Head Case by Angela M. Sanders

Author:Angela M. Sanders
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Angela M. Sanders

19

It was still dark when a clatter in the kitchen awoke Joanna. The clink of dog food in Gemma’s bowl and the whine of the coffee grinder were clear signs someone wanted them awake.

“Gene,” Joanna grumbled.

Paul stretched and rolled over. “What time is it, anyway?”

“Barely six o’clock.”

It was so peaceful in bed. She’d had the best night of sleep in days, now that the Gene situation looked close to being settled. Crisp’s opinion that Joanna’s plan was sensible and low risk seemed to soothe Paul, and there’d been no tossing and turning during the night on his part, either. Too bad it had to end so soon.

The morning air filtering through the bedroom window was cool, giving no hint of the hot afternoon sure to come. Pepper jumped off the bed and slipped out the door through the shaft of orange light that sliced the dark floor.

“Uncle Gene clearly wants us up,” Paul said after a crash of frying pan and spatula.

“It’s the press conference. He’s antsy. I can’t call Mary Pat this early, anyway. You’d think another couple of hours wouldn’t be a big deal after all these years.”

“He wants to be clean of the past,” Paul said. Gene started in on an unseasonal rendition of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” “Wow, does he ever.”

Joanna slipped from bed and reached for a kimono. One hand on the wall to steady herself, she stepped into a pair of green Moroccan slippers with a tassel on each toe. “The baker lady has sure got his number.”

In the kitchen, Gene was cracking eggs into a mixing bowl. Joanna wondered if all that family’s men were so good in the kitchen. She poured herself a cup of coffee. The whoosh of the shower sounded through the wall between the bathroom and kitchen as Paul started his morning routine.

“You’re sure up early,” Joanna said.

“Today’s the day, right? You’re going to see Bradley’s sister. You think she’ll go for it?”

“We’ll see.” She twisted her hair up and impaled it with a chopstick. “I thought I’d wait until it was light out to call, though.”

Gene left the eggs on the counter and took his coffee mug to the dining room. “It’s getting light, see?” Apricot sun stained the sky above the house across the street. He sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just so ready to have it all behind me.” He pulled a folded napkin from the top of the buffet and set it in front of her. “Look.”

Joanna peeled back the napkin. Lying on its linen folds were the emerald earrings she’d already seen, now cleaned of stain remover. Next to them lay their dazzling companions, a choker-length necklace and a brooch, both emerald and diamond. She picked up the necklace, and its teardrop emeralds swung freely. The morning light on diamonds spattered the dining room wall with light, but it was the emeralds that caught her eye.

“How many carats in that central emerald? I’ve eaten Chiclets smaller than that,” Joanna said.

“Almost four carats and unusually good quality.

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