A Willing Murder (Medlar Mystery 1)
“And?”
“I don’t know what else to say.”
She turned to look at him. “How about that you won’t do it again.”
“I’ll try,” he said. “But if you date some guy I know is bad, I’ll—”
“You’re Roy Wyatt’s son, so that puts you on the ‘bad guys not to date’ list.”
Jack laughed. “You got me there. But there are some guys in this town who have a worse reputation than I do.”
“Think Sheriff Flynn would agree on that?”
“No. To him, I’m on the verge of turning into Roy.”
“Did you tell Aunt Sara what I said about...you know?”
“Your mother’s depression?”
“I shouldn’t have said all that. I was angry at having my good mood taken away and I lashed out. I told too much.”
“Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her. She might think it was her fault for not seeing you all those years. And before you ask, I have no idea what caused the rift between her and your mother.”
“Where is Aunt Sara?”
“She went to pick up a filled picnic basket. It’s Family Day at the nursing home and they said a lot of people bring lunches and eat on the grass. I hear that ants are a good source of protein. And the gators love the smorgasbord of old people who can’t run too fast.”
“Is that a Florida joke?”
“More of a tourist joke.”
She looked back at the pool. “Do you know this woman we’re going to see?”
“I saw her around a few times when I used to visit Cheryl. Sometimes she had pies that she said a neighbor had baked. And after Cheryl, uh...left, there was a day when a woman came over. She asked if I knew where they’d gone. I don’t remember it very well. I’d been forbidden to go to Cheryl’s house and...” Jack shrugged. “Anyway, it was a long time ago. So no, I don’t really know her.”
“What happens if Mary knows something about the murderer and tells us about him?”
“We tell Flynn and he’ll know just what to do.”
That was so absurd that Kate laughed. “I better get ready to go.”
“I like what you have on. But that swimsuit covers too much skin.”
“I didn’t grow up in a bikini-wearing atmosphere.”
“You could have put a couple of Ace bandages over your knees, then you would have been fine.”
She smiled. “If I’d exposed my belly button, my uncles would have...” She sent her eyes skyward. “I’ll put on something pretty. Mrs. Ellerbee deserves care being taken.” She gave a pointed look at Jack’s jeans and T-shirt.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll raid the ol’ closet.”
They separated, and after Sara returned, they met in the driveway. They were taking the MINI across Fort Lauderdale to Aventura on the far east side. Sara got in back.
“Because you’re the only one who can fit in there,” Jack said.
“I get MINI jokes from the guy who loves that zero to sixty in nanoseconds?”
Kate raised her eyebrows in question.