BooksBarbecue
Back Parting Shot Save as PDF
Chapters (68)
  1. Dedication
  2. Title Page
  3. Contents
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Thirteen
  16. Fourteen
  17. Fifteen
  18. Sixteen
  19. Seventeen
  20. Eighteen
  21. Nineteen
  22. Twenty
  23. Twenty-One
  24. Twenty-Two
  25. Twenty-Three
  26. Twenty-Four
  27. Twenty-Five
  28. Twenty-Six
  29. Twenty-Seven
  30. Twenty-Eight
  31. Twenty-Nine
  32. Thirty
  33. Thirty-One
  34. Thirty-Two
  35. Thirty-Three
  36. Thirty-Four
  37. Thirty-Five
  38. Thirty-Six
  39. Thirty-Seven
  40. Thirty-Eight
  41. Thirty-Nine
  42. Forty
  43. Forty-One
  44. Forty-Two
  45. Forty-Three
  46. Forty-Four
  47. Forty-Five
  48. Forty-Six
  49. Forty-Seven
  50. Forty-Eight
  51. Forty-Nine
  52. Fifty
  53. Fifty-One
  54. Fifty-Two
  55. Fifty-Three
  56. Fifty-Four
  57. Fifty-Five
  58. Fifty-Six
  59. Fifty-Seven
  60. Fifty-Eight
  61. Fifty-Nine
  62. Sixty
  63. Sixty-One
  64. Sixty-Two
  65. Sixty-Three
  66. Sixty-Four
  67. Sixty-Five
  68. Copyright

“It’s probably in her purse,” Madeline said.

Gloria pointed to the handbag sitting on the kitchen table. “Be my guest. Search all you want. Tear my room apart. I do not have that phone.” Her face flushed with anger. “I will not be treated like a child.”

She kicked the pants off and stood there in her underwear. “Would you like to do a body-cavity search, Bob? I bet you’d like that.” She made her hands into fists and positioned them defiantly on her hips.

Bob turned and walked out of the room.

“Go on!” Gloria shouted. “I’ve got an idea! Why don’t you phone me! See if you hear a ringing coming out of my ass!”

Madeline, evidently thinking that was a bluff that deserved to be called, went over to the landline and entered a number.

The room briefly went silent as the two women listened.

There was nothing.

“You probably have it on mute,” Madeline said. “I swear, this family needs a team of therapists.”

This time, she didn’t stop on her way upstairs.

Gloria stood there in the kitchen, alone, in her underwear. After a minute, she found herself a new, unbroken glass, and poured herself another drink.

Twenty-Five

TWENTY-FIVE

“ISN’T this a lovely place,” Maureen said as she and Duckworth walked into Knight’s.

“I know that tone,” he said.

“What tone? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Would you like that booth by the arm wrestlers, or maybe next to that couple there who are trying to build a house with the sugar packets?”

“How about over here?” he suggested, locating an empty booth that wasn’t close to anyone who appeared immediately objectionable.

“That looks perfect,” she said. “Only three steps to the bathroom should I need it.”

Within seconds of sitting down across the table from each other, a young woman came over with menus.

“Can I get you folks some drinks?” she asked.

Maureen asked for a glass of Pinot Grigio and Duckworth said some sparkling water with lime would suit him just fine.

“Is Axel here?” he asked.

The girl nodded.

“Could you ask him to drop by when he has a second?”

The girl nodded a second time and disappeared.

Maureen looked at the menu. “You’re going to love this place. I don’t think there’s a single thing here you should be allowed to eat. Oh, wait, celery sticks come with the double-breaded jumbo wings.”

“I know this isn’t exactly the fanciest place in town, but what’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” Maureen said.

“You’re mad at me for the Trevor thing.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Look, that thing with me and him, he’ll get over it.” His eyes darted around the bar. “It’s because of this place I wanted to talk to our son.”

Maureen lowered her menu. “What are you talking about?”