Giving Up the Ghost (11 page)

"Hey, Gabbie, where were you last night? We were all disappointed you didn't show up
at Logan's."

"Sorry, but I can't afford to eat out every night." She unlocked her trunk, and started
stowing the first bag in when he moved in close enough for her to smell his metallic breath.

"I'll help you with that."

"No need," she said and set the bag inside. When she stood up her rear bumped into his
stomach. "Excuse me." She jabbed back with her elbow.

"Ouch!" Don hopped out of arm's reach. "You don't have to get physical."

"Exactly." She glared at him until he looked away.

She expected him to trot off in a snit, but instead he gave her the wide-eyed smile of an
innocent child. "When are you stopping by the shop? Tessa can't wait to meet you."

Gabbie ran her fingers through her hair. Lover boy was bound to behave around his
wife. "I'll call next week and set up an appointment."

"Tuesdays and Wednesdays are slow."

"I'll keep that in mind. Good-bye, Don."

"Nice to have run into you." He made a dash for his car.

* * * *

"He's a pig," Cam said when she'd finished telling him about her encounter with Don.
"You get full marks for the way you handled him."

"The weirdest part was he acted like nothing had happened, then told me Tessa wants
to meet me."

"The poor slob expects to be rejected. I think he'd turn tail and run if anyone ever gave
him the come on. Even Tessa can't stand him that way, and he knows it."

"Then why does she stay with him?"

"She pities the poor guy. She knows he'd fall to pieces if she threw him out. So instead
she has affairs."

"Oh, sure." Gabbie rolled her eyes.

"You think I was the only one? Tessa and Terry had a thing going for a while. Even Jack
was in there for a one-night stand."

"Well, well," Gabbie said, grinning. "Chrissom Harbor's beginning to sound like Sin City.
Now I better grab my camera and get back to school. I'm taking the Photography Club shooting
outdoors."

"And tonight you're having dinner at Jill's." He sounded wistful. "I wish you could give
her my love."

"And I wish I could tell Darren to reopen the case." She looked over at him, stretched out
on the couch. "Are you sure he didn't kill you?"

"As sure as I am of anything. At least tell him about the call you got the other night."

"Why? What can Darren do about it?"

"Stop by occasionally. Keep an eye on you."

It sounded wonderful. Which was precisely why she had to keep her distance. She
wanted no romantic entanglements.

"Bye, Cam. See you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I expect a full report as soon as you get back from dinner."

"We'll see." Gabbie grinned as she dashed upstairs. At times it was most convenient that
he couldn't leave the den.

It was snowing lightly when Gabbie drove back to school. Maybe she should
reconsider taking the Photography Club outside this afternoon. Maybe, she thought hopefully, no
one will show up.

No such luck. Four students sat waiting for her as she entered her classroom: Theo,
Charlie, and two boys, one short and chubby, the other tall and slender with a bad case of acne. The
short boy introduced himself as Sean; the taller one was Richard. They all had digital cameras and
were raring to go.

Gabby explained that though she wasn't a photographer, she was eager to help them,
and that she'd planned a project for the afternoon.

Richard gave her a lovely smile. "That's okay, Ms. Meyerson. I know lots about
photography. We just need a sponsor so we can get credit."

"Oh," Gabby said, feeling somewhat deflated. "Well, I thought we might go outside today
and take pictures of trees. I was going to talk to you a bit about composition and focus, but if you've
other ideas--"

"That sounds like a great idea." Theo stared at each of the boys as though daring them to
contradict her. "And the snow's letting up, see?"

Sure enough, the sun was brighter than ever as it reflected on the newly fallen
snow.

"Hey, let's get going while there's still snow on the branches," Charlie said. "They sure
look pretty like that."

"I thought you might take photos in the woods behind the playing fields," Gabbie
said.

"Great idea," Sean agreed. "We'll get some dynamite shots there."

"You can leave your knapsacks in the classroom," Gabbie said. "I'll lock the door behind
us."

Eagerly, they made their way through the empty halls, past the thumping, shouting
basketball practice in the gym. They stomped across the playing field.

Theo lagged behind to walk with Gabbie. "Mom said you're eating dinner at our
house."

