Page 41 of Rest In Pink

“If you need help, you yell,” Ken said.

“You will be the first one I call,” I said, and he said, “Good,” and hung up.

I called Favorites 1.

“Yeah?” Vince sounded distracted so I didn’t banter.

“Faye just tried to end the rental agreement without giving Anemone back the rest of the rent money.”

“How did Anemone take that?”

“She doesn’t know yet. Ken handled it.”

“Good man.”

“Is Faye insane?”

I half meant it as a joke, but Vince took a little too long to answer.

“It’s hard to tell,” he said finally. “She drinks a lot, but she stays just under rolling, and it’s constant, so people see her and think she’s sober. It’s this stuff like thinking Anemone would give her—how much?”

“Forty thousand.”

“Yeah, that Anemone would just say to keep the forty K, that’s not rational. I checked with Meathead, the senator’s bodyguard. You met him at the wedding.”

“Like I could forget Meathead.”

“Meathead’s name is Franco Sandusky, and he has a law degree. I called him and told him what was going on since Peri is the senator’s granddaughter, and he said that Faye would have to prove that Margot was negligent to have a prayer of getting custody. And that would involve children’s services. He said the senator would not be happy about her daughter being called negligent and would take steps. Faye couldn’t just swoop in and take her.”

“Then what’s Faye doing?”

Vince sighed. “Who the hell knows? Who knows what anyone around here is doing? Faye’s so far out there now, I think she’s capable of anything. If she really looks into what it would take to get Peri, I’d expect her to start calling CPS. Maybe put a PI on Margot to get evidence of neglect. If she gets custody of Peri, which is not likely, could she really get at the money?”

“No idea.”

“Ask your mom. I’ll tell George. We’ll keep an eye out. But I think Faye is flailing about. She doesn’t really think too far ahead.”

“Thank you,” I said, absently.

“This is usually the part where you tell me I’m wonderful,” Vince said.

“Why is Faye so desperate for money?”

“That is the question, isn’t it?”

“Fuck.”

“Sure,” Vince said. “I drilled those holes you asked for. Want me to pick you up or are you going to deliver to the Big Chef?”

“You know Faye has keys to this house.”

“And you have an alarm system.”

“I keep thinking she wouldn’t sneak in and kidnap Peri, but if she’s unbalanced—”

“We’ve got it covered,” Vince said. “Did you have breakfast? Lunch?”

“Why?”

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