Livia Lone (Livia Lone #1)(36)

She smiled back. “This’ll teach me to do the grocery shopping before I’ve had a cup of coffee. I need to figure out where things are around here.”

“What, are you new in town?”

“Yeah, up from San Francisco. Still getting my bearings.”

“Well, if you like coffee, Seattle’s the right place.”

“That’s what I hear. Though I’ll tell you, San Francisco’s pretty hard to beat in the coffee department. Got any recommendations?”

He laughed. “I tend to fuel up at a place called Black Rock. You’re not going to find as much here in Shoreline as in Seattle, or in San Francisco, I guess, but with Black Rock you won’t miss it, either.”

She gave him an appreciative nod. “Thanks. I’m Suzy, by the way.”

He gave her body another look, then extended a hand. “Good to meet you, Suzy. I’m Mike.”

She shook his hand, holding it just a tad longer than decorum alone would dictate. “Well, Mike, do you mind if I take advantage of short acquaintance to ask you another question about the neighborhood?”

He glanced at her shopping cart. She could see him doing the math based on her groceries—a woman living alone. A woman who might enjoy a glass of wine before eating her microwaved dinner, to take the edge off. And maybe another with dinner, to keep the edge off. And maybe another after dinner, to kill the edge entirely.

“Hey, happy to help.”

“So, I’ve got a Westie mix. Ginger’s her name. Where’s a good place to take her to let her off the leash?”

“Easy. Saltwater Park.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s at Richmond Beach. Right here in Shoreline.” He looked her up and down again. “And you look like you’re into staying fit, yeah?”

“You guessed it.”

“Well, you’d be amazed at the workout you can get going up and down the stairs there.” He smiled. “I go a lot around sunset. Probably be there tonight. You should come by. You could introduce me to Ginger.”

She smiled back. “I might just do that, Mike.”





24—THEN

Over the winter holidays, Livia heard the doorbell ring, and then voices in the foyer. The voices died down, and she thought whoever had come to the door had left. But a little while later, when she emerged from her room to get a snack, she found Mrs. Lone sitting at the kitchen table with a visitor. They were drinking coffee and laughing. Livia thought she had never seen Mrs. Lone so at ease and happy. But as soon as she saw Livia, her face closed up into its customary pinched look.

The visitor smiled when he saw Livia, then pushed back his chair and stood. He looked a little older than Mrs. Lone, with hair the color of sand mixed with ash. He wasn’t a big man, but there was something . . . solid about him. The way his feet were planted on the ground, the way his arms hung at his sides, maybe. It was as though he was relaxed, but also ready.

Mrs. Lone didn’t get up. Her voice cool, she said, “Livia, this is my brother. Officer Harris.”

The man glanced at Mrs. Lone and laughed uncomfortably. “Jeez, Dotty, you make it sound as though she’s committed a crime.”

Mrs. Lone made a noise that might have been meant as a laugh, but came out more as a grunt.

The man walked over to Livia and held out his hand. “If you want to be friends, you can’t call me Officer Harris. You have to call me Rick. Okay?”

Livia had learned a lot about how to shake hands since that first time with Tanya. Reminding herself to look in his eyes, she took Rick’s big hand in her smaller one and gave it an awkward squeeze. Rick squeezed back. It was only a slight squeeze, but she was aware of the strength behind it.

Rick smiled and released her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Livia.”

This was one of the first things Nanu had taught her, and there had been countless opportunities to practice it at the Lones’ parties. So it was easy to respond, “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Dotty told me you got straight A’s last semester.”

If Mrs. Lone had told him anything at all about her grades or anything else, Livia thought, it could only have been because he had insisted. She glanced over and saw Mrs. Lone watching them. As always, there was something suspicious in the woman’s expression. And this time, somehow, something envious, as well. Livia didn’t know why, but she could tell Mrs. Lone didn’t want Livia talking to her brother.

But she knew the mention of her grades was intended as a compliment. It would be rude to offer nothing in return. So she nodded and said, “Yes.”

“That’s amazing. I mean, six months ago, you barely spoke a word of English, is that right?”

“Mr. Lone—and Mrs. Lone—they got me tutors.”

“Well, that was good of them. But even so, that’s quite an achievement. I think you must be very smart.”

“I . . . study a lot.”

He laughed. “I studied a lot, too. And I grew up speaking English. But I never got straight A’s.”

Mrs. Lone had called him “Officer.” Livia knew the woman wouldn’t like it, but she couldn’t resist asking. “Are you . . . a policeman?”

Rick nodded. “Twenty-five years on the job in Portland.”