My heart stopped. ?And Evelyn? What about Evelyn??
?They don?t know yet, Connolly,? McNearny said. ?It?s not looking good.?
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
To Do:
1. Cook!!!
I awoke to the phone ringing. I was immediately annoyed. It was bad enough that I?d gotten to bed at midnight only to be woken up every few hours by Laurie?s hunger cries, but now that both of us were sound asleep, to have the shrill sound rupture my dreams was the limit!
?Hello??
?Kid! You got a write-up in the paper!? Galigani said.
Suddenly being woken up wasn?t so bad.
?I did??
I swung my feet off the bed and stopped short. Every part of my body ached. There were bruises up and down my legs, and my ribs were stiff where the doctor had taped them.
?Nice big spread, but it?s mostly about your client, The Grizzly,? Galigani said. ?He does mention you, though. At the very end. Almost like small print.?
?It?s a good thing I didn?t get involved for the glory,? I said.
?Yeah, because they misspelled your name, too.? Galigani laughed.
I snorted. ?Geez. No good deed goes unpunished!?
?What time is dinner??
The smell of pumpkin pie filled the house. The wind whipped through our chimney as Jim was preparing a fire. He crumpled some newspaper and stacked the logs against each other in an upright triangle. I finished setting the table and lit the candles.
Some heat started to kick out from the fireplace and the house was getting cozy. I played my new Ricky Martin CD, and Laurie snoozed in her bassinet. The doorbell sounded. It was Galigani and Mom standing on my front stoop. Galigani had brought the stuffing and Mom had made the potatoes.
I helped Galigani take everything to the kitchen while Mom woke Laurie.
We sat down at the table and said prayers. Mom was sitting across from me with Laurie in her lap. Jim was at the head of the table and Galigani sat opposite him.
Jim carved the turkey and laid out a delectable platter, alternating the white and dark meat.
He passed the platter to me. ?I?m most thankful for my wife and daughter.?
I selected a piece of dark meat and put it on my plate. ?I?m most thankful for my lovely peanut, her father, my mother, and my boss.?
I passed the platter to Galigani.
?I?m most thankful to be with such wonderful company tonight and thankful a murderer is behind bars because of our efforts,? Galigani said. ?Kid, I?m sure glad you insisted I sponsor you!?
?Wait,? Mom said. ?I insisted you sponsor Kate. I?m the insister!?
?Yes, you are, Mom,? Jim said.
?Here?s to justice!? Mom said, holding up her wineglass. Jim followed suit and we all drank to the toast.
Galigani served himself some turkey and passed the tray to Mom.
Mom said, ?I?m most thankful that Jim got the turkey in the brine before the EMTs interrupted him with a call about Kate!
Galigani laughed. I gagged on my wine.
?God, Mom! Aren?t you thankful for Laurie??
?Of course I am! I?m thankful for all of you!
Jim snickered into his napkin.
?And another thing I?m extremely thankful for is that Paula sent the pumpkin pie! It smells delicious!?
I frowned. ?How do you know she sent the pie??
Mom laughed. ?Well, I know you didn?t make it and Jim doesn?t bake.?
?Will you pass the potatoes, Vera?? Galigani asked.
Mom handed him the potatoes, and after he served himself, the bowl made its way around the table.
I served myself some stuffing, then shoveled a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto my plate. I poured gravy over the turkey and potatoes then reached for the cranberries. Canned.
