Death By a Dark Horse

It wasn't a question. I knew a question when I heard one. It was a deduction stated as fact and I was startled – but only for a moment. He pulled his typical attorney trick on me, launching an offense as soon as he realized he'd made a mistake. I'd made a mistake, too. I'd told him too much.

'You followed me.' I was on the edge of a shout. 'I can't believe you followed me.'

'Of course I did.' He was equally irritated. 'You don't think I was going to let you roam around downtown Seattle on a Saturday night by yourself, do you?'

'I'm a big girl, Jonathan. I can take care of myself.'

'Ensuing circumstances might argue otherwise.'

The insult had me on my feet. Damn his incessant parenting. I threw my anger into rapid pacing and explained again, with far more patience than I felt, how my sister called my aunt, who in turn asked Paul to drive into Seattle to fetch me. I repeated the events at the farm this morning and how my aunt's best option was to send Paul to my house when she couldn't reach me on the phone.

'What about Greg?' His question still telegraphed hostility. 'It looked to me like you met him Saturday night.'

This was getting ridiculous. Jonathan was far more jealous than I imagined. I just wanted to break up with him, not drag the rest of the population in as co-respondents.

'That was purely a chance meeting.'

'He kissed you.'

Jeez, and this morning he beat me up. That would demonstrate how much he cared for me. 'I can't for the life of me explain why,' I snapped. 'He was drunk. He toasted Valerie, he toasted my sister's beguiling beauty, and he kissed me. You'll have to ask him why.'

'Oh.' He sounded like the starch had been taken out of his argument. 'I thought you were toasting dumping me.'

'Honestly, Jonathan, does that sound like something I would do?' I thumped into my chair. Wasn't it enough that the sheriff was considering me a person of interest? Did Jonathan have to chip in and assassinate every other aspect of my character?

'I don't know, Thea. I just don't know you any more.'

There was no avoiding a discussion. I was going to have to toss another ball in the air and hope gravity didn't win. Not being argumentative would help. I took a deep breath and softened my tone.

'Why don't we have dinner someplace quiet and talk? Tomorrow, maybe?'

'Can't tomorrow. Wednesday will work.'

I looked ceiling-ward for some kind of divine deliverance from Mr. Control-freak. None arrived. I gave up. 'Fine. Where?'

'Bernard's in Snohomish. You like that place and it's decent. I'll pick you up at seven.'

'Okay. See you then, and thank you for Mr. Green's name.'

'Not a problem… and Thea?'

'Yes?'

'I love you.'

I grappled for a response that was true but not cruel. 'I know you do.' I immediately knew I'd missed the 'not cruel' part.

Less than a minute later, as I rested my face in my hands and contemplated this character flaw, the phone rang. Now what did he want? On the third ring I picked up and sighed a 'hello.'

'Well, don't you sound down in the dumps.' The brisk voice belonged to Andrea Anderson, my best friend since fifth grade.

Relief almost made me laugh. 'I'm so glad you called.'

'So,' she said, slowly, as if testing the waters. 'Rumors are flying. What's going on, and why haven't you called me?'

'About what?' So many things had gone on since I spoke with her a week ago I wasn't sure what she meant.

'Don't be cagey with me, now. Something's going on with Jonathan. Fess up. Am I the last to know he's been buying expensive jewelry?'

'Oh, that.' I took a deep breath. 'We went out to dinner with his parents Saturday night, he proposed, I failed to give him an answer, left and went home on my own.'

'That's it? That's the condensed version. I want all the dirt.'

'I don't know where to start. There's been so much going on.'

'Jump in anywhere,' she urged. 'Obviously the rumor mill is woefully outdated.'

So I did, and gave her a messy, disjointed tale of my recent misadventures, from Paul showing up at McMurphy's instead of Juliet, to finding Valerie's body, Paul dealing with Greg and again with Randy, and my fun time at the sheriff's office.

'Good golly, Miss Molly,' she commented when I took a breath. 'Are you all right?'

'Yes, I'm fine.'

'You're sure? You're just saying that, I know you are. Be honest with me. Have you been to the doctor? How about the police? Tell me you've talked to the police about Greg, please. And a lawyer? I know some good ones.'

Andrea is an attorney, and like Jonathan specializes in corporate law. I wish she'd find a guy, get married and have some kids so she'd quit practicing her mothering on me.

'Yes, yes, yes, and I've got a name.'

'Who?'

'Jacob Green. Jonathan told me he was good.'

'Jeez, Thea, I'd be traumatized into the next decade.'

'I'm okay. Believe me, and stop worrying. Aunt Vi and Uncle Henry are fussing enough for everybody.'

'Well, I can put a lid on the fussing, but I'm still worried. Is there anything I can do?'

'You're doing it.'

'I can do more -'

'Andrea!'

'Okay, okay. You know, I can't believe the little witch got whacked. I wonder who she pushed over the sanity edge.' Without waiting for my comment she made a quantum jump to her favorite recreational topic: men. 'Who's this 'Paul' you keep referring to? Just how sexy is he?'

'Paul?' I said, slightly unnerved. 'I mentioned him twice.'

'Sorry to inform you, but I stopped counting at six.'

'No,' I attempted to argue with her.

'Yes,' she interjected. 'He sounds intriguing. Is he the one who turned your head from Jonathan?'

I closed my eyes in resignation and exhaled, covering the mouthpiece of the phone. This conversation needed a whole lot more time than the five minutes I could give it before I'd be late for dinner at my aunt and uncle's.

'I have an awful lot to tell you, Andrea, but I have to get going or Aunt Vi will be worrying about me again. Can we have dinner this week?'

'How about tomorrow. No, wait. Wednesday?'

'Can't. I'm having dinner with Jonathan.'

'Oh, so you haven't actually broken up with him? Thea, Thea, Thea -'

'I've postponed the confrontation because of everything else that's going on.' I could smell a lecture. I wasn't up to it.

'In all fairness, you shouldn't get involved -'

'I'm not getting 'involved' with anyone. Period. I'm just saying, with everything that's going on, dealing with Jonathan is too much. Besides, I know exactly how it's going to go. He'll bring out that ring again, tell me to just try it on, tell me we can have a long engagement so I don't feel pressured, then poof, we'll be married and I'll wonder how it happened.' I wadded my hair up in my fist, released it, combed it back into place with my fingers, and took a deep breath.

'Be strong, Thea. You know what you want. Don't listen to his arguments or he'll have you convinced he's the best deal in town and he's doing you a huge favor.'