Izzy Spellman 1 - The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

Author:Lisa Lutz [Lutz, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: 2007-09-08T04:00:00+00:00

Rae persists with her “anyone could have written that note” defense.

“Rae, give him the damn shirt,” I say, offering up my most threatening stare.

“Dust it for prints if you want,” she confidently replies, then walks up to Daniel to finish pleading her case. “They suspect me immediately because I had a drug habit a while back. I’ve been clean for six months now, but that doesn’t matter. You have to rebuild the trust.”

I was expecting that part and, frankly, it was the least of my worries. Uncle Ray approaches Daniel, genuinely apologetic.

“Sorry to interrupt. I’m Ray, Izzy’s uncle.”

“Two Rays. That could get confusing.”

“She was named after me. When Olivia was pregnant with the kid, I had cancer. It didn’t look like I was gonna make it, so they decided to give her my name.”

“But then he didn’t die like he was supposed to,” Rae says, as if she’s revealing the surprise ending to a whodunit.

“Rae, five bucks if you get out of here now,” I offer.

“Make it ten and you’ve got a deal.”

Money exchanges hands and I realize that we better make our escape before it is too late.

“Nice meeting you, Daniel. You’re nothing like I expected,” Rae says upon leaving the room.

Uncle Ray stays close on her heels. “This isn’t over, kid.”

I try to explain. “They’re in the middle of a thing.”

“They’re at war,” says my mother, still with that awful grin.

“So you’re a dentist?” my father says, trying to hide the edge in his voice.

“Yes,” Daniel replies cheerily.

“How is that?” Dad asks.

“I like it. My father’s a dentist, so was my grandfather. It runs in the family, you could say.”

“Isn’t that nice,” my mother says in a voice that doesn’t match her statement.

“So how long have you been a teacher?” Daniel inquires.

“Twenty years or something,” Mom tosses out.

“You must be very dedicated.”

“Not really.”

“We should be going,” I say, feeling the barometer in the room dip.

“It wasn’t really our calling,” my dad, continuing the act, says. “Frankly, we don’t like children,” he whispers as if he’s revealing a dark secret.

“Okay. We are leaving,” I say and stand to bring the point home. But it’s too late.

“Do you find it difficult staying off the drugs?” my mother asks, the friendly grin dropping from her face.

“Excuse me?” Daniel replies, his grin fading as well.

“You people do seem to have drug problems more than most,” she continues.

I take Daniel’s arm, but he’s already on his feet. “I cannot speak for all of ‘my’ people, but I have never had a drug problem.”

“She didn’t mean it the way it came out,” I say.

“I’m glad to hear that Daniel is clean,” my mother says.

“This is unbelievable,” Daniel says directly to my mother.

“Would you look at the time,” is my only response.

“Nice meeting you, Daniel,” my dad says, still hanging on to his “nothing is unusual here” smile.

“Come again,” adds my mom in the same tone in which one might say, I’ll see you in hell.

Daniel walks out. I turn to my parents, betrayed. “You said you’d behave.

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