Patricia Cornwell - Cruel and Unusual

Lucy poured her, lemonade on the grass, got up, and began stretching.

"Benton, I'll have to think about it. For one thing, my office is still in shambles. Give me a little time to hire a new morgue supervisor and administrator and get things back on track. When do you need to know?’

“By March?”

"Fair enough. Lucy says hello.”

When I hung. up, Lucy looked defiantly at me. "Why do you say something like that when it isn't true? I didn't say hello to him.”

"But you desperately wanted to.”

I got up. "I could tell.”

"Katie?”

My mother was in the window again. "You realty should come in. You've been outside all afternoon. Did you remember to put on sun block?”

"We're in the shade, Grans," Lucy called out. "Remember this huge ficus tree back here?”

"What time did your mother say she was coming over?”

My mother asked her granddaughter "As soon as she and what's his name finish screwing, they'll be here.”

My mother's face disappeared from the window and water drummed in the sink again.”

"Lucy!” I whispered.

She yawned and wandered to the edge of the yard to catch an elusive ray of sun. Turning her face to it, she closed her eyes.

"You're going to do it, aren't you, Aunt Kay?" she said.

"Do what?”

"Whatever Mr. Wesley was asking you to do."

I began putting the chess game back in its box.

"Your silence is a very loud answer," my niece said. "I know you. You're going to do it."

"Come on," I said. "Let's go get the wine."

"Only if I get to drink some."

"Only if you're not driving anywhere tonight."

She slipped her arm around my waist and we went inside the house.