Sisters (15 page)

‘I’m trying to clean this house out. It has to be cleaned out if I want to sell it.’

‘Why would you want to sell it?’ asked Dory. ‘It’s a beautiful house.’

Alex felt surprised, and almost foolishly pleased by the remark. ‘I’m glad you like it.’

‘Of course I like it,’ said Dory. ‘I wish I had a house like this.’

‘Well, you do, in a sense. You live here now,’ said Alex.

‘That’s not the same thing,’ Dory said as she walked into the kitchen and began opening the cupboards. ‘I’m just a guest.’

Alex wanted to say that’s not true. You’re my sister. But she knew that she would sound hollow and insincere. She decided to change the subject. ‘What do you want for breakfast?’ she asked brightly.

Dory stared into one of the cabinets. ‘What choice do I have?’ she asked.

By lunchtime Alex could stall it no longer. Dory was sitting patiently by the door with her shoulder bag in her lap, like a pup holding a leash. Alex sighed and picked up the car keys.

‘Do you have something to put the clothes into?’ she asked.

‘I have suitcases in my room at home,’ said Dory.

‘OK,’ said Alex. ‘Maybe we should call first.’

‘No,’ said Dory. ‘Let’s go. If we call first they’ll say we shouldn’t come.’

She’s not oblivious. She does know, Alex thought. ‘All right.’ Just then her cell phone rang and she looked at the name. The Orenstein Gallery. ‘I have to take this,’ she said to Dory and turned her back on her.

‘Hello,’ she said.

‘Ms Woods? This is Margo, calling from the Orenstein Gallery. If you are still interested in the position, Louis Orenstein would like you to come in for a second interview.’

‘Absolutely,’ Alex cried. ‘I absolutely am. When should I come in?’

‘Monday afternoon at two?’ said Margo.

‘I’ll be there,’ said Alex. ‘And thank you.’

She ended the call and turned happily to Dory. ‘Sorry to keep you waiting. It’s a second interview for a job I really want.’

‘What kind of job?’ Dory asked.

Alex explained the parameters of the job as they walked out to the car, got in, and pulled out of the driveway. Dory listened intently.

‘This is a really prestigious gallery. Louis Orenstein has discovered the work of some of the best artists around today. I would really like to work there,’ said Alex.

‘Would you be gone all day, if you got the job?’ Dory asked.

‘Well, yeah,’ said Alex. ‘I mean, it’s a full-time position.’

Dory nodded and looked out the car window as the streets of Chichester flashed by. The day was gloomy, and snow was predicted for the night. Everything seemed to wear a blanket of gray. ‘It’s so quiet around here,’ she said. ‘I’m not used to that.’

‘I’m sure the prison was a noisy place to live,’ said Alex, sensing the complaint in her words.

‘It was noisy,’ said Dory. ‘I wouldn’t want to go back there for anything. But this place is like living in a cemetery.’

Alex knew she shouldn’t take Dory’s remark personally, but she found it impossible not to be offended. Thanks a lot, she thought. She no longer felt like talking to her.

They rode the rest of the way into Boston in silence. Alex thought about parking in a lot, near the Colsons’ apartment, but decided to give the on-street parking a try. It would be easier to move Dory’s belongings that way. Luckily there was a spot open halfway down the block. Alex eased into it and parked the car.

Dory hopped out before Alex turned off the engine, and rushed up to the building where she had always lived. Alex hurried to catch up with her. Dory pulled a ring of keys from her purse as they climbed the steps.

‘Oh, no. Wait a minute,’ said Alex. ‘You can’t just let yourself in. We have to knock.’

‘I’ve lived here all my life,’ Dory exclaimed, affronted.

Alex shook her head. ‘Absolutely not. Either you put those keys away or we’re leaving right now.’

Dory glowered at her, but stuck the keys back into her purse. They went into the vestibule and pushed the buzzer for the Colsons’ apartment.

There was a rather long wait, and then the door opened. Elaine stood staring at them.

‘Hi, Mom,’ said Dory.

‘Hello, Dory,’ said Elaine.

‘We came to get my clothes,’ said Dory in an apologetic tone.

‘I cleared out a lot of your clothes,’ said Elaine.

Alex thought about the coat, still hanging on the hallway peg. She doubted that Elaine had done any such thing. ‘She doesn’t need that much,’ she said.

‘Did you throw my stuff away?’ Dory asked plaintively.

‘Some of it,’ said Elaine.

Alex suddenly felt angry at this woman. ‘Why don’t you just let Dory collect her things and we’ll be on our way.’

