“Shouldn’t be long.”
“Take your TIME” She pushed the seat back, put her feet up on the
dash, and began sketching pearl-inlay designs on a piece of Bristol
board.
As usual, the house was curtained. I walked up the path of railroad
ties that split the lawn. Vermilion-and-white petunias struggled in
the borders. A Plymouth Voyager van was parked in the driveway.
Behind it was a dented copper-colored Honda. The heat was really
settling in and the air felt thick and greasy. I couldn’t detect any
breeze. But something was causing the bamboo chimes over the doorway
to clank.
I knocked. The peephole slid open and a pretty blue eye filled it.
The door swung back and Vicki Bottomley stood aside and let me pass.
She wore a lime-green nurse’s smock over white stretch pants.
Her hair was sprayed tight. A pumpkin-colored mug was in her hand.
“Coffee?” she said. “There’s a little left.”
“No, thanks. How’s it going today?”
“Seems to be better, actually.”
“Both of them?”
“Mostly the little one-she’s really come out of her shell. Running
around like a real little bandit.”
“Good.”
“Talking to herself, too-is that okay?”
“I’m sure it is.”
“Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
“What’s she talking about, Vicki?”
“Can’t make it out-mostly babbling. She looks happy enough, though.”
“Tough little kid,” I said, walking in.
Most kids are. . . . She’s looking forward to seeing y~~~øø “That
so?”
“Yup. I mentioned your name and she smiled. Bout time, huh?”
“Sure is. Must have earned my stripes.”
“Got to, with the little ones.”
“How’s she sleeping?”
“Good. Cindy’s not sleeping so good, though. I keep hearing her get
up and turn on the TV a bunch of times every night. Maybe the Valium
withdrawal, huh? Though I don’t notice any other symptoms.”
“Maybe that, or just plain anxiety.”
“Yeah. Last night she fell asleep in front of the TV and I woke her
and sent her back to her room. But she’ll be okay. Doesn’t have much
choice, does she?”
“Why’s that?”
“Being a mother.”
The two of us began walking through the living room. White walls,
beige carpet, brand-new furniture barely out of the rental warehouse.
The kitchen was to the left. Straight ahead were sliding glass doors
that had been left wide open. The backyard was a strip of Astroturfed
patio followed by real grass, pale in comparison. An orange tree heavy
with ripening fruit served as a centerpiece. At the rear was a
scallop-topped redwood fence backed by phone wires and the roofline of
the neighboring garage.
Cassie sat on the grass, sucking her fingers while inspecting a pink
plastic doll. Doll clothes were strewn on the grass. Cindy sat
nearby, cross-legged.
Vicki said, “Guess so.”
“What’s that?”
“Guess you’ve earned your stripes.”
“Guess we both have.”
“Yeah. . . You know I wasn’t too happy having to take that lie
detector.”
“I can imagine.”
Answering all those questions-being thought of like that.” She shook
her head. “That was really hurtful.”
“The whole thing was hurtful,” I said. “He set it up that way.”
“Yeah. . . I guess he knocked us all around-using my bunnies. They
should have capital punishment for people like that. I’m gonna enjoy
getting up on the stand and telling the world about him.
When do you think that’ll happen-the trial?”
“Probably within a few months.”
“Probably. . . Okay, have fun. Talk to you later.”
Any time, Vicki.”
Any time what?”
Any time you want to talk.”
“I’ll bet.” She grinned. “I’ll just bet. You and me
talkytalking-wouldn’t that be a hoot?”
She slapped me lightly on the back and turned around. I stepped out
onto the patIo.
Cassie looked at me, then returned to the naked doll. She was barefoot
and had on red shorts and a pink T-shirt patterned with silver
hearts.
Her hair was topknotted and her face was grimy. She appeared to have
gained a little weight.
Cindy uncrossed her legs and stood without effort. She wore shorts,
too. The skimpy white ones I’d seen at her house, below a white
T-shirt. Her hair was loose and brushed straight back from her
forehead. She’d broken out a bit on her cheeks and chin, and tried to