Page 55 of Diamonds & Deception

“Gee. Don’t hold back or anything.”

“Honey.” She riffles through her cabinets and takes out a bottle of vodka. “Tell me you have soda or seltzer or something. Not that I’m opposed to drinking this straight.”

“I have seltzer in the fridge.”

She pours us both drinks and drags me to the couch. “I can’t believe he tied you up, forced the truth out of you, and just dropped you without giving you an opportunity to explain.”

I curl my feet under me and take a sip of my drink. I left out the details of the other men in the room. She’d blame herself for bringing that shame and humiliation to me, although she’d not so secretly revel in being so fortunate to have four men on her.

I’m glad I was blindfolded so I never have to face those other men again. I could pass them on the street and not die of humiliation.

“It’s done. I’m going back home on Monday. There’s nothing left for me here.”

“No offense.”

“You know what I mean. I’m only staying the weekend to spend time with you, otherwise, I would have been on the train two nights ago.”

“You look like you haven’t gotten off this couch or stopped crying since Wednesday night.”

“That about sums up the past forty-eight hours.”

“Oh, honey.” Lenora stretches across the couch and hugs me again. “I’m sorry you didn’t get the answers you came here looking for.”

“I don’t know why I thought I’d be able to solve a murder when a decorated Boston detective can’t.”

“You acted out of desperation. And I don’t mean that negatively. If I lost someone close to me, I’d go to the end of the earth to find out what happened, to right the wrong if possible. You did this for your mom and stepdad. I’m sorry you got hurt in the process.”

“Live and learn, I guess.”

“You haven’t texted him?”

I shake my head.

“And he hasn’t contacted you?”

I shake my head again.

“Enough about me. I haven’t seen you in over a year. As a thank you for letting me crash at your place and steal your identity, I’m taking you out on the town tomorrow and Sunday. Anything you’ve been dying to do since you’ve been away?”

“Girl time with you is all I need, as corny as it sounds. I don’t have a lot of girlfriends, and the men I see are... good for a fuck, but not day trips.”

“I’ve always wanted to have lunch at the library and do a wine tasting. How does that sound, or is that too tame for the wild and adventurous Lenora Jane?”

“It sounds perfect.”

We stay up late and talk about our lives before my sister’s death. Work, travel, food, and Lenora’s hilarious and crazy dating adventures, if you can even call it dating.

On Saturday, we dress in cute outfits, wearing shoes totally inappropriate for walking, even though Boston is the best walking city, and halfway through the day, call an Uber to save our aching feet.

We talk and laugh over lunch, and I realize how much I’ve missed having a girlfriend as well. We both are used to burying ourselves in our work. Writing is a solitary career, although she gets to travel and sometimes brings along dining companions.

I’m not up to drinking too much, so I don't have as much wine as Lenora. By the time we make it back to her place, she’s trashed. I leave her in the bedroom to sleep off her afternoon drunkenness and change into running clothes.

I leave her a note in case she wakes up while I’m gone and head over to the shelter to check on Daisy and the other dogs. It’s been four days since I’ve walked them, and I’ve ignored Jennifer’s texts and emails asking if I was coming in this week.

“Hi, Jen. Sorry I haven’t been around. Work’s been crazy.” It’s sort of true. I’ve written three blogs and have been busy looking into Carly’s murder.

Had. Past tense. As much as I want to provide closure for our family, I know when to admit defeat.

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