The Confidence Woman by Judith Van Gieson Page B

exercise and watch his diet. Some of the most contented men Claire knew were men who had recovered from heart surgery, but she wasn’t sure she would put Steve in that category.
    â€œGood to see you,” he said, shaking her hand.
    â€œYou, too,” Claire replied.
    Lynn gave her a hug. “How was the funeral?”
    â€œDifficult.”
    â€œYou need a glass of Chardonnay,” Lynn said.
    â€œYou’re right.”
    Steve got the wine and they sat down on the patio. It was the time just before sunset known as civil twilight, Claire’s favorite time of day, a reminder that peace and civility were possible. As the sun dropped near the horizon, the shadows of the saguaros lengthened. Their curved arms reached up in a way that made them appear almost human. They sat in silence for a few minutes while the sun dropped behind the horizon, silhouetting the Seven Sisters Mountains against the sky. The mountains here were round and gentle, in contrast to the jagged Sandias behind Claire’s house. It was a time of near-perfect stillness. Then the sky darkened, the stars came out and the coyotes began to yip. Steve excused himself to make dinner.
    â€œHow was the ex?” Lynn asked as soon as he had disappeared into the house.
    â€œAll right, I guess. I didn’t talk to him for long.”
    â€œAnd the new wife?”
    Claire shrugged. “She was there, but I managed to avoid her. I went back to the sorority house after the funeral.”
    â€œOh, God, what was it like after all this time?”
    â€œI felt like I didn’t belong there and maybe I never had. Next I went to see Elizabeth, who was being bitchy to her boyfriend’s daughter.”
    â€œShe always was bitchy, wasn’t she? What did you think of Jess? You did meet him. didn’t you? I can’t imagine Elizabeth not showing her trophy off to everyone who visits.”
    â€œIs that how she thinks of him?”
    â€œMost likely,” Lynn said.
    â€œHe seemed nice.”
    â€œNice? Do you think Elizabeth keeps him around because he’s nice ?”
    â€œAll right, he’s young, tall, good-looking, but Elizabeth seems to be sapping his energy.”
    â€œShe does that to everyone, which is why her relationships never last. Once the conquest is over and she has a man totally under her control, she gets bored.”
    â€œWhen I visited the sorority house, I saw a Goodwill box, and it reminded me of the time Elizabeth accused Miranda Kohl of robbing her. Do you remember that?”
    â€œI remember, and I know Miranda was not the thief.” Lynn was vehement in her defense, reminding Claire that she and Miranda had kept in touch all these years. Lynn had once wanted to be an actress and lived out her unfulfilled dream by following Miranda’s career. Considering that Miranda’s career had brought her to the point of posing as an old woman in Lemon Pledge commercials, Claire thought Lynn might have made the wiser choice. She had a devoted husband. She lived in a beautiful place.
    â€œEvelyn was her roommate then. Did you ever consider that she was the thief?” Claire asked.
    â€œNot at the time, but it makes perfect sense now.”
    Eventually Steve called them in for dinner. As far as Claire could tell nothing but the photographs had changed inside the house in all the years she’d been coming here. The brown sofa in the living room appeared to be the same brown sofa she’d seen on her first visit. Lynn had never been very interested in decorating. They sat down at the table and Steve served a dinner that would have pleased a cardiologist. Claire couldn’t find a drop of fat anywhere. The chicken had been grilled and the skin removed. The potatoes were boiled and so was the asparagus. Desert was a dish of strawberries, no cream, no sugar. Lynn couldn’t be putting on the pounds eating like this.
    She took a few bites, complimented her husband on his cooking,