the wooden legs of his chair over the floor and heading briskly for the back door. "Man, this morning’s flying by. Well, I’ll leave you ladies to your chat...."
    "Matt, sit down. This will only take a minute," said Nina firmly, "and it concerns you, too."
    He sighed, and sat down.
    "I’ve been thinking. You guys have been so great to us. Bob and me. You’ve put up with a lot."
    "True," said Matt.
    Andrea swatted at him with her hand.
    "But when we came here, we only meant to stay until I knew what I would be doing. Now I’m settled here. I really want to know whether you guys are still happy with the arrangement. I mean, we could find a place of our own now. Bob’s old enough to bike a few blocks to see his cousins, and I’ve been making some money. Maybe everyone’s ready for that?"
    Andrea came over and sat down by her at the table. She had a redhead’s milky skin and freckles, and a no-nonsense way about her. A part-time director of the Tahoe Women’s Shelter, she carried responsibility as if it weighed nothing. She cooked, she cleaned, she raised kids and held a responsible job. She was an affront to working women like Nina who could barely cope with half that.
    "You could find a place close by," Matt said.
    "Matt does have a use for the space," Andrea said at the same time.
    So she had guessed right. It was time to move.
    After Matt descended down the stairs into the cave of his garage workshop, Nina pushed back her chair, fending off Hitchcock, and said, "Well, no time like today. I’m going to start looking around."
    "You know, Nina, we love you guys. You don’t have to rush."
    Nina was grimacing. She and Bob had overstayed their welcome. Sheer laziness and her own self-absorption had prevented her from recognizing what had clearly become an issue for Matt and Andrea.
    Andrea said apologetically, "They’re forecasting an early winter, with lots of snow. I know he’s worrying about getting things in