Deadly Setup by Lynn Slaughter

Author:Lynn Slaughter [Slaughter, Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798886530094
Publisher: Melange Books, LLC

Half an hour later, Noah and I sat in a corner booth at Vinny’s Deli sipping hot chocolate, and I was finally thawing out. My anger was bubbling over and doing a great job of warming me up. “I can’t believe she’s doing this. She didn’t even warn me! She’s happy to throw me under the bus for her precious writing career.”

“We don’t know that for sure. Maybe she’ll say she doesn’t think you could have done it, that it must have been someone else.”

“That’s just it. She thinks I’m guilty as sin. My own mother. This whole thing has been a horror show.”

Noah grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry, Sam. Do you think you should call your attorney? Maybe he can talk to your mother, tell her an article like this could unfairly prejudice people.”

“I’ll call him—not that I think it will do much good.”

And it didn’t. Belcher was very sympathetic, but there was nothing he could do legally to stop my mother from going forward with the feature. “I’ll talk to her,” he promised, “but I’m not optimistic I’ll change her mind.”

Me neither. I rested my chin in my hands. “I am downer than down.”

“What would make you feel better?”

“Well, when I’m really upset, my go-to is the piano. But that’s not exactly an option at the moment, unless I want to give an impromptu performance for the magazine people.”

Noah threw some bills on the table. “Come on. There happens to be a piano at my house, and I never get tired of hearing you play.”

I slid out of the seat. “Have I told you lately that you’re the best boyfriend on the planet?”

He grinned and drew me in for a quick kiss. “Good to know.”

I ended up staying at Noah’s house until it was time to head out for my 9:00 p.m. curfew. Joey and I took turns on the piano. I played through some of my favorites: “Night and Day,” “This Love of Mine,” and “I’ll Be Around.”

“You play with such feeling,” Mrs. Lambert said after I finished “I’ll Be Around.” “How did you get so interested in these old standards?”

“My dad. And my grandfather. He played in the pit for a bunch of Broadway musicals. They’re both… not here anymore, but I feel closer to them whenever I play these.”

She smiled at me. And then her eyes misted over. “Funny how the people we love inspire us. My grandmother was an artist. When I was little, Saturday afternoons were our special time when we did artwork. I loved being with her and making things together. Honestly, I think she’s the whole reason I wound up going to art school.”

“She sounds amazing.”

“She was. We’re both lucky to have art in our lives, you with your music and me with my graphic design, don’t you think?”

My breath caught in my throat. How was it that I felt such a strong visceral connection to every Lambert? “Very lucky,” I agreed.

“Time to eat, Mommy!” Joey said.

“How could I forget? Three minutes tops.

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