“Harriet invited everyone over to her house for dinner two hours after the power came back on, which by my calculations was twenty minutes ago.” She smirked at Harriet.
“Everyone who?” Mavis asked.
“Just Joyce and Brandy and Ronald,” Harriet said.
“And Tom and Pat and Lisa,” Lauren added. “And I assume Detective Morse, since she’s got to come back to get her stuff anyway.”
“Well, if you’re going to do that then we should call Robin and Connie and Carla to see if they want to come over, too.”
“What do you want to cook?” Jorge asked.
“I’ve got some frozen chicken breasts I’m sure need to be used,” Mavis offered.
“Me, too,” Aunt Beth said. “We hit the same sale last week at the supermarket.”
“I’ve got plenty of potatoes,” Jorge said. “We could do mashed potatoes and gravy and fried chicken.”
“I’ve got green beans in my freezer,” Harriet said.
“And we can make some baking powder biscuits,” Mavis said thoughtfully. “I think I’ve got some canned cherries at my place, too. We could throw together a couple of pies.”
“We better get moving if we’re going to do all that in an hour and a half,” Lauren advised.
“We can call the others from here,” Jorge said. “I tried my cell phone, but they aren’t working yet. I suppose they’ll have to reset circuits or something.”
“Lauren and I are going to her house, and then we can go by the homeless camp to pick up Joyce and Brandy,” Harriet said. “We won’t be able to get Ronald, because we’re in Lauren’s car.”
“We can go pick him up,” Jorge volunteered.
Joyce was waiting in the common area at the camp. She had her arm looped through Brandy’s, and the younger woman was struggling to get free.
“Let me go,” she said, still sounding inebriated. “I need Duane’s money. We need to buy some brandy.”
“Duane didn’t have any money, and we are certainly not going to buy you any brandy in any case,” Joyce said.
“Come on,” Harriet said and went to her other side, putting her arm through Brandy’s and hauling her to her feet. We’ve got hot food, bright lights and a fully functioning furnace. And if you two want, you’re welcome to use the showers at my place.”
“Do you have bubble bath?” Brandy asked as Joyce turned her around and pushed her toward the parking lot. Brandy dragged her feet.
“Yes, I have bubble bath,” Harriet said.
Brandy straightened her jacket and pulled her arms free.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll go anywhere for a bubble bath.”
Jorge arrived with Mavis, Aunt Beth and Ronald just as Harriet pulled into the garage with her guests.
“Come on,” she said to Brandy. “I’ll show you where the bathtub is.” She led her up the stairs and opened the door to the bathroom. “Let me get you some towels. If you want, I can run your clothes through the washer and dryer while you soak.”
Brandy gave her the first genuine smile she’d seen on the girl.
“Let me get you a bathrobe,” Harriet offered.
She opened the bathroom closet and pulled out a white velour robe with the name of an expensive hotel embroidered on the chest. “Here’s the shampoo and bubble bath, and there’s a hair dryer under the sink.”
Brandy stared at the robe, almost as if she were afraid to touch it.
“Here, take it, it won’t bite.”
“I’ve seen people on TV wearing these kinds of robes, but I didn’t think they were real.”
“What can I say, I’ve traveled a lot. Set your clothes outside the door, and I’ll pick them up in a few minutes and put them in the wash.”
She went into her room and waited until Brandy had slid her bundle out into the hall and she heard the splash of water filling the tub.
Jane Morse had joined the group while Harriet was upstairs.
“I came to pick up my overnight things.”
“You have to stay for dinner,” Harriet said. “We’re having a power’s-back celebration.”
Morse scanned the room, her eyes resting briefly on Joyce and then Ronald and Pat and Lisa in turn.
“Sure, I’d love to,” she said.
“I called Carla,” Aunt Beth told them. “She and Wendy will be over as soon as she lays out the dinner she prepared for Michelle and Aiden. She said they weren’t home.”
“Aiden’s probably at the clinic, but it’s hard to imagine where Michelle went,” Harriet said.
“I heard there was a party going on,” Tom said as he entered the crowded kitchen.
“You came to the right place,” Jorge told him. “Now I’m going to put you to work. There are some folding chairs along the wall in the garage. Can you bring them into the dining room?”
“Harriet, can you bring one of your folding tables from the studio and set it up in the dining room?” Aunt Beth asked. “Move the main table toward the window and you’ll have space.”
“Sure, I’d be happy to help.” Lauren raised her eyebrows and grinned. “You know you were going to ask me anyway.”
Ronald and Joyce were sitting in the dining room when Harriet backed in carrying her end of the table.
“What’s this I hear about Duane giving Brandy money?” Ronald asked in a hushed tone.
Harriet cleared her throat loudly. He jumped up,
“Here, let me help you with that.” He took her end of the table. “We really appreciate you inviting us to your home,” he added as he unfolded the table legs and locked them into position.
More people arrived, and Harriet and Aunt Beth directed the setup while Jorge and Mavis cooked.
“I think we’re ready to eat,” Jorge said finally, and Harriet carried the announcement to the living room, studio and front entry, encouraging people to assemble in the dining room.
“Where’s Brandy?” Joyce asked, her brow furrowed.
“Surely, she’s not still in the bathtub,” Connie said.
“I’ll go check,” Harriet said and went to the garage to get Brandy’s clothes from the dryer. She headed upstairs but found the bathroom door open and the light off. The used towels were neatly folded on the edge of the tub.
A quick door-to-door check turned up Brandy-asleep on Harriet’s bed. Her hair was splayed on the pillow, the robe demurely covering all but her hands and feet. She looked so innocent and peaceful, Harriet decided to let her be. She set the clean clothes on the end of the bed.
“Brandy decided to take a nap in lieu of dinner,” she reported when she rejoined the group.
“Is she okay?” Joyce asked.
“She looks fine,” Harriet said. “She’s just sleeping.”
“This is delicious,” Tom said. “My compliments to the chef.”
Everyone raised their glass and clinked it with whomever they could reach. People ate and drank and made idle conversation until the main dinner was through.
“The pies aren’t quite cool enough,” Mavis announced. “Perhaps we can have coffee and tea, and I’ll put them in the garage to cool.”
Harriet lingered in the kitchen, loading the dishwasher and putting food in the refrigerator. Lauren and Tom drifted in to help.
“I’m sorry,” Lauren said as she set Carter on the floor next to the heater vent. “I couldn’t stomach Pat playing the grieving widow any longer.”
“I’m sure she
“Whoa, when did you decide Richard was a jerk?” Lauren asked. “He
“When Kate and Owen told me they were actually homeless. The truck they’re driving belongs to a relative. They lost everything in a Ponzi scheme, and Richard was the guy who sucked them into it.”
