"R" is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton

it up and get caught being foremost.
    It was Reba who finally broke the silence. “Pop told you why I was in?”
    â€œHe said you took money, but that’s all,” I said. I noticed that I’d bypassed the word ‘embezzlement,’ as though it might be rude to name the crime that resulted in her prison term.
    She rested her head against the back of the seat. “He’s a love. He deserves a lot better than me.”
    â€œMay I ask how old you are?”
    â€œThirty-two.”
    â€œNo offense, but you look about twelve. How old was your dad when you were born?”
    â€œFifty-six. My mother was twenty-one. There’s a match made in heaven. No telling what her deal was. She dropped me like a litter of kittens and hit the road.”
    â€œDoes she keep in touch?”
    â€œNope. I saw her once, when I was eight. We spent one day together—well, half a day. She took me to Ludlow Beach and watched me splash in the waves until my lips turned blue. We had lunch at that snack stand, you know the one near High Ridge Road?”
    â€œKnow it well.”
    â€œI had a milk shake and ate fried clams, which I haven’t eaten since. I must have been hyper. I remember my stomach was full of butterflies from the minute I woke up, knowing she’d be there. We were on our way to the zoo when I got sick in the car and she ended up taking me home.”
    â€œWhat’d she want?”
    â€œWho knows? Whatever it was, she hasn’t wanted it since. Pop’s been great, though. I’m lucky in that regard.”
    â€œHe feels guilty about you.”
    She turned and looked at me. “How come? None of this is his fault.”
    â€œHe thinks he neglected you when you were young.”
    â€œOh. Well, he did, but what’s that got to do with it? He made his choices and I made mine.”
    â€œYeah, but generally speaking, it’s better to avoid the ones that are going to land you in jail.”
    She smiled. “You didn’t know me back then. I was either drunk or stoned and sometimes both.”
    â€œHow’d you hold down a job?”
    â€œI saved the drinking for nights and weekends. I smoked dope before and after work. I never did the hard stuff—heroin, crack, or speed. Those can really mess you up bad.”
    â€œDidn’t anyone ever notice you were stoned?”
    â€œMy boss.”
    â€œHow’d you manage to take the money? Seems like that would necessitate a clear head.”
    â€œTrust me, I was always clear about some things. Have you ever been in jail?”
    â€œI did an overnight once,” I said, making it sound like an outing with my Girl Scout troop.
    â€œFor what?”
    â€œAssaulting a cop and resisting arrest.”
    She laughed. “Wow. Who’da thunk? You look like a real button-down type. I’ll bet you cross the street with the light and never fudge the numbers on your tax return.”
    â€œWell, true. Is that bad?”
    â€œNo, it’s not bad. It’s just boring,” she said. “Don’t you ever want to cut loose? Take a risk and maybe blow yourself through the roof?”
    â€œI like my life as it is.”
    â€œWhat a drag. I’d go nuts.”
    â€œWhat makes me nuts is being out of control.”
    â€œSo what do you do for laughs?”
    â€œI don’t know…I read a lot and I jog.”
    She looked at me, waiting for the punch line. “That’s it? You read a lot and you jog? ”
    I laughed. “It does sound pathetic when you think of it.”
    â€œWhere do you hang out?”
    â€œI don’t do any ‘hanging out’ as such, but if I want dinner or a glass of wine, I usually go to a tavern in my neighborhood called Rosie’s. The owner’s a mama bear, which means I can eat without being hassled by guys on the make.”
    â€œYou have a boyfriend?”
    â€œNot so’s you’d notice,” I said, slipping into