Elaine turned her chilly gaze on Alex. ‘Why don’t you stay out of this?’

‘Well, I can’t really do that, can I?’ snapped Alex. ‘We live together now.’

Elaine hesitated for a moment and then stepped away from the door. ‘All right, but don’t hang around in your old room.’

‘I won’t, Mom,’ said Dory, and her voice sounded timid and thick with tears.

Shoulders slumped, she entered the apartment, followed by Alex and her mother. She began to look around her, her eyes shining. ‘It smells so good in here. Were you baking?’ Dory turned to Alex. ‘My mother is the best baker.’

‘Just go get your stuff,’ said Elaine, pointing down the hall. ‘We’ll wait in the kitchen.’

Alex kind of wanted to go with Dory, fearful that she would collect so much stuff that they would be hours getting it out of the apartment. But she didn’t want to antagonize Elaine any further. She followed the older woman down the steps to the kitchen.

There were two places set at the table for lunch, and Therese Ennis sat in one of the seats. There was something medieval-looking about Therese. With her long, wavy hair and her frail form clad in a gauzy dress, she had the appearance of a maiden, languishing. The teenager frowned when she saw Alex. ‘How come you’re here?’ she said accusingly.

‘Dory wanted to get some of her things,’ said Alex.

‘Oh,’ said Therese. She took her fork and began to poke at the food on her plate.

‘You said you were hungry. Now don’t play with it, Therese. Eat it,’ said Elaine. She turned to Alex. ‘So, I guess you’re pretty pleased with how this all turned out.’

‘It’s not over yet,’ said Alex. ‘I’m hoping that the district attorney will decide not to refile the charges against Dory.’

‘So that my daughter’s killer can get away scot-free?’ asked Elaine.

Alex shook her head and did not reply. ‘Dory, hurry up,’ she called out. Dory’s answer from the depths of her room upstairs was unintelligible. Alex sank down into a chair to wait.

Therese picked at her lunch and kept glancing surreptitiously at Alex.

Alex frowned at her. ‘What are you looking at?’

Therese shook her head. Then she said, ‘I’m just wondering . . .’

‘Wondering what?’ Alex asked.

‘Aren’t you afraid of her? After . . . what she did?’

Alex gave an exasperated sigh, trying to cover the fact that the teenager had struck a nerve. ‘I’m trying to help her get on with her life. She’s my sister.’

‘All the more reason,’ Therese observed.

‘Look, this really isn’t any of your business,’ said Alex.

‘Don’t be rude to Therese,’ said Elaine. ‘She is welcome here. Therese was invited.’

Just then Alex heard the sound of suitcase wheels rolling across the wood floors upstairs and thudding on the steps. She looked up as Dory began to descend the stairs to the kitchen. Alex stood up.

‘Have you got what you need?’ she asked.

Dory had stopped dead in her tracks and was staring at Therese. ‘What is she doing sitting there?’ she demanded. ‘That’s my place.’

Elaine sighed. ‘Therese is having lunch with me. She often does on Saturday. Why?’

Tears welled up in Dory’s eyes. ‘That’s not fair. That’s my place.’

‘You don’t have a place here. You lost your place here when you stabbed Lauren,’ said Elaine bitterly.

But Dory was not listening. In a flash she was around the table and grabbed Therese by the hair, twisting a large clump of it between her fingers. ‘You get out of my seat,’ she growled.

Therese’s head jerked back and she let out a fearful cry.

‘Dory, for God’s sake,’ said Alex. ‘Let go of her. Right now.’

‘No, I won’t,’ Dory insisted, tightening her fingers in the girl’s thick curls. ‘Get out of my chair, Therese, or I swear I’ll . . .’

‘Stop it!’ Therese cried.

Elaine rushed to put a protective arm around Therese and glared at Dory. ‘Get your hands off her or I swear I will have you back in jail so fast you won’t be able to see straight,’ she said in a quiet, menacing tone.

Dory blushed and released the clump of Therese’s hair.

‘Here, take your stupid chair,’ Therese cried, jumping up and cowering behind Elaine. ‘Just leave me alone.’

‘Never mind, it’s not her chair,’ said Elaine. She turned to Dory. ‘Get out of my house before I call the police.’

Dory stared at her mother. ‘You would call the cops on me?’

‘I’m going to,’ said Elaine. ‘I’m going to tell them I have a dangerous lunatic in my house.’

Dory closed her eyes and began to shake her head as tears seeped out from under her eyelids and ran down her cheeks. ‘Why . . .’ she moaned.

