McDonald.”
She paused and took a sip of coffee. 'But not myself,' she added. 'Obviously. When I recovered, I still felt I had done God's work. I believe it to this day. And the months I was in the hospital gave me time to realize other things, too. That I could never go back to being anybody's good girl. That my body and my mind were in my own sole care and would remain so. I would never let another man have control of either. I would create my own life the way I wanted it to be.”
Jane discovered she'd been holding her breath for quite a long time.
Shelley started to speak, but for once had no words.
Babs put out both her hands and Jane and Shelley each took one. Babs squeezed them firmly, then let go. 'My dears, this is harder on you than me. I'm sorry I upset you, but I thought you should know. And maybe, too, I just needed to tell it one more time. Selfish of me, but I'm of an age to feel entitled to a little selfishness. To finish the story, I couldn't go back to my parents' house and wasn't well enough to live alone for several months, so my dear friend Daisy took me in and cared for me. Not only physically, but mentally as well. Although she had no interest in an academic life, she was the one with the perception to realize it would suit me. She gave me college catalogs, and helped me find my own apartment when I was well enough. It hurt my parents, I know, that I turned to a friend instead of them, but that was how it had to be.”
She smiled radiantly at her companions and signaled the waiter. 'I believe we each need a new cup of coffee, if you wouldn't mind,' she told him.
“I wonder if you're aware that Sharlene read an old newspaper article about your accident and has a very different interpretation of it,' Shelley said in voice that trembled slightly.
“Dear Sharlene. I'm sure her story is very pretty and romantic,' Babs said with a fond smile. 'She's a pretty person all the way through. I've seldom known anyone with so much intelligence and such pure goodness. It's a rare combination. As for Derek—”
The waiter came back with clean cups and a steaming carafe. When he'd cleared away the used cups, Shelley asked, 'How would Derek have known anything about this?'
“I suppose Whitney Abbot might have mentioned it and Derek did a little digging. Derek might have been taking a shot in the dark, or he might have heard the alternative version.'
“Alternative version?' Jane repeated.
“Yes. You see, there was a bit of scandal that followed the 'accident.' Apparently someone started a rumor — or it might have had an element of truth, I didn't care which — that Bobby had fallen in love with one of the Army nurses who treated him in England. According to the gossip mill, he'd told me that he was going to divorce me and marry her. This was supposedly the reason I'd been sick all evening, you see? And because I couldn't live without him, I'd tried to kill us both. There were no skid marks on the road and that added fuel to the rumor. Daisy told me about it and we had a good, if rather cynical, laugh out of it.'
“How would Whitney have known?' Jane asked.
“Oh, he's part of the same crowd. His grandmother gave one of my wedding showers. And fifty-year-old gossip is as good as a recent scandal among the old families. Now, I'm starting to feel my age. I'd better get on home. I'll see you both tomorrow. Stay and finish your desserts.”
And with that, she put a twenty-dollar bill on the table, gave them a quick glance defying them to object, and left.
Jane and Shelley stared at each other for a minute. Finally Jane said, 'Shelley, I don't think you
Shelley shook her head. 'No, I don't think so, either.”
Seventeen
“Sharlene, I just got a call from that Harriman woman about her mother's wheelchair that she's determined to donate to the museum,' Lisa said. 'I thought Derek was going to take care of it.'
“He was supposed to. I put her on the list of calls to return yesterday,' Sharlene replied, rummaging in a cabinet for more sugar packets. Today she was wearing a shimmery dark purple blouse and a black skirt. Whether by intuition or by study, she made the very best of her stunning coloring.
“Did he return any of the calls?' Lisa asked irritably.
“I don't know,' Sharlene said. 'I didn't see him all afternoon. I put the list on his desk. I'll go see if it's still there.' She was back in a moment. 'No, sorry. The list's right where I left it and nothing's checked off.'
“And he's not here yet this morning?' Lisa asked. ?
“Apparently not,' Sharlene said, emerging triumphantly from the cabinet with a rather elderly box containing individual sugar packets. 'At least his car's not here. I checked. Of course, he lives close by and usually walks to work unless he has a lunch appointment. Do you want me to call him?'
“No, don't bother. But I hope you'll make sure Babs and Jumper know that their acting director isn't doing his job.' She glanced at Sharlene. 'I'm sorry. I'm not cranky with you. It's just that everything's so difficult. You'd think the least Derek would do is show up for work. I was hoping to get away for a while myself this afternoon and rest a little, but if I have to take up the slack for him—'
“Lisa, go back home now, why don't you?' Sharlene suggested. 'You look so tired, and if you wear yourself to a nub and get sick, it'll be harder on everyone. I'll return his calls and explain that due to what's happened, we're a little behind this week.”
Lisa smiled weakly. 'Not now, but maybe later I'll take you up on that.' She patted Sharlene on the shoulder, picked up her coffee cup, and left.
Sharlene approached the table, and as Jane backed up to get out of her path, she bumpedinto the counter where the computer was. The stuffed cat tumbled off and she barely managed to catch it before it hit the floor. 'Poor old Heidi,' Jane said, standing it upright and back in place. 'Your stuffing must be clumping up to make you rattle that way.' She gave it a pat on the head and adjusted it so that the base was a little more firmly set and wouldn't take another header.
“I really wish Lisa would go home,' Sharlene remarked, stirring two packets of the slightly lumpy sugar into her coffee. 'She looks exhausted and miserable. And it's not like her to be snappish, even about Derek.”
Jane thought back to Lisa's suggestion that Derek might be responsible for Regina's death and then trying to deny it. 'Has she never gotten along with him?' she asked.
“Oh, not to say didn't get along. But they've never been friendly.'
“Did he make passes at her, too?' Shelley asked.
“Maybe. I don't know. She never mentioned it. I think she just found him distasteful. And being friends with Ms. Palmer, I'm sure she knew what trouble he'd been to her.'
“Trouble. I hear the word and think of Derek,' Babs McDonald said from the doorway. 'Jumper isn't here yet, is he?'
“No,' Sharlene said. 'Is he supposed to be?'
“I'm meeting with him this morning, but I'm terribly early. Jane. Shelley.' She smiled greetings at them. 'Did you get the rest of the paperwork I asked you for, Sharlene?'
“Yes, but I don't want you to trouble yourself with it right now,' Sharlene said. 'Everybody has much more important things to worry about than what classes I'm going to take in the fall. I'm awfully grateful for your taking an interest, now that Ms. Palmer's gone, but—'
“No buts, my dear. Just bring me the folder. Were you discussing Derek when I came in?' She turned to Shelley to ask this question. Sharlene hastened away.
“I wasn't discussing anything,' Shelley said with a grin. 'For once. But Sharlene and Lisa were talking about him. He apparently failed to return a bunch of phone calls yesterday and hasn't shown up yet today.'
“Doesn't surprise me a bit,' Babs said. 'If he has any sense at all, he's home phoning for job interviews. Still — it's irritating that he can't even return calls. I guess I'll do them instead. For all I know, he's quit and simply hasn't bothered to tell us.'
“You don't seem especially distressed about that,' Shelley observed.
“I'm not,' Babs said frankly.
