205
“In his closet, okay?”
“Not okay. You’ve got to stop getting involved like this.”
“I didn’t mean to get involved!”
“You never do.”
“What are you doing here, anyway?”
He looked like he knew why I was changing the subject, and appeared as though he was about to argue, but sighed and said, “Thought I’d stop in and see Riley. And remind him that he’s at my place this weekend.”
His place. Not his and Ginger’s place.
Funny how saying that didn’t bother me as much as it used to.
I guessed it was true, that time healed all things.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why the pained face?”
“Cliche,” I said.
He shook his head, grinned. “I’ll never understand you.”
“It’s not your job anymore.”
“And whose is it? Bobby’s?”
Dangerous territory. “Maybe,” I ventured.
“Look, I know I blew things with us.”
I nodded.
“You don’t have to agree so readily.”
“Okay.” I paused a few beats, then nodded.
“Better. Listen, Nina. I just want you to be happy.”
This conversation was surreal.
Approaching footsteps caught our attention. Noreen.
“What’re you doing here?” I asked.
Red-rimmed bloodshot eyes matched her glasses. “Bill called. Something about the prosecutor’s office.” She looked at Kevin. “Know anything about that?”
He shook his head.
He lied as well as I did. Scary.
206
Heather Webber
Of course, I’d already known how well he lied.
I put my arm around Noreen. Grief surrounded her like Pigpen’s cloud of dirt.
“Will you be okay?”
“Fine,” she said, her upper lip trembling. “Sorry I didn’t call you back, Nina. I’ve been—”
“It’s okay.”
“What did you have to ask me?”
I shot a look to Kevin. He folded his arms across his chest.
“Nothing that can’t wait,” I said.
“I’d really like to know too,” Kevin said.
The two of them stared at me. “All right. I was wondering if Greta was the person who kept Growl’s books.”
Noreen nodded. “Russ was too cheap to hire out, even though Greta told him he should. Technology’s just come so far since she worked.”
Kevin stared at me.
I smiled.
“Why?” Noreen asked. “Did Bill ask you to ask me? I told him those books weren’t in the house.”
Kevin’s eyebrows dipped dangerously low.
“Um, no. Bill didn’t ask me. I was just curious, is all.”
