Murder With All the Trimmings by Elaine Viets

Author:Elaine Viets [Viets, Elaine]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.
Published: 2010-02-28T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

“I hate you! I hate you!” Amelia screamed at her mother.

Josie felt as if those words were hacked into her heart with a rusty knife. There was no soothing way to tell Amelia her father was dead.

She’d already called Jane and Jack and waited for them at the hospital. That was a nightmare. Now she had to break the news to her daughter.

“You got what you wanted,” Amelia added, twisting the knife. “I hope you’re happy.” She ran to her room and slammed the door.

And stayed there.

Josie made Amelia’s favorite dinner of mac and cheese that night, but her daughter refused to eat it. Amelia’s hospital clothes were tossed on the floor. She was wearing jeans and her beloved pink hoodie. She must have dug it out of the back of Josie’s closet, but Josie didn’t have the heart to say anything. Amelia stayed in bed, fully dressed and curled up in a fetal position, weeping. Her computer was off, and so was the television. She wasn’t listening to her iPod.

Josie decided to leave her alone. She felt as if she’d bungled her mission, but there didn’t seem to be any way to make it better. Josie left Amelia’s door open a crack and checked on her every half hour.

Amelia sobbed herself to sleep about ten thirty that night. Josie tucked a blanket around her daughter and saw the tear tracks on her face. She was so tired, her bones ached, but Josie couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t cry, either. She moved restlessly from room to room, a lost soul who blamed herself for the disaster that had hurt her daughter.

About midnight, Josie heard something bumping down her mother’s stairs. She peered out the front door and saw Jack leaving her mother’s home with his suitcase. A cab was waiting out front. Josie guessed Nate’s father was not going to sleep in Jane’s guest room.

Jane followed Jack downstairs and stood at her door, staring after him. She didn’t wave or say good-bye.

“Want to come in for coffee?” Josie asked her mother.

“Coffee?” Jane said. “I want a drink. Do you have any wine?”

“I think I have a bottle of white in the fridge. Come in and get warm,” Josie said.

She put on coffee for herself and poured her mother a glass of cold Chardonnay. “What’s with Jack?” Josie asked.

“He won’t forgive me because I dragged him out to dinner and his boy died while we were gone.” Jane gulped down half the glass.

“That’s not your fault,” Josie said.

“That’s not what he says. He’s moving to a hotel by the airport. He barely spoke to me.”

“How’s he going to get around?” Josie asked.

“Take a cab. Rent a car. I don’t really care.” But Josie could tell her mother cared very much. Her hand trembled as she knocked back the rest of the glass. “How’s Amelia?”

“Not so good,” Josie said, pouring Jane another half a glass. “She blames me for her father’s death. Says I got what I wanted.”

“Ouch,” Jane said.

“Yes, it hurts,” Josie said.

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