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“Sorry…”
“So what’s your deal? Nora said she’s traveling with your grandmother?”
“They’re friends. Odd, I know. But they seem pretty tight. My grandmother isn’t well. Cancer. Third recurrence. She decided not to treat it anymore and enjoy her time left. They’ve been traveling together doing crazy shit.”
“I’m sorry she’s sick.”
“Thank you. She feels good, though. If you met her, you wouldn’t have any clue she wasn’t healthy.”
“I actually did meet her a little while ago. Nora and I went to her room to talk. Your grandmother’s is right next door. When she heard us in the hall, she popped her head out, and Nora introduced her. I wondered why she was traveling with an old lady.” He held his hand up. “No offense.”
“None taken.”
“Nora being Nora, didn’t mention the woman was sick. Just insisted it was her friend. But their traveling together makes sense now.”
“How so?”
Richard sipped his drink. “Because of what Nora went through.”
I looked over. “What did Nora go through?”
“Shit. I figured you knew. Nora had some pretty serious health issues a few years back.” He smiled sadly. “She said you two weren’t a thing. Guess she wasn’t lying.”
“Because I didn’t know?”
He took a billfold from his front pocket and tossed two twenties on the bar. Then he knocked back the rest of his drink and stood. “Because if you had seen her naked, you would’ve seen the scars and asked questions.” Richard stuck out his hand. “I’m going to catch the afternoon flight back to New York. Good luck with your grandmother, and remember, the aconitum will kill you.”
***
“Hey.”
“What’s going on, big bro?” Jake let out a bigahhhafter he spoke, and I visualized him sitting at my desk with his feet kicked up.
“Where are you?”
“It’s eight in the morning. I’m at the office.”
“Right, but where exactly?”
“In your office. I came in to get the prospectus I need to cover the meeting you asked me to cover.”
“Get your feet off my desk, dickhead.”
“How the hell did you know my feet are up on your desk?”
“You’re an easy read. You enjoy playing king of the castle too much.”
Jake laughed. “It is fun. But how’s Gram doing? I had to listen to your message twice because I was sure I’d misheard and you said Gram wascongested, not arrested. What the hell happened?”
“She wentskinny dippingthe night before last.”
“And that’s illegal?”
“It was on the beach attached to the resort where she was staying.”
“I can’t believe she got arrested for having a little fun.”
I frowned. “She broke the law.”
