even get out of the garage.”
“Y-e-s,” Judith admitted, then finished her drink. “Come
on. It’s time to present the evidence.”
Renie looked skeptical. “Which is?”
“Just follow my lead.”
Sidling up to the coffeetable, Judith poured herself a small
measure of Scotch. The OTIOSE group appeared to
be in wary, desultory conversation. They all seemed to tense
when Judith and Renie joined them.
“Excuse me.” Judith rattled the ice cubes in her glass. “
were still talking to each other. “Thank you,” Judith said
when everyone had finally turned anxious faces in her direction. “I have a small speech.”
“Hunh,” snorted Margo. “Somebody’s giving a speech I
didn’t have to write for them? How bizarre!”
Judith tried to ignore Margo. Indeed, she also tried to ignore the malevolent stares from the OTIOSE employees. “My
cousin, Serena, and I are in a very awkward position,” Judith
began, her voice sounding unnaturally high. “While Serena
knows some of you slightly, I’m a complete stranger.
Therefore, I wouldn’t blame any of you for being suspicious
of us.”
“Damned straight,” said Max.
“You’re outsiders,” said Ava.
“Why shouldn’t we be suspicious?” demanded Killegrew.
“I’m not suspicious,” Russell maintained. “They made me
a nice cup of hot tea.”
“Thank you, Russell,” Judith said with a small smile. “As
I was saying, we understand your concern. It appears to be
on two levels. The first is that some of you may think we
perpetrated these heinous crimes.” Judith paused, waiting
for comments. There were none, though anxious glances
were exchanged. “The second,” she continued, “is that you
may be afraid that we’re going to rush off to the media and
reveal everything that’s happened here.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” cried Nadia.
“Don’t try it,” warned Killegrew.
“We can get an injunction,” murmured Gene.
“Talk your heads off, who cares?” said Margo.
It occurred to Judith that the threat of exposure by the
cousins posed a greater danger to most of the OTIOSE crew
than did the possibility of Judith and Renie carving them
up with a chainsaw. Taking their reaction as confirmation,
Judith resumed speaking.
“The fact is, we haven’t harmed anyone nor do we intend
to. Not in any way.” Again she paused, this time for emphasis. “However, we will do our civic duty. It so happens that
we have acquired certain evidence which points to the killer.
Not only has this evidence been placed in safe hands, but so
