was just wearing a denim empire waist dress and a pair of flats.
“You’re swimming in that thing,” Amanda said, offering her a hug. “You look like you’re wearing a Muumuu. We’re going shopping.”
“Okay,” Eloise said.
Amanda, on the other hand, looked like a movie star. She had highlighted her wheat hair. She was meticulously groomed—makeup, nails. She was a successful accountant. But her husband, Phillip, was a hedge fund manager, whatever that meant. They were wealthy—unhappy together now, but wealthy. Eloise didn’t mind Phil, but he was nothing special. One of those charming enough but vacant, entitled young men who thought the world owed them something. Maybe he’d grow up one day. Eloise wasn’t sure how long he and Amanda would be together. He wasn’t her “one.” Eloise knew that. Amanda hadn’t met the love of her life yet; but she would.
What’s wrong with me? Eloise thought. She couldn’t stay in the moment at all. It was always like this now, her thoughts drifting this way and that. Her present tense barely existed. It seemed like all she did was remember or slip into visions. Maybe one day, she’d float away altogether.
• • •
Eloise went downstairs. There was black smoke coming from the toaster, and two charred pieces popped out as Eloise entered the kitchen.
“Dammit,” said Ray, trying to scrape the eggs off the pan.
But he was good at coffee. The aroma was strong and rich. Oliver the cat wove himself through her legs as she poured them each a cup, then tossed the toast, and put in two more slices.
“So, Stephanie Schaffer,” he said. “Are you up to talking about it?”
She nodded, welcoming the distraction. They were seated and eating the eggs he had prepared, which were actually not too bad.
“You found her?” she asked.
“Not exactly,” he said, with food in his mouth. Through the open window over the sink, she could hear the wind chimes singing.
“You told me to find the people who really knew her, right? So I got ahold of the woman Tim said was Stephanie’s best friend. He’d always suspected that she knew more than she let on.”
He kept chewing.
“After that, I went to see her mother,” he went on. “And, I paid her doctor another visit.”
He took a bent and coffee-stained photo out of his pocket. Stephanie Schaffer, a plain girl with mousy hair, busty. She is squinting at the camera, smiling. She’s sad, Eloise thought. She doesn’t want her picture taken, wherever it was. It looked like there might be a lake behind her, some trees.
“You know what I figured out?” asked Ray.
“Hmm?” said Eloise.
“Tim Schaffer? He’s an asshole,” said Ray. “He’s pushy and controlling. He calls me constantly, has been dropping by the office daily. What am I paying you for? What leads are you following? ”
Eloise took a sip of her coffee. This didn’t surprise her.
“Guess what?” Ray went on. Eloise knew that she was not supposed to answer. “Her best friend was also not that nice to be around. While I was there—and I was only there for like half an hour—she referred to Stephanie as ‘weak,’ ‘a little overweight,’ and at one point she said that Stephanie was ‘not that bright.’ ‘ If she left ,’ the girl says, ‘ she shouldn’t have. She was lucky to do as well as Tim. ’ ”
Eloise remembered that feeling she had of not being able to breathe.
“Let me guess,” said Eloise. “Mom wasn’t exactly a charmer either?”
Ray blew out a breath. “That was my mother, I’d have run away, too. Long ago. It was three in the afternoon, and she was already half in the bag. Nasty old lady, not a pleasant word out of her mouth about her kid or anyone.”
Eloise ate some more eggs, thinking about Stephanie. After she’d taken the scarf off, she hadn’t gotten anything else.
“So one last time, I go to see the doctor,” Ray said. “I waited in the parking lot for her to leave the office, surprised her as
“You’re swimming in that thing,” Amanda said, offering her a hug. “You look like you’re wearing a Muumuu. We’re going shopping.”
“Okay,” Eloise said.
Amanda, on the other hand, looked like a movie star. She had highlighted her wheat hair. She was meticulously groomed—makeup, nails. She was a successful accountant. But her husband, Phillip, was a hedge fund manager, whatever that meant. They were wealthy—unhappy together now, but wealthy. Eloise didn’t mind Phil, but he was nothing special. One of those charming enough but vacant, entitled young men who thought the world owed them something. Maybe he’d grow up one day. Eloise wasn’t sure how long he and Amanda would be together. He wasn’t her “one.” Eloise knew that. Amanda hadn’t met the love of her life yet; but she would.
What’s wrong with me? Eloise thought. She couldn’t stay in the moment at all. It was always like this now, her thoughts drifting this way and that. Her present tense barely existed. It seemed like all she did was remember or slip into visions. Maybe one day, she’d float away altogether.
• • •
Eloise went downstairs. There was black smoke coming from the toaster, and two charred pieces popped out as Eloise entered the kitchen.
“Dammit,” said Ray, trying to scrape the eggs off the pan.
But he was good at coffee. The aroma was strong and rich. Oliver the cat wove himself through her legs as she poured them each a cup, then tossed the toast, and put in two more slices.
“So, Stephanie Schaffer,” he said. “Are you up to talking about it?”
She nodded, welcoming the distraction. They were seated and eating the eggs he had prepared, which were actually not too bad.
“You found her?” she asked.
“Not exactly,” he said, with food in his mouth. Through the open window over the sink, she could hear the wind chimes singing.
“You told me to find the people who really knew her, right? So I got ahold of the woman Tim said was Stephanie’s best friend. He’d always suspected that she knew more than she let on.”
He kept chewing.
“After that, I went to see her mother,” he went on. “And, I paid her doctor another visit.”
He took a bent and coffee-stained photo out of his pocket. Stephanie Schaffer, a plain girl with mousy hair, busty. She is squinting at the camera, smiling. She’s sad, Eloise thought. She doesn’t want her picture taken, wherever it was. It looked like there might be a lake behind her, some trees.
“You know what I figured out?” asked Ray.
“Hmm?” said Eloise.
“Tim Schaffer? He’s an asshole,” said Ray. “He’s pushy and controlling. He calls me constantly, has been dropping by the office daily. What am I paying you for? What leads are you following? ”
Eloise took a sip of her coffee. This didn’t surprise her.
“Guess what?” Ray went on. Eloise knew that she was not supposed to answer. “Her best friend was also not that nice to be around. While I was there—and I was only there for like half an hour—she referred to Stephanie as ‘weak,’ ‘a little overweight,’ and at one point she said that Stephanie was ‘not that bright.’ ‘ If she left ,’ the girl says, ‘ she shouldn’t have. She was lucky to do as well as Tim. ’ ”
Eloise remembered that feeling she had of not being able to breathe.
“Let me guess,” said Eloise. “Mom wasn’t exactly a charmer either?”
Ray blew out a breath. “That was my mother, I’d have run away, too. Long ago. It was three in the afternoon, and she was already half in the bag. Nasty old lady, not a pleasant word out of her mouth about her kid or anyone.”
Eloise ate some more eggs, thinking about Stephanie. After she’d taken the scarf off, she hadn’t gotten anything else.
“So one last time, I go to see the doctor,” Ray said. “I waited in the parking lot for her to leave the office, surprised her as
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