Chapters (38)
- one
- two
- three
- four
- five
- six
- seven
- eight
- nine
- ten
- eleven
- twelve
- thirteen
- fourteen
- fifteen
- sixteen
- seventeen
- eighteen
- nineteen
- twenty
- twenty-one
- twenty-two
- twenty-three
- twenty-four
- twenty-five
- twenty-six
- twenty-seven
- twenty-eight
- twenty-nine
- thirty
- thirty-one
- thirty-two
- thirty-three
- thirty-four
- thirty-five
- thirty-six
- thirty-seven
- epilogue
The husband, Ron Andrews, looked like a man who’d suffered mightily over the years. He was rail thin and wore the expression of a basset hound. Violet couldn’t see any trace of prettiness in her sister-in-law, just a frozen mask of pained politeness.
“The service is at two o’clock, and we’ll need to arrive by one,” Violet began. “I’m so sorry for the loss of your brother, Charlotte.” She held the other woman’s eyes and offered her hand. “I know you weren’t in touch, but I know he cared about his baby sister.” She watched Charlotte’s eyes light up at the possibility of inheritance. “I should tell you that Tolly prepared his will years ago, and his attorney has contacted me with its provisions. He left you ten thousand dollars, Charlotte, and five thousand for Herb.” Violet watched her sister-in-law’s face slowly melt into understanding and acceptance.
“Oh, I see,” Charlotte managed. “Well, he was kind to remember us, wasn’t he?” She stood abruptly and grabbed a wincing Herb, forcing him to put down the cookies he was pocketing and step away from the table. Her husband joined her with no hint of his feelings. Violet thought she recognized a marriage much like her own, with a Thompson firmly in control. Charlotte dragged her family out of the room. “We’ll see you at the church,” she tossed over her shoulder. “We want to arrive early and greet some old friends.”
“Of course,” Violet said. She was pretty certain she was not to be considered a friend from that point on. “There’s one more thing, Charlotte. I’m sure you know how Tolly felt about Los Angeles,” she watched Charlotte’s face twist into a grimace, “and he hoped you’d encourage Herb to return to Alabama for college. If he does, all his expenses will be paid by a trust he set up. It has to be The University of Alabama, though.”
“Of course we’ve been saving for Herb’s education. We’ll keep that in mind when the time comes. I’m sure he’ll prefer an Ivy League school or perhaps something closer to home.” She turned on her spiked heel and clicked her way across the parquet floor and out of the house, little Herb in her wake. Her husband offered Violet an apologetic glance and closed the door softly behind them.
thirty-three
RONNI
I was sitting on my bed alone at eight o’clock on a Saturday night, drinking my third glass of wine, numbing my heart at the expense of my liver. Rick hadn’t texted or called since he stormed out of my apartment the night before. I was hurt, angry, and puzzled about Carrie Douglas. Google searches told me nothing. I’d tried to read, to watch TV, to sleep. I was incapable of anything except paying attention at work. I almost wished I’d scheduled a shift.