“The problem is Patricia is a subpar human being but she’s not a sociopath. Her conscience won’t allow her to face Marina every day, knowing she’s standing in the wrong corner strictly for her own benefit.”

“You think she’s going to fire her?”

“Or be so nasty she runs her off. Either way, the end result is the same.”

Adelaide nodded. “Marina is out of a job. And at the worst possible time. No way Harold is going to play fair in a divorce. Not with that little girl hanging around waiting for daddy to hand out her allowance.”

Dottie cringed. “That statement is mortifying. But you’re right. So what do we do?”

“I don’t know that there’s anything we can do, but we have to warn her at least. God knows, she didn’t have any warning before she caught her husband in the act. I don’t imagine she’d appreciate another surprise.”

“Surely she’s already realized there might be a problem.”

“When William died, how much of what was going on around you did you process completely? I know this isn’t a death, but…”

Dottie nodded. “No. You’re right. This is a life-altering event. At least with William, he’d been ill and we knew it was coming. I had time to prepare—as much as one can, anyway.”

“Exactly. So I’m betting that Marina hasn’t processed much past where she’s sleeping tonight.”

“I assume she’ll be at her sister’s.”

“I think we need to pay her a visit. I don’t know that we can do anything for her but at least we can make sure she’s not caught unaware again.”

Dottie stared at her for a bit. “I’m surprised at you. I know you love to collect and disperse gossip, but your usual policy is to remain on the sidelines flinging mud into the fray.”

“This is different. I really like Marina. And I never liked Harold.”

Dottie gave her an approving nod. “I think we might have more in common than we thought.”

“Kinda scary, right?”

“Terrifying.”

Chapter Five

Marina put her shoulder against the front door and gave it a hard shove. It flew open, and she felt her back catch and a sharp pain go through her left butt cheek and knee before she fell through the doorway, crashing onto the tile entry. As she pushed herself into a sitting position, she made a mental note to adjust the door. Tackling it like a linebacker every day wasn’t an option her body could sustain for very long, probably not longer than today. The ancient tile floor probably wouldn’t last very long under those conditions, either. It was already cracked.

“Good Lord, sis,” Halcyon’s voice sounded behind her. “Just because you’re newly single doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind. You’re going to break a hip if you keep falling that way. And there is no way to make a walker look stylish.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose. That darn door is stuck. And besides, I don’t know who I have to impress out here anyway. The mosquitoes?”