Alex took charge. She pulled Dory along by the arm without another word to Elaine or Therese. Dory stumbled along and mounted the stairs with Alex leading the way. Alex grabbed the polka-dotted suitcase at the top of the steps and rolled it, leading Dory and her belongings out of the apartment and the building and into the street below.

Once they were in the car and en route back to Chichester, Alex glanced over at Dory. ‘What the hell were you doing back there?’ she chided her. ‘You could have had your bail revoked for assaulting Therese.’

Dory sat hunched in the passenger seat, her arms crossed over her chest. She raised her chin defiantly and did not reply

‘Look,’ said Alex. ‘I’m sure it’s difficult to see someone sitting in your place. But between Lauren’s . . . death and you going to jail, your mother has lost an awful lot. Maybe Therese is some comfort to her.’

‘She could have me back now if she wanted,’ said Dory. ‘But who is she making lunch for? Therese. My mother always treated Therese like her own little china doll. Always fussing over her.’

‘Why would she do that?’ Alex asked.

‘Oh, she felt sorry for her. Chris and Joy are always fighting,’ said Dory disgustedly.

‘That’s tough on a kid,’ Alex said.

Dory looked over at her. ‘Did your parents fight?’ she asked.

Alex shook her head. ‘No. Not really. They got along really well.’

‘Mine didn’t either,’ said Dory. ‘My father just does everything she says. It’s easier that way.’

‘I’m sure that’s true,’ said Alex.

‘I don’t know why Chris and Joy don’t get divorced. People get divorced all the time,’ said Dory.

‘Maybe they want to stay together for Therese’s sake,’ said Alex.

Dory shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. She walked out on both of them.’

‘Who?’ Alex asked, confused.

‘Joy. She left Chris. And Therese. That’s why my mother feels sorry for the kid. Joy was gone for a while. But then she came back.’

‘How long was she gone?’ Alex asked.

‘I don’t remember. Six months maybe . . .’

‘Wow. That must have been hard on Therese.’

‘Oh, don’t you start,’ said Dory irritably.

Alex sighed. Change the subject, she thought. ‘So, are you glad to have your things back now?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ said Dory. ‘I can’t wait to change into my own clothes.’

As if, Alex thought, there was something disgusting about my clothes. She stifled the urge to make a cutting remark. Leave it alone, she thought. Keep the peace. But at what price? she thought. And for how long?

SEVENTEEN

I
t began to snow around midnight and continued on till morning. When Alex woke up and looked out her window the streets were silent, the tree branches laden, the driveways and curbs adrift in snow. She lay under the covers, still half asleep, thinking how lovely it looked outside her window.

Suddenly Dory appeared in the doorway to her room. She was wearing a down parka over her nightgown and shivering. ‘The power’s out,’ she said.

Alex looked at the clock radio beside her bed. It read four o’clock. She tried to switch on the bedside lamp to no avail. ‘Damn.’

‘No heat, either,’ said Dory.

‘Oh. I guess not,’ said Alex. ‘Not if the power’s out. Sorry.’

Dory shrugged. ‘Not your fault,’ she said. ‘You didn’t make it snow. I’m going downstairs.’

Before Alex could reply, Dory vanished from the doorway. Alex slid down under the covers and relished the warmth. Once she got out from under these covers it would be a struggle to stay warm. There was no telling when the power would be back on. She wasn’t really looking forward to a day in the cold and the dark with Dory.

She closed her eyes and felt the beginning of a headache. She needed to be able to wash her hair before her interview tomorrow. She couldn’t meet Louis Orenstein looking like this. Oh, well, she thought. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Maybe the power is out in Boston as well.

She thought she would try to go back to sleep, and she had nearly succeeded when she smelled something cooking. Bacon. Alex sat up in bed, frowning. Suddenly she heard a voice calling her name. ‘Alex. Breakfast.’

Alex forced herself to get out of bed. She hurried to the closet, threw on several layers of her warmest clothes and headed for the stairs. When she got down to the kitchen, she saw Dory standing at the stove wearing a parka, boots and gloves, and wielding a spatula. Coffee was steeping in the glass push pot, and there was a pile of bacon and pancakes on a plate next to the oven. Dory was busy flipping eggs.

‘Wow,’ said Alex admiringly.

‘Snow day,’ said Dory amiably. ‘We need a good breakfast.’

‘So the range top works,’ said Alex.

Dory pointed the spatula at the piles of food. ‘As you can see.’

‘That’s great. I am hungry.’ She went over to the china closet and took out some plates. She set them down on the kitchen table.