I thought about going over and telling her to take it off. Anyone who looked at that necklace knew it was expensive, and there were people in the bar who would happily swipe it and hock it. But that wasn’t the real problem. If Ruby knew about Penny and Ajax, she was going to spot that necklace in a heartbeat.

“I don’t get it,” Sandra went on. “Ruby’s way hotter than her. I mean, I could see Ajax getting hung up on you, but why horn around with Little Swiss Miss over there?”

I was flattered by Sandra’s comment, but it reminded me that rumors had been flying about me and Ajax all year. “Penny had a thing for Ajax. I doubt he had to ask her twice.”

“Well, to screw, sure, but not to spend money on.”

I frowned, because Sandra was right. Penny would have been fine for a no-strings-fling, but she didn’t look like the kind of woman who would pull Ajax away from his wife. And yet he was buying her expensive gifts.

“Think she did it?” Sandra asked. “Sometimes it’s the quiet ones, you know.”

“Actually, I think she loved him,” I said. “Ajax probably let her think he loved her, too. She was naive enough to believe it.”

Sandra sucked on her Merit. “Men. If I didn’t like what they had between their legs, I’d give them up for good.”

I laughed. “Not likely.”

“No. Not likely at all.” She gave me a penetrating stare. “What about you? You got your eyes on anybody?”

“Yeah, because I’m a real catch looking like this.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a catch in any condition, honey. I just mean, you’re going to be a single mom like me. I wouldn’t encourage anybody to join the club. Life’s a lot easier with a man around.”

“Not always.”

Sandra frowned. “Well, I mean the right man. If there is such a thing. You got the wrong one, that’s for sure. At least he’s long gone. Good riddance to that son of a bitch.”

I glanced around to make sure no one was listening to us, not that they could have heard us over the noise of the bar. “Actually, Sandra, that’s something else I wanted to ask you. Have you heard any talk about Ricky lately?”

“What kind of talk?”

“About him being back.”

“Ricky?” Sandra hissed, with genuine concern in her voice. “Are you serious? Is he in town again? Have you seen him?”

“No, I haven’t seen him. I could be completely wrong. I don’t know, it’s just a feeling. On Sunday night, I could swear someone had been in my house.”

“Jesus.”

“Nobody’s said anything to you?” I asked.