(4T) The Julius House by Harris Charlaine

Author:Harris, Charlaine [Harris, Charlaine]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Mystery & Crime
ISBN: 0425222039
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2009-06-13T20:48:28+00:00

Chapter Ten

"Sally,” I said quietly into the telephone on Martin’s desk. "I want to have lunch with you at my place or your place soon, okay? I need to ask you some questions. You covered the Julius disappearance, didn’t you? Do you still have a file on it somewhere, of your notes you took at the time?” Sally, cohostess at my bridal shower, had worked at the Lawrenceton Sentinel for at least fifteen years.

“I don’t keep my notes on fiftieth wedding anniversaries or who won the watermelon-seed-spitting contest, but I do keep my notes on major crimes.”

She sounded a little testy.

“Okay, okay!” I said hastily. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how reporters do things!”

“Yes, I have the file right here,” she said in a mollified tone. “And I can certainly understand why you’re interested. My better half—well, my other half—is attending a seminar in Augusta on interrogation techniques, so I’m footloose and fancy free for two days. What suits you?”

“What about here, tomorrow, for lunch at noon?” I asked. I knew Sally, like all of Lawrenceton, wanted to see the house.

I hung up as Martin came down the stairs, sweating and relaxed after his session with the Soloflex. He played racquetball at the Athletic Club too, but sometimes the hours didn’t suit him. He liked having the exercise equipment at home.

“I’m sweaty,” he warned me. I didn’t care since I could use a shower myself after my work in the garage that morning. Angel and I had finished our measurements later in the afternoon, and there was a four-inch question mark running down the middle of the garage, but I figured that was just where Mrs. Zinsner had demanded Mr. Zinsner make it a two-car garage. I didn’t think four inches was enough space to hide three bodies, and Angel agreed.

I hugged Martin, sliding my hands around his waist and up his back.

“Roe,” he said hesitantly.

“Um?”

“Are you mad?”

“Yes. But I’m working on it.”

“Working on it.”

“Yeah. I suppose you didn’t tell me all that before we got married in case I wouldn’t marry you if I knew it. Is that right? Or did you just hope I wouldn’t ever ask? Or did you just think I was desperate or stupid enough not to notice that there were a few holes in your story?”

"Well ..."

“I’ll give you a clue, Martin. There’s only one correct answer to that.”

“I was afraid you wouldn’t marry me if you knew.”

“And that was the correct answer.”

“Good.”

“So now I have to decide how I feel about you wanting me to enter into marriage, a very serious thing, not knowing all the facts about your life. Am I flattered that you were so anxious to keep me that you wouldn’t risk it? Sure.” I traced his spine with my fingernail and felt him shiver. “Am I angry that you treated me like some fifties little woman, the less I knew the better? You bet.” I dug the fingernail in. He gasped. “Martin, you have to be honest with me. My self-respect—I can’t stand being lied to, no matter how much I love you.

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