The Dead and the Beautiful by Cheryl Crane Page A

I’m there?”
    â€œSure thing,” Jolene sang.
    Nikki went through a closed door, into the back, and walked into Jeremy’s office. It was expensively furnished, but in good taste: oxblood leather and cherry wood with one wall covered in paneled, cherry wainscoting. She dropped into one of the two leather armchairs in front of his massive desk. His desk was clean, of course. Neat. A computer monitor and keyboard. His cell phone. Framed, candid photos of the kids and a leather cup of pens. She noticed that the picture of Marissa on his desk was gone. He must have removed it recently because the last time Nikki was here, maybe a month ago, the framed photo had been there, behind the children’s. Another sign Jeremy was moving on, recovering from his wife’s death from cancer. As much as anyone could recover from such a thing.
    Nikki didn’t dare contemplate what that would mean for her and Jeremy. They’d been in sort of a holding pattern for a while. He had definitely moved to boyfriend status, but they’d never talked about what that meant. What it could mean in the future. Which was just as well, because Nikki didn’t know what she wanted or how she felt about Jeremy. She knew she loved him, but they had been through so much, together and apart, that she didn’t know where their relationship could lead. Her mother’s seven marriages had turned her off to the whole institution, but she’d learned a long time ago to never say never. Something else her mother had taught her.
    â€œHey, everything okay?” Jeremy walked into his office, looking very handsome and very professional in his shirt and tie and white lab coat. He took one look at her face and closed the door. “Everything’s not okay.”
    She shook her head. “Jeremy—”
    â€œAlison did it, didn’t she?”
    â€œNo, no, of course not.” She was momentarily taken aback, not only by his accusation, but by the way he made it. As if he’d thought all along that his sister had killed someone. She rose from the chair. “But she’s been arrested.”
    There was a glisten in his eyes and he looked away. His hands hung at his sides. “I’ll have to get money together to post her bail.”
    She rested her hand on his chest. This was the Jeremy she knew, not the accusing one. He was the kind of man who would bail his sister out because it was the right thing to do, not because he thought she was innocent. “Tell me what I can do.”
    â€œI’ll have to call my attorney. He can find out what her bail will be set at.” He was talking to himself, not really her. “Move money around.” He swore under his breath, something he rarely did.
    â€œJeremy, this is a mistake. She didn’t do this.”
    He turned his gaze on her, his facial expression hard, something she wasn’t used to seeing. Jeremy was usually so easygoing, so slow to pass judgment. “No? How do you know?”
    â€œBecause this is Alison. Your little sister. She wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
    â€œNo? Ask her to tell you about the armed robbery she was involved in.”
    Nikki’s mouth dropped open. For a second, she thought she might have to close it manually. “Armed robbery?” she whispered. “When? Not recently?”
    He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, as if speaking of it literally tasted bad. “No, it was before she met Farid.”
    â€œAlison was involved in an armed robbery?” Nikki repeated. “You mean she was accused of being involved.”
    â€œShe was involved. A man was seriously wounded. Alison didn’t pull the trigger, but she knew it might get pulled.”
    Nikki was flabbergasted. “But . . . but she never went to jail.”
    â€œNot for more than a couple of nights, because I bailed her out. She lied to me. Promised me she had nothing to do with robbing this convenience store in East