Laura Lippman: Hardly Knew Her

“Mom!” Scott’s yell is horrified, embarrassed. “You’re crying.”

“Sorry, honey. You’re just growing up so fast.”

Permit me the indulgence of a brief afterword on this piece, which was written for this collection. It was 2001 when I first began noodling away at the idea of a prostitute in the suburbs. But when I spoke of it to editors and friends, no one seemed particularly enthusiastic. For once in my life, I was ahead of the curve-Desperate Housewives, Weeds, and The Real Housewives of Orange County were all yet to come. But I never forgot that image of Heloise sitting in the pickup line at her son’s elementary school. In 2005, Harlan Coben asked me to write a story for the Mystery Writers of America’s annual anthology. The result was “One True Love,” inspired by a single line from an early draft of this story, about Heloise’s chance encounter with a customer at a soccer game.

And now, at last, here is the story of Heloise and her sister, Meghan. I’m glad that I waited almost seven years to write it, because while I always had empathy for Heloise, I didn’t really understand Meghan. Now that I have spent more time on the sidelines of soccer fields and basketball courts, I have some insight into her remarkable anger, if not the way she deals with it.

The story is clearly a straight-up homage to James M. Cain-the lethal lovers of The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity, but also Mildred Pierce, which showcases maternal devotion beyond reason. However, I’d also like to dedicate it to my late grandfather, Theodore “Sweetheart” Lippman, an extremely conscientious insurance salesman who had several rules for his employees. Here are two: Always wear a hat, and don’t listen to the radio on your way to visit a client. Think about how you’re going to make the sale instead. Heloise Lewis, with her strict guidelines, is much closer to my grandfather in spirit than Dan Simmons could ever be.

LAURA LIPPMAN grew up in Baltimore and returned to her hometown to work as a journalist. After writing seven books while still a full-time reporter, she left the Baltimore Sun to focus on fiction writing. A New York Times bestselling author, she has won multiple awards for her work, including the Edgar, Quill, Nero Wolfe, Anthony, Agatha, Gumshoe, Shamus, and Barry awards.

www.lauralippman.com