Organized to Death by Jan Christensen Page A

“Good girl.” He hung up.
    Both annoyed and amused, Tina washed her face and lay down with a cold, wet washcloth over her eyes for five minutes, then went downstairs to tell Uncle Bob she was going back to work, after all.
    “Good girl,” he said, and she laughed. He looked puzzled, but she left without explaining.
    Outside, she met her mother coming in. “Where are you going? I just heard about what happened.” Laura looked at her critically. “You’ve been crying. Come back inside, and I’ll make you a good strong drink.”
    Tina wasn’t sure if that was a motherly idea or not, but it was tempting. She glanced at her watch. It was only three thirty.
    “I need to get back to work. Ted and I were talking about how to get it all done when the excitement started. Where have you been that you heard about it?”
    “Oh, I was at Patty’s house, having lunch with the bunch. Nora wasn’t there, but she called after it happened. Right in her own driveway. Patty said she sounded upset, but strong, as always.”
    “How is Brandon’s mother?” Tina asked. “He was saying when I saw him last he wished he knew where she disappeared to every once in a while.”
    “She seemed fine.” Laura clamped her mouth shut.
    Tina knew she wouldn’t get any more out of her. “And was Hank’s mother there?”
    Her mother gave her a look. “Yes, Mitzi’s in town.”
    “Anyone know where she disappears to every so often?”
    “No.”
    “But you do know where Brandon’s mother goes. Maybe Mitzi’s ill.”
    “She’s been disappearing for the past twenty years, off and on, Tina. Maybe something mental. I don’t know. No one does, as far as I can tell.”
    “I don’t even think Hank knows, and he seems to know everything else that goes on in town.”
    “Oh, I bet he knows by now. A family secret.”
    “You think so?” It was not something Tina and Hank talked about. She hadn’t asked him about his mother in years. Maybe seeing Mrs. Morris earlier had made her think about mothers. Crystal’s and Rachel’s mother seemed to be closest to the ideal that the media loved than the other mothers she knew. Certainly Hank’s and hers didn’t fit the mold, and Brandon’s was an enigma. Tina didn’t know much about Brenda’s mother, either.
    “I’m going in,” Laura said. It’s chilly out here.”
    Tina had been too distracted to notice the weather, but the sky was overcast, and the wind off the ocean was biting her face and hands.
    “I’ll see you at dinner,” Tina said and headed for her car.
    Back at Ted’s office she had questions to answer, and by the time she got to work it was after four. Everyone became too busy to talk, so she went to the kitchen and began at the sink, washing the dishes and giving the sink a good scrub. Then she removed everything from the cabinet closest to the sink, washed the shelves, and put things back in an orderly fashion. Methodically, she moved around the room, cleaning and straightening each area as she got to it. In an hour, she’d made a dent in the mess, and she was feeling better. Her mind had been in a zone where she wasn’t thinking about Crystal’s murder anymore, and her jangled nerves had calmed down.
    Brenda and Ted entered the kitchen, talking about a patient. “What did you think?” Brenda asked.
    “Too many possibilities. That’s why I ordered so many tests. After we get the results, I’m sure I’ll have to refer her to someone else.”
    Brenda nodded, then saw Tina standing by the stove, looking at it with distaste. “Disgusting, isn’t it?”
    Tina nodded. “I’m tempted to leave it to last, but then it will be hanging over my head.”
    “But look how much you’ve done! I had no idea the sink could shine like that.”
    Tina laughed and opened the cabinets she’d finished. “You should be able to find things when you need them, now. I just hope everyone puts stuff back when finished with it.”
    “We’ll try,” Ted said. “Good job. I’m glad you