Splendor in the Glass : A Den of Antiquity Mystery by Myers Tamar

Author:Myers, Tamar [Myers, Tamar]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2010-03-21T10:26:02+00:00

I’d already fixed myself a drink. Then, as long as I had

two made, I decided I might as well drink them both.”

She paused, as if pondering the problems of the world.

“Would you care for something to drink?” she finally

asked.

Afraid that she might offer me one of the two teas, I

S P L E N D O R I N T H E G L A S S

211

requested water. She was happy to oblige, but did I

mind getting it for myself?

“And cut me a nice slice of that cake, while you’re in

the kitchen. Feel free to have one, as well. You’ll find

knives and forks in that drawer to the right of the sink,

and there are some dessert plates in the left cabinet on

the bottom shelf.”

“What about the bread?”

“I’ll be saving that for supper.”

“No, I meant, where do you want me to put it?”

“Just leave it on the counter by the refrigerator. And

speaking of which, pour me a little milk. It will go better with the cake. You’ll find the glasses on the shelf

above the dessert plates.”

I did as I was bade, although I resolved not to do any

laundry, if asked. Constance might not be happy to see

me when I showed up at her door, but she had no compunctions against putting me right to work.

When I returned with her snack (I’d passed on the

cake) she graciously allowed me to sit. I chose an armchair upholstered in faded purple-and-green-plaid

polyester. Constance had already staked out a matching couch, and my only other option was a black

painted kitchen chair that looked like its previous

owner had thrown it into a wood-chipping machine,

and then changed his mind.

“So,” she said, and took her first bite. Before continuing she licked the icing off her lips. “To what do I

owe the honor this time?”

I took a sip of water. “I went to see your brother,

Mrs. Rodriguez. And then Mrs. Mindy Sparrow. They

had some interesting things to say.”

212

T a m a r M y e r s

Constance jabbed a finger into her cake, and licked

the icing off that, too. “I just bet they did. Bet they both

badmouthed me to hell and back.”

“I wouldn’t say that—”

“You don’t have to sugarcoat it for me, Ms. Timberlake. Tell me exactly what they each said.”

“Well, your brother had a very specific message. He

said to tell you he wouldn’t have any money until the

end of the month.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Actually,

her language was a bit stronger than that, but I’m too

much of a lady to repeat it word for word.

“I don’t know what he meant.”

“The hell you don’t! He meant—as you damn well

know—that he sends me a monthly check. Well, let me

tell you something, little Miss Mess in Everybody’s

Business, he doesn’t send me a dime. Once, just once,

I borrowed two hundred dollars from him to get from

Chicago back to here—by bus. I have long since paid

that money back.”

I said nothing, although I was tempted to tell her

what Orman Jr. had said about her behavior being the

cause of their father’s death. The only reason I refrained was that I knew my motive was now wrong.

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