"Yes. I'm coming over tonight."

Theo hesitated, and then said, "You won't tell any of the kids, will you? I mean, not
Charlie or anyone."

Gabbie held back a smile. "Of course I won't. It's nobody's business. Your mother was
kind enough to extend a friendly invitation because I'm new in town, and I appreciate it."

"She's always extending friendly invitations," Theo said sullenly, and then dashed ahead
toward the boys before Gabbie could respond.

Gabbie discovered there was little she could tell her avid little group. They caught onto
her proposed project immediately. Soon they were snapping happily at a chosen tree or bush from
every conceivable angle. Charlie even climbed a tree to get an overhead shot of his bush.

"Now let's aim higher," Gabbie suggested. "Why don't you capture interesting patterns
of branches against the sky?"

Again the woods resounded with the clicking of four cameras.

It was growing dark when they made a mad dash back to the classroom with barely
enough time to gather up their things and catch the late bus.

"We'll meet again in two weeks," Gabbie called after them. "Bring four by sixes of what
you shot so we can study and critique them."

They shouted their thanks over their shoulders as they ran off, leaving her to lock
up.

Gabbie drove home, pleased with the way the afternoon had gone. The kids were
enthusiastic, and Richard hadn't been bragging when he said he knew a lot about photography. He
had answered the other kids' questions and helped them set up many of their shots.

Maybe at their next meeting she'd have them take photos of each other. That was a fun
project they were bound to enjoy.

She showered and put on a red silk turtleneck polo, her embroidered vest, and black
trousers. After retrieving the wine from the refrigerator, she set out for the Leverettes's house. It
was a five minute ride. Nice and close, she couldn't help noticing, for Cam and Jill to enjoy a quickie
in the afternoon.

The Leverettes lived in the middle of a block of ranches and Cape Cods. Their house was
painted muddy brown. The front door must have been white a good many years ago, judging from
its cracked and peeling paint. The few scrawny bushes and one bare tree added to the aura of
neglect.

When Gabbie rang the bell, Jill opened the door immediately and gave her a peck on the
cheek. Gabbie handed her the wine.

"You shouldn't have," Jill said, "though Fred will be pleased. He'll be home in a few
minutes."

"Oh, I parked in the driveway," Gabbie said. "I'll move my car."

She turned, but Jill reached out to stop her. "Don't bother. Please. He can leave his old
heap in the street."

"I'd feel better if I move it." She returned to her car and parked on the street. As she
walked back toward the house, she saw a curtain flick in an upstairs window of the house next door.
Was that where Sonia lived? Did she spy on the Leverettes because her own life was empty?

Gabbie handed Jill her parka to hang in the hall closet, and followed her into the living
room. The room was modest in size, as was the adjoining dining room, where the table was set for
four. Both rooms were tastefully decorated with contemporary furniture in light blue and beige. Jill
gestured to the sofa and the appetizers on the cocktail table.

"Make yourself at home. Have some crackers and cheese while I open the wine."

The aroma of meatloaf wafted into the living room, and Gabbie realized she was
starving. She topped a cracker with cheese and stuffed her mouth just as Jill appeared, bearing two
wine glasses.

Gabbie chewed and swallowed too quickly, which made her cough. Jill hurried over to
pat her on the back. When Gabbie glanced up, Theo was staring at her.

"Are you okay?" Theo said.

"Yes, something just went down the wrong way." The particle of cracker was still stuck
and she coughed again.

"Theo, please bring Ms. Meyerson some water."

Theo reappeared immediately, glass in hand.

Gabbie drank. "Much better, thank you."

"Fred's always doing that," Jill said as she perched on a nubby beige chair.

"No, he's not," Theo contradicted, plopping down in the matching chair. The soda in her
glass tipped dangerously close to the rim. "It only happened at Thanksgiving, and you had to carry
on and embarrass everyone to death."

"Theo," Jill said in a warning tone, "please don't act up in front of your teacher."

"I'm not acting up, just clarifying. We do lots of clarifying in class, don't we, Ms.
Meyerson?"

"Some of the time, yes," Gabbie agreed cautiously, not wanting to get caught in a
squabble between mother and daughter. To change the subject, she said, "We had a great afternoon
out with the Photography Club, didn't we?"

