Laura Lippman by Tess Monaghan 02 - Charm City (v5)

Author:Tess Monaghan 02 - Charm City (v5)
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: a cognizant original v5 release october 09 2010
Published: 2006-10-09T04:00:00+00:00

There was no brown-over-salmon car wheezing down Bond Street, or waiting in the alley outside her apartment. Inside, Esskay was in bed with Crow, napping. Tess stood over them, watching them, feeling an odd mix of tenderness and responsibility toward both. I didn’t ask for this, she thought. I can’t handle this.

Crow’s breathing was slow and measured. The dog’s inhalations were quick and sharp, her lip curling back over her teeth, her legs moving as if she were chasing rabbits in her dreams. Crow wrapped himself around the twitching dog, nurturing even in his sleep. Tess took off her clothes and took her place behind Crow, joining in their conga line. She began to fall asleep, only to jerk awake at the sound of a car moving slowly through the alley. She got up, looked out the window, snorted down a quick whiff of bourbon. Back in bed, she had barely surrendered to the not unpleasant mix of hot flesh and warm fur when the phone rang, waking everyone entwined there.

“Hello,” Crow whispered dreamily to her, as she reached over him to pick up the phone. He squeezed her thigh in welcome.

“Hello?” Jack Sterling’s voice came over the line, tentative and shy.

“Yeah,” she said to both men, a little groggy from being right on the edge of sleep.

“I’m sorry to call you at home, but I admit I couldn’t wait. Did you talk to Lea Wynkowski?” Crow rolled toward her and pushed his leg between hers, as if trying to warm himself.

“Yes, I did talk to her,” Tess said, feeling a rush of shame as she recalled her heartless trick.

“Does she blame the paper? Does she think we killed her husband?”

What was it about Jack Sterling that made her want to say whatever he longed to hear? “Right now, the only person she really seems to blame is Wink.”

“Did he call her before he…did what he did?”

She was fully awake now. “No, the last time she talked to him was Friday. And he was in a pretty good mood then. Said he thought the deal would still go through.” She glanced at Crow, who was looking at her expectantly, the way Esskay sometimes stared at the kitchen table, even when there was no food on it. “She didn’t even know about the story until Sunday night.”

“I guess that’s something. Although even if she absolves us, I’m not sure I can. Did she say anything else? Anything at all? Don’t spare my feelings, Tess.”

“Nothing, really. Did I do okay? Or does this mean I have to go back to sitting in that office six hours a day?”

Sterling laughed. “You do whatever you like. I told Colleen I’ve given you a special assignment.” His voice changed, warming a shade. “Tess?”

“Hmmmm?”

“You sounded hoarse when I called, as if you were sleeping. Are you in bed?”

“Uh-huh.”

He hesitated. “Are you alone?”

Again, she told him what she assumed he wanted to hear, what she wanted him to want to hear. “Uh-huh.”

“Go back to sleep, Nancy Drew.” He hung up the phone, as did Tess.

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