The Guests on South Battery (Tradd Street #5)(81)

“Who gave it to you?”

She was silent for a moment. “An old friend gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday.”

“You’re not wearing your gloves,” I pointed out. “Aren’t you picking up a lot of messages?”

“Sadly, no. It only seems to work when I touch an object that has nothing to do with me. Which is a blessing, really, as I’d have to wear gloves inside my own home, which is something I’d rather not do.”

“But then you can’t relive the memories that are attached to all this.” I looked back at the ring. “It is beautiful,” I said, admiring the braided platinum that encircled the finger and surrounded the onyx.

“Here, try it on.” She slid it off her finger. “I bet it will fit your middle finger, which I think is where it looks best, since it’s so long. And it will look beautiful with your dress.”

I did as she asked, then held out my hand to admire it. “You’re right—it does look good on the middle finger, and it fits perfectly. Are you sure I can borrow it?”

“Of course. Actually, why don’t you keep it? It’s not doing me any good sitting in my jewelry box, and I can’t see myself wearing it again, so why not give it a new life?”

“Why not?” I said, holding it up to the light. “Thank you.”

She was distracted by something at the bottom of the box and quickly upended it on the bedspread. “Here it is!” She drew out a heavy gold chain from which hung a perfectly oval opal surrounded by little diamonds.

“It’s stunning,” I said. “But I’m wearing a V-neck—won’t that dip a little low?”

“Of course it will. That’s the point. You’ve got this wonderful cleavage now—enhanced with your new bra, I might add—and it is the perfect accessory to your black sequined gown. I don’t even think you need earrings or a bracelet—just this necklace and the ring and you’re all set.”

I allowed her to drape the necklace around my neck, noticing how it hit me right between my breasts. “You don’t think it might be . . . too much?”

My mother became serious. “Mellie, darling. This is as much Jack’s night as it is Marc’s. Marc is stuck with that silly Rebecca, who will be dressed up looking like a pink parfait—all empty calories. But you will be there looking like a filet mignon and making Jack proud that you’re with him. It’s going to be a difficult night. At least walking in, you will already be two points ahead.”

I frowned. “I really don’t think of it as keeping score, Mother.”

“Well, you should,” she said, starting to pick up various pieces of jewelry and drop them into the boxes.

“Did you know that Jayne was invited to the party, too?”

She glanced at me over her shoulder. “Yes. She asked me to help her find a dress.”

I raised my eyebrows, causing my mother to stop what she was doing and face me. “That poor girl needs a mother in the worst way—even more than you did. Have you noticed how much better she is with children than adults? Anyway, I told her yes. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Why should I mind?” I asked, trying desperately to keep the pique from my voice.

She sent me a knowing look. “We’re going Sunday, her next day off, and you’re welcome to come. It might be awkward, but I’d hate for you to think that I picked out a prettier dress for her.”

“Really, Mother? I’m not that immature.”

It was her turn to raise her eyebrows.

“Besides, I’m not the one who says I should be keeping score.”

“That’s different,” she said. “Rebecca’s motives are never good. Whereas I really don’t think Jayne has a conniving bone in her body.”

I pressed my lips together to keep from saying anything, remembering my earlier suspicions, and unwilling to completely let them go regardless of how much I trusted Jack or liked Jayne.

She returned to gathering up the jewelry to put it away. I held out both hands, wanting to stop the haphazard way she was dumping the pieces into random boxes. Sensing my mood, she turned her back to me and started moving quicker as if she were afraid I would give in to my urges and overpower her.

My phone beeped in my purse, and I dug it out to answer the text, eager to be distracted from the horror that was unfolding in front of me. “I’ve got to go. Sophie said they’ve found a cat and she needs me to come take a look. She suggested you come, too, if you can.”

“I should be able to make it,” she said, raising her arm to look at the watch on her wrist, then shaking her hand. “This is so annoying. I’ve had this watch for years without a single problem, and then about a month ago it begins to stop at the same time no matter how many times I reset it.”

I felt my skin tighten along my scalp. “What time does it get stuck on?”

She looked at her watch again. “Ten minutes after four. Isn’t that odd?”

“Odder than you think.” I placed the necklace and ring in my purse. “Come on. I’ll drive and tell you all about it on the way over.”

She followed me out of the room. “What should I tell your father?”

“Whatever you’d like. Just as long as you don’t mention that we’re going to go look at a skeleton that’s been boarded up inside an attic wall for about thirty years.”