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10
ADDISON’S PLACE TURNS OUT TO BE A SLEEK-LOOKINGtown house in a development that’s lushly landscaped, backing up onto a wooded area. As Emma waits for her to come to the door, she takes a deep breath and savors the scent of freshly cut grass. This is just what she needs right now, she thinks. Coffee, a new friend, and conversation to distract her wheels from turning.
Over pizza in town last night, Tom had urged her not to let Kyle’s visit—and his revelation about the tip—rattle her, that it might be Kyle yanking her chain, but she’s had a hard time letting go of it.
“Come in,” Addison says, opening the door with a beaming smile.
Emma follows her from the small foyer into the living/dining room. Though the layout of the space is pleasing, with big windows facing onto a thicket of evergreens, the furniture is sparse, and the room lacks any accent pieces or hintsof personality. As Addison mentioned the other day, some of the artwork is on the floor, resting against walls.
“What an enchanting view you have,” Emma says, focusing on the positive.
“Itisnice, isn’t it?” Addison says. “I just hope that you’ll come another time and be able to say, ‘And Ilovethe way you’ve decorated it.’... Coffee? I’ve got a pot brewed but there’s tea, too, if you prefer.”
“Coffee would be great.”
Before retreating to the kitchen, Addison motions for Emma to take a seat, and so she chooses the midnight-blue couch. On the coffee table in front of her are a bowl of grapes and clementines and a basket of tiny bright yellow corn muffins with a stack of small plates next to it.
“Have you lived in Westport for a while?” Emma asks when Addison returns carrying two white mugs with steam ribboning from the top.
“About three years. I’d lived in Stamford when I was married, which I hated, so after my divorce, I thought I’d try Manhattan on for size. I rented in Midtown and commuted by train to campus a few days a week but eventually decided to move back to the area.”
“Did the commute wear you down?”
“No, I missed the damn sky too much,” Addison says, setting down the mugs and taking a seat in the armchair across from her.
“Well, there’s plenty of that here,” Emma says, smiling. “I love the city myself, but I’ve totally succumbed to Westport’s charms.”
“But Friday couldn’t have been any fun for you. You must still be reeling.”
Emma figured Addison might want to follow up about the detective’s visit, but it’s a topic she has no intention of lingering on. “I’m actually fine, thanks. But I appreciate you asking.”
“So what kind of steps are they going to be taking next?”
“Oh, gee, I don’t really know,” Emma tells her. “They haven’t shared the specifics.”
Addison’s large blue eyes shift from curious to perplexed. “You aren’t being kept abreast of what they’re doing? I would think that would be a top priority for them.”
“I’m sure I’ll hear if there’s any kind of breakthrough, but they don’t take family members step-by-step as they go.”
Addison shakes her head, looking dismayed. “It’s got to be so frustrating. I focused a bit on crime victims in one of the advanced sociology classes I taught last year and this sort of thing frustrates families to no end. They can’t get answers.”
Still intent on moving off the subject, Emma plucks a corn muffin from the basket, sets it on a plate, and lets her gaze wander to a large abstract painting resting on the floor.
“You know, there’s something fun about the way some of the art looks against the wall. Maybe you can start a trend and then you’ll never have to hang them.”
“Wouldn’tthatbe nice, which reminds me of something I’ve wanted to ask you. How do you actually spot a trend in the making? Are you just a great observer?”
Finally, a safe topic, Emma thinks. “In most cases, it’s a little more scientific than that. We use software with ourinfluencer surveys that picks up repetitions and patterns, and from there we can see what might be brewing. But sometimes I manage to spot something simply by paying attention to soft data, stuff I see and hear. I live by ‘the rule of three.’ If you come across something once, it’s simply chance, twice it’s a coincidence or a curiosity, but three times it’s a pattern or trend.”
“Ahh, the rule of three.” Addison sighs. “I wonder if there’s some version of it I could use when it comes to meeting men.”
“Is it tough finding good ones around here?”
“Sure, but I think it’s toughanywhere. How did you meet men before Tom? Blind dates? Online?”
Emma shakes her head. “Uh, neither of those. I wasn’t looking yet, to tell you the truth.”
“Oh, of course. Dating must have seemed so daunting after you lost your husband, considering all you were dealing with.”
