“Why would your father want to pester your mother now?” Lindsey asked. “She’s retired from Broadway; she lives a quiet life here in Briar Creek. I just don’t see what he has to gain by antagonizing her.”

“He doesn’t like to lose,” Charlene said.

“But didn’t he lose when he chose not to be a part of your life?” Lindsey asked.

Charlene gave her a warm smile. “Spoken like a true friend.”

“No, I don’t have to be your friend to see what he lost,” Lindsey said. “Look at you. You’re a beautiful, charming, intelligent woman. You’re an excellent reporter, an amazing wife and mother and a fabulous friend. I pity your father.”

“Well, I thank you,” Charlene said. “But I don’t think this is about me, and if it is, it is only in a peripheral way.”

Lindsey gave her a questioning glance.

“Mom’s birthday was back in July,” she said.

“Yes, we had the luau.” Lindsey grinned. Then she frowned. Sully had been there, too, and they hadn’t spoken once all night. Very annoying.

“Well, do you remember the flower delivery that she got?”

“Oh yeah, the purple roses,” Lindsey said. “Kind of hard to forget a bouquet as big as a Buick.”

“I think it was from my dad.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Charlene just looked at her and Lindsey said, “Oh. Oh. Oh!”

“I think he wants to get back together,” Charlene said. “There have been other things, too.”

“Do you think she’s interested?”

Charlene gave her a fretful look. “I don’t know. She hasn’t said anything.”

“Have you asked her about this?” Lindsey pressed. She leaned forward, resting her arms on her desk. “You and your mother are so close. You know you can talk to her about anything.”

“Except what if she wants to see him again?” Charlene asked. “I don’t think she’d tell me because she knows how I feel about him.”

“She’d tell you,” Lindsey said. “Violet is the most honest person I know, and you are the most important person in the world to her. She’d tell you if she wanted to see your father.”

Charlene was quiet for a minute. Then she nodded. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I did have one other theory. It’s in the exact opposite direction.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, if my mother rejected my father completely, do you think he might be out for revenge? And that he might sabotage the show to get even?”

10

“Whoa,” Lindsey said. “You did say your father doesn’t like to lose. Is he vindictive like that?”

Charlene shrugged. “I don’t know that I have the most objective opinion of him.”

They were both quiet for a bit. Lindsey told herself she was just asking questions to be thorough, but she knew there was a silly part of her that was fishing. She chose to ignore it.