Theo shrugged. "I guess."

Gabbie was piqued. This wasn't the same Theo who had loosened up halfway through
the afternoon and enthusiastically called her over to extol the beauty of her tree.

Jill glanced at her watch. "I'll be back in a moment. Just want to check on dinner."

Theo offered no conversation, so it was difficult to pretend she couldn't overhear Jill on
the phone. She asked for Fred, then demanded, her voice rising, "When will you get home? You
knew we were having company!"

When Jill returned to the living room, her cheeks had two red spots. "I'm afraid Fred's
been held up at work. He said to start without him."

"Sure, whatever's best for you," Gabbie picked up her wine glass and followed her
hostess to the table.

The meatloaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and salad were delicious. Gabbie took great
pleasure in the first real home-cooked meal she'd eaten in ages. But her enjoyment was marred by
the tension between Jill and Theo, and by Fred's glaring absence. She did her best to be an attentive
guest and asked questions about Chrissom Harbor. Theo picked at her food and spoke only to
contradict her mother.

"And what does your father do?" Gabbie asked Theo.

"He's a chemist at Forsythe Labs." Her pride rang out like the ping of good crystal.

"I've heard of Forsythe. They're fifteen minutes from here," Gabbie said. "How
convenient."

Theo frowned. "Daddy had a more important position when he worked in the city, but
Mom made him change jobs."

"Theo, what a thing to say!" Jill protested.

Gabbie was beginning to wonder if coming here tonight was a mistake when they all
turned at the sound of a key in the door. Fred came in and draped his jacket over the wrought iron
divider that separated the narrow hall from the living room. He strode purposefully into the dining
room, a gleam in his eyes. A far cry from the lethargic man Gabbie had first seen in Logan's Place.
Someone or something had perked him up.

"Hi, sweetie." Fred kissed his daughter on the forehead. He turned to Gabbie. "And you
must be Mrs. Meyerson."

She didn't correct him, but smiled and shook his extended hand.

"Sorry I'm late," Fred said to Jill. "Ralph needed the report for this week's conference
and I couldn't start working on it till four-fifteen."

Jill left her seat and headed for the kitchen. "I'll get your food. I've been keeping it
warm."

"Go easy on the portions. I'm not very hungry. I had a sandwich while I was
working."

Bastard. "I've already eaten" had been one of Paul's ploys when he wanted to get at her.
But Jill obviously knew enough to ignore her husband's request. She brought in a plate loaded with
food. Gabbie watched Fred gobble down his meatloaf and vegetables. He drank deeply from his
wine glass.

"Good wine," he said to Gabbie. He reached for the bottle and read the label. "Mmm, no
wonder. That was a good year for Mondavi."

Gabbie, who had chosen the bottle on the say-so of the wine merchant, nodded
knowingly. "I've never gone wrong with Mondavi."

Now that she'd caught his attention, Fred regarded her intently. "So you're Theo's new
English teacher. She's pretty impressed with your take on Gatsby. Stayed up late last night to finish
the book."

"Thanks a lot, Dad!" Theo had turned cherry red, as if her father had exposed her for
doing something reprehensible instead of reading ahead. But then kids like Theo hated to be
suspected of playing up to their teachers, even when they weren't.

Gabbie found it interesting that, although her father had embarrassed her, Theo showed
him none of the animosity she'd been spewing at Jill. Annoyance, yes, but affection ruled the
father-daughter relationship.

"Things get nicely tied up at the end, don't you think?" Gabbie said.

Theo missed the irony in her tone. "For Daisy and Tom," she answered scornfully. "They
cause all the trouble, then get off scot free."

"We might call them careless," Gabbie offered.

Theo's gray eyes stared at her, then she nodded slowly. "Careless, yes. They don't give a
damn about other people. People like that don't deserve to live."

Gabbie shivered. Emotions were flying fast and thick, turning her stomach into knots.
She wanted to bolt but couldn't think of a decent exit line at the moment.

"Everyone ready for coffee?" Jill set a steaming carafe of coffee on a trivet. "Theo, would
you please help me clear the table?"