Motherhood Is Murder

Hmmm, did we have any wine?

I found a bottle and opened it, pouring myself a glass.

I had recently read an article online that allowed breastfeeding moms one to two glasses of alcohol a day. What a hoot! I thought I wasn?t supposed to have any alcohol. Well, everything in moderation. Certainly the occasional glass of wine wasn?t going to hurt Laurie. And definitely the last few days had been trying. I needed something to take the edge off.

I continued my search for crackers.

Maybe I could make a little appetizer plate for Jim and me?cheese, crackers, nuts, and fruit . . .

My daydream was cut short with the discovery that we didn?t have any crackers, nuts, or fruit.

Man! I had to get to the store.

I took a sip of wine, sliced another piece of cheese, and ate it anyway. Didn?t wine count for fruit?

I cracked open the file from Gary. It was a transcript of Inspectors Jones and McNearny questioning Bruce. Only they hadn?t been able to ask him much. Gary had coached Bruce and he?d only made a small statement about being grieved over his wife and shocked about the incident at his house. He repeated the same statement to most of the questions until Gary put a sudden stop to the questioning by quoting a statute and ending the interview.

Short and simple, they needed to officially charge him if they were going to get any answers. And without evidence, they couldn?t charge him.

I grabbed the phone and dialed Margaret. I got no answer but left her a second message. Where was she? She was supposed to be at her mother?s but there was no answer there either.

What kind of investigator can?t get in touch with her client?

I heard the front door creak open and knew my time for dinner prep had run out.

I?m a failure as a housewife.

Jim clunked down the hallway and peered into the kitchen. He inhaled deeply. ?Hi, honey.?

?What?s wrong??

He let out his breath and dropped his briefcase on the floor. ?My client put a hold on the project.?

?What does that mean??

?Did you watch the news today??

I shook my head.

?The market?s crashed. People are kind of freaking out. So, Dirk wasn?t able to secure funding for the project.?

My mind flashed on Bruce Chambers. His clients would be scared, too.

?What does it mean for us?? I asked.

Jim shrugged. ?Well, we don?t have much in the market, so in that regard we?re fine. But if they don?t get funding for my project, that means I?m out of work again.?

During my maternity leave from my corporate job, Jim had been let go from his. He?d been able to land a freelance client and the income had been large enough, or so we thought, to last us awhile so I had left my corporate gig.

I felt my heart constrict. ?They gave you a retainer, though.?

Jim closed his eyes. ?That?s not a guarantee. My contract states that if the project moves forward, I apply it to the cost of the project. If they back out in the first sixty days, I have to return fifty percent.?

I grabbed the stovetop for support.

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me into him. ?Don?t worry, honey. Things will be okay. If this falls through, I?ll find something else.?

I wanted to say that I would go back to my secure corporate income, but I choked on the words.

There was no way. I couldn?t go back now. I had tasted the freedom and excitement of entrepreneurship. Even with doubts surrounding a steady income stream, nothing could bring me to sacrifice myself to the doldrums of my office job again.

Could it?

Laurie squeaked from the nursery. She had been asleep for about an hour in the crib and that was the maximum she had ever slept at the dinnertime hour, what Jim and I were beginning to call the ?witching hour.?

?I?ll get the squirrel,? Jim said. As he left the kitchen, he asked the inevitable, ?What?s for dinner??

?Nothing,? I called after him.

Jim laughed. ?Okay, open a can of soup. We?re on austerity anyway.?

I groaned. ?But I?m nursing and I?m really hungry.?

Jim returned to the kitchen with Laurie bundled in his arms. ?Okay, screw it. Let?s order a pizza.?

I squinted at him and bit my lip. ?I may have good news.?

Jim raised an eyebrow. ?Good. Something to celebrate. What is it??

?I got a pseudo-job offer today. I think it will keep up our income stream anyway.?