AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sighing, she’d just finished listening when her cell started ringing. She looked at the screen and saw it was McCrae. She wanted to answer so badly her arm shot out to grab the cell before she could stop it, as if it had a mind of its own. She hesitated, battling herself, then clicked on.
“Hey, there,” she greeted him.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“My house.”
A pause. “I just wanted to make sure you’re still doing all right.”
“I’m okay.” Another long pause, and then she heard herself say, “You want to come over?”
She thought he was going to say no. She could almost feel that he wanted to say no, but his voice responded, “I’ll be there in about forty-five.”
She clicked off, set the cell on the kitchen counter, then slid it away from herself and ran upstairs to take a quick shower. As soon as she was finished and redressed, she joined Owen in the family room. He’d been quiet since learning of Tanner’s death, asking few questions, and she’d hovered over him so much whenever they were together that he’d snapped his hand at her as if swatting at a fly. She’d tried to give him some space, but now felt guilty for inviting McCrae.
“You want anything else?” she asked him.
“No.”
“The . . . detective . . . um, policeman, who’s been looking into your dad’s—”
“I know what a detective is.”
She sat down next to him on the couch. “Okay, well, he’s coming by to make sure we’re okay.”
“He’s trying to find who killed Daddy.”
The matter-of-fact way he spoke brought Delta up short. He’d seen the news. He knew the facts. She just didn’t have any idea what he was thinking.
“Is it okay that he’s coming over?”
Owen shrugged. “Will he kill the man who did it?”
“Well, no . . . that’s not . . . he’d arrest him and put him in jail . . . or her . . .” Delta fumbled.
Owen froze for a moment, thinking that over, then he nodded gravely, put aside his unfinished plate, and snuggled closer. Delta hugged him hard.
Chapter 22
Zora got home, looked in the refrigerator, grabbed a yogurt, and then drank some wine. And then drank some more. And then the bottle was three quarters empty. She tried to imagine herself at Delta’s with Owen, and the image made her feel better, for a time . . . But it was also a lie. Owen was Tanner’s child. And Delta’s. Not hers.
He was never going to be hers. And she couldn’t steal him away. She’d never get away with it. She was crazy to even think it. Crazy! And even if Delta killed Tanner, which she could’ve, Zora was thinking more and more, the boy’s grandparents were in the way.
She sobbed softly into one of the den pillows. She was never going to have a child. Never. It was so unfair. She’d spent the day with Delta, and all she could think about was how unfair it was that Delta had Owen. Maybe Delta did kill Tanner. She did not deserve that littl
e boy.
After a few minutes, Zora lifted her face and brushed back the tears, worried that her cheeks were probably blotchy. Brian, of course, was locked in his office, probably talking to Miss Billings or Anne Reade or Amanda . . . whoever the hell he was in love with.
She lurched to her feet, then sank back down. Maybe before she confronted him, she’d have one more glass . . .
Ten minutes later, she was still sitting on the den couch, staring at a blank TV. What time was it? Too late for the news? Brian usually taped it.
It took her an inordinately long time to find the remote, turn on the television, and work her way through the menu until she found the recordings. She pressed the PLAY button and started watching the local news. Ellie’s channel . . . ? No, a different one. Brian didn’t watch Channel Seven as a rule.
A reporter came on, and he was yammering away about Delta. Zora blinked, ran the recording back, listened again. They were talking about Delta’s book . . . about the plot . . . and . . . ? What was that?
She ran it back one more time, replayed.
