Slow Burn (Diamond and Diamond Private Investigators 2)

Tessa would just print them out at work. She'd need to do it quietly, because she was sure Marty would call her on the carpet for that too. He was such an asshole.

Her brother was a much more complicated issue. As expected, he wanted to borrow money. He was twenty-four and addicted to prescription pain killers. She'd tried talking to him. She'd tried to get him help. He would either get angry at her or laugh it off.

As she drove over to Melinda's house, she called Matthew back. While he went into a sob story over his power being cut off, Tessa listened. As much as she loved her brother, she wouldn't give him any more money. He owed her four thousand dollars already. Not that she'd ever see it. It had taken her a while, but she'd gotten wise to the way he operated.

When she told him no, he started yelling at her. Finally, when he called her a fucking bitch, she hung up on him. At the next available turn off, Tessa steered her car into a grocery store parking lot.

Tessa let herself have a good cry. She didn't allow herself do it very often. It was always difficult to stop once she started. As awful as it sounded, she found she operated better when she just bottled things up. Eventually, when her head started to pound

, she wiped off her face and got back on the road.

From the center of Toronto to the outskirts was only about fifteen miles, but in rush hour traffic, it took almost an hour. By the time she got to her sister’s house, her headache had mostly calmed. She hoped she could just go in, get the invitation, and then leave. It rarely happened that way, though.

It wasn't that she didn't love her sister. It was that her sister's house was a vortex of chaos and aggravation. Between her three daughters and her husband, there was always someone yelling or fighting. She didn't know how her sister could stand it.

They didn't have a great deal in common with the exception of blood. Melinda didn't allow herself to have much of an identity. She was a mother and a wife. Therefore all of her stories were about them. Tessa was neither of those things. When she talked to her sister about work or dating, she mostly felt as though she was being examined like some sort of alien.

As it was, Tessa didn't know if she could handle a full visit. She could almost count on being roped into staying for dinner. Tonight, more than anything, she just wanted to go home and crawl into bed.

When she pulled up in her sister's drive way, she dreaded getting out of the car. However, she did. Pulling her jacket around her, she braved the night air and jogged up to her sister's door. Taking a deep breath, she rang the bell.

As usual, chaos ensued. She heard the screech of what had to be her youngest niece, Heather, followed by a loud bark from Clancy, their black lab. From the sound of it, the poor guy was relegated to the back yard again.

Her brother-in-law, Aaron, opened the door, took one look at her, and then said, “Melinda's in the kitchen.”

“Yes. I'm well, Aaron. How about you,” she muttered to his retreating form. Dick. She had no idea what Melinda saw in him.

Heather came tearing down the hall, squealing. “Aunt Tessa!”

Leaning down, Tessa picked her up and pressed sloppy kisses all over her face until Heather eventually yelled, “Ew. Gross!”

She grinned and set her down. Despite her protests, Heather followed her like a little shadow into the kitchen. She was a sweet little girl.

The moment she walked through the door, Melinda said, “Hey! You got my message. Awesome.” Directing a look at the soon birthday girl, she said, “Baby, go find Paige and Britney. Mommy needs to talk to Aunt Tessa for a minute.”

Tessa saw the mutinous look on Heather's face and thought she might be gearing up to a tantrum. Before she could speak, Melinda added, “I'll call you when we're done. Now scram.”

Heather, appeased, gave Tessa a wave and skipped toward the stairs.

“Hard to believe she's going to be six, isn't it?” Tessa asked.

“Six going on thirty. The other day we were in the car and she said, 'Mommy. You better slow down. We're going to get a ticket.' I swear to God we were only going like ten kilometers over the limit.”

“She's something else,” Tessa said, grinning.

“My little evil genius,” Melinda joked. “She's just getting so big! And, speaking of, here is the proof for the invitation. Can you print about forty or so? We're doing a big party for her at the zoo.”

“Oh, God. She'll love that!” Tessa imagined the little squeal of delight. Before her sister launched into a story, she added, “I'm beat. I'll make the copies and get them to you Wednesday. I'm gonna head home.”

“You're sure?” I've got extra.” She pointed at the corned beef she was slicing on the cutting board.

“Thanks, but I've got a hot shower and a book calling my name. Long day at work,” she said, feeling a little guilty.

“Okay,” her sister said, frowning. “You sure you're okay? You seem a little ... off.”

“Rough day at work. Marty tried to give me a back rub,” she said. “He's so gross. I think I'm going to report him. I'm sick of it.”

“Good. He's a pervert. You should report him. That's a ... what do you call it? Hostile work environment.”