“I suppose,” Renie said reluctantly. “Our popularity is
about to plummet to minus zero.”
“Our popularity isn’t the issue,” Judith said bluntly. “Trying
to stop a killer from striking again is what matters.”
While not exactly drunk, the OTIOSE crew wasn’t quite
sober, either. Ava was curled up against Gene; Nadia appeared to be asleep; Ward and Max were arguing goodnaturedly; Russell was talking to himself; Margo was sitting
with her suede bag—and Ladysmith .38 Special—in her lap;
Frank Killegrew was clutching his slide rule and staring off
into space.
“Well, well,” said Ward as the cousins entered the lobby,
“here come the little ladies.”
bag.
“Lady persons,” Ward chuckled. “Hey, at least they’re still
alive.”
“That is
glaring at Ward.
Renie had been delegated by Judith to break the news.
She lighted a cigarette, took a few puffs, blew smoke in
Margo’s direction, remembered the gun, and apologized.
“Sorry, I’m kind of nervous. We don’t bring good news.”
“Oh, my God!” cried Margo. “Is someone else dead?” She
glanced around the room, taking a head count. “We’re all
here,” she announced on a sigh of relief.
“It’s about Andrea,” Renie began, nervously teetering on
the flagstone hearth. “We don’t believe she committed suicide. We think she was smothered with a pillow.”
“My God!” Killegrew seemed incredulous.
“That’s ridiculous,” Gene said with a faint sneer.
“Don’t Catholics go to hell if they kill themselves?” Russell
asked in a mild voice.
“Of course she didn’t kill herself,” Margo asserted. “Andrea
was too tough for that kind of cowardly act. And even if she
and Leon had something going, I wouldn’t exactly call it
grand passion.”
“What would you call it, Margo?” Ava asked with a smirk.
Color crept into Margo’s plain face. “What do
All I’m saying is that Leon was probably looking for a substitute mother. Andrea had a maternal air, I’ll give her that.
But she’d never do anything to ruin her marriage. Hanging
on to Alan Roth was her priority.” A note of bitterness had
surfaced in Margo’s voice.
“That’s because she was a Catholic,” Russell said doggedly.
“They don’t divorce, either.”
“Bull,” snapped Margo. “It’s because she didn’t want anybody else to have Alan.”
“Now, now,” Killegrew injected. “Let’s stop boring holes
in this ship’s hull.” He gazed up at Renie from his place on
the sofa. “Excuse me, but I don’t see where your opinions
come into this situation.”
