Page 59 of The 24th Hour

“Or?”

“Or he can call a mistrial. Even Red Dog would rather get a mistrial and forget it. We’ll find out in the morning. I wish Cindy was here to give you the eyewitness journalist’s version. Where is she, anyway?”

In an exception to the “no phones” rule, I turned on my phone, as did Claire. There was a text for me from Joe.

I’ll be home late, Blondie. I called Mrs. Rose and she’s got the kiddo and the doggo.

That’s when Claire called out over the restaurant racket, “Here she comes.”

I turned to see Cindy dressed in a pretty floral dress coming down the corridor and into the room.

She wasn’t alone.

CHAPTER 76

CINDY HAD BROUGHT her mother.

Darcy Thomas was right behind her daughter as they entered the Women’s Murder Club special dining room. We’d all met Darcy before at a party for Cindy’s first book,Fish’s Girl. We’d had dinner together with paper plates in hand at Book Passage in Corte Madera, and had unanimously liked her. The family resemblance was there. Darcy had the same bone structure and curly hair, and she also had an easy laugh over stubborn determination.

Lorraine moved a chair to the end of the table so we could all fit at the booth. Darcy slid in next to me and reached out for a hug, which I was glad to give and receive. She reached across the table and bumped fists with Yuki and Claire.

“So good to see you all. Am I interrupting a serious Murder Club meeting?”

Claire spoke up, saying, “Not at all, Darcy. We were summing up. We know the menu and can make recommendations.”

“No time to eat,” she said. “Time for a drink, maybe.”

Lorraine had her pad in hand and took our dinner orders, Darcy’s order for a glass of Chardonnay, and Cindy’s request for a mug of beer, then disappeared as if in a puff of smoke.

Darcy said to the table, “This was a one-day turnaround trip. I’ll have dinner on the plane, but I do have a problem for the club’s consideration, and I hope you all can help out.”

Cindy groaned, “Oh, God.”

Lorraine brought wine for Darcy, a mug for Cindy, and I used the moment to call Joe. He picked up.

“Can’t talk now, Linds. Sorry.”

“Later?” I said. “I’ll be home in an hour. Or so.”

“Don’t wait up,” he said. “I’ve got no idea when … I gotta go.”

He clicked off and I hung up on dead air.

Lorraine came back quickly with our food, and as Darcy was dipping chips, I said, “Darcy, you wanted to brainstorm with us?”

When Cindy’s mug was topped up, Darcy said, “Let me say first, no guns are involved. No one gets injured. No ambulances are needed.”

CHAPTER 77

DARCY WAS A natural comic, and the three of us laughed, of course, until Cindy said, “Mom, spit it out, will you? You’re being overly dramatic.”

“Cindy, you tell it, okay? I’m exhausted,” said Darcy.

“We went shopping!” Cindy said. “For wedding gowns.”

“Ohhhhhh,” two or three of us said in unison.

Darcy jumped back in. “There are three semifinalists down from thirty. Cindy is not even committed to a type of dress. You need to write a column about this, Cynthia. Find out how other women deal with the life-and-death decision of buying a wedding gown.”

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