Fingers began massaging my scalp.
I pressed into Ryan.
“Have you started the fish?” I asked, without opening my eyes.
“No.”
“Good.”
We were cuddled on the couch when the phone rang.
It was Katy.
“What’s up?”
“Just finished dinner.”
“Now?”
I looked at the mantel clock. Ten-thirty.
“Some things, uh, came up.”
“You need to ease back, Mom. Take some time for yourself.”
“Um.”
“Are you still working on Boyd’s big score?”
“Boyd’s big score may actually turn out to be something.”
“Such as?”
“I found human bones mixed in with the animal remains.”
“You’re kidding.”
Ryan tickled behind my ear. I brushed his hand away.
“I’m not kidding. Anyway, where have you been hiding out?”
“Subbing at Dad’s firm while the receptionist is on vacation. It is so boring.”
She gave the “so” at least three syllables.
“What do they have you doing?”
Ryan blew air onto the nape of my neck.
“Licking envelopes and answering the phone.
“Not bad.”
“Lija and I thought we’d throw a dinner party.”
“That sounds like fun.”
Ryan unwrapped his arm from my shoulders, stood, and waggled his coffee cup. I shook my head and mouthed “no thanks.”
“Is someone else there?”
“Who do you plan to invite?”
Short pause.
“When I called, some guy answered your phone.”
Slightly shorter pause.
“That guy’s staying with you, isn’t he? That’s why you sound funny. You’re playing tonsil tennis with the studmuffin from Montreal.”
“Are you talking about Andrew Ryan?”
“You know exactly who I’m talking about.” Sudden recollection. “Wait a minute. It’s been bugging me, but I just figured out who that is. I met that guy when I visited you in Montreal and some serial killer tried to reconfigure your larynx with a chain.”
“Katy—”
“Anyway,
I heard her shout across the apartment.
“My mom’s shacking up with a gendarme.”
“Katy!”
Muffled comment.
“Oh, yeah. This dude makes Harrison Ford look like Freddy Geek-meister.”
More muffled commentary.
Katy spoke into the phone.
“Lija says keep him.”
