Best Kept Secrets(101)
"I'm not condemning my mother or stigmatizing myself,
Reede. I feel sorry for her. She couldn't attend school, even
though she was legally married."
Alex wrapped her arms around her sides, giving herself a
huge hug. "I think she was a very special lady. She could
have given me up for adoption, but she didn't. Even after
my father was killed, she kept me with her. She loved me
and was willing to make tremendous sacrifices for me.
"She had the courage to carry me in a town where everybody
was talking about her. Don't bother denying it. I know
they did. She was popular; she fell from grace. Anyone harboring
malice toward her was delighted. That's human nature."
"If they were, they didn't dare show it."
"Because you were still her knight, weren't you?"
"Junior and me."
"You closed ranks around her."
"I guess you could put it like that."
"Your friendship probably meant more to her then than
at any other time." He gave a noncommittal lift of his
shoulders.
She studied his profile for a moment. The rocky path had
led her to the cliff, and she was about to take the plunge.
"Reede, if Celina hadn't died, would you have gotten married?"
"No."
He answered without a second's hesitation. Alex was surprised.
She didn't quite believe him. "Why not?"
"Lots of reasons, but essentially, because of Junior."
She hadn't expected that. "What about him?"
"While Celina was pregnant, they became very close. He
just about had her talked into marrying him when she . . .
died."
"Do you think she would have, eventually?"
"I don't know." He slid Alex a sardonic glance. "Junior's
quite a ladies' man. He can be very persuasive."
"Look, Reede, I told Sarah Jo, now I'm telling you,
that--"
"Shh! They're passing us off to Austin radar." He spoke
into the headset. When the formalities had been dispensed
with, he coaxed someone in the airport tower to arrange a
rental car for him. By the time he had gone through that
procedure, they were approaching the lighted runway.
"Buckled up?"
"Yes."
He executed a flawless landing. Alex thought later that she
must have been in a daze, because she barely remembered
getting from the plane to the rented car. Without having to
concentrate, she gave Reede directions to her condo.
It was located in a fashionable, yuppie neighborhood where
Evian was the drink of preference, every kitchen had a wok,
and membership in a health club was as mandatory as a
driver's license.
A line of thunderstorms hadn't hampered their flight, but
had moved in over the city by the time they reached her
street. Raindrops began to splatter the windshield. Thunder
rumbled.
"The one with all the newspapers scattered in the yard,"
Alex told him.
"You're a public prosecutor. Don't you know better than
to advertise to thieves that you're out of town? Or is that
your way of drumming up business?"
"I forgot to stop delivery."
He pulled to the curb, but he didn't turn off the motor.
Several days ago, Alex would have been jubilant at the
thought of returning home, just for a temporary respite from
the Westerner Motel, but as she looked at the front door now,
she felt no enthusiasm for going inside. The tears that clouded
her vision weren't tears of joy.
"I've been gone for almost three weeks."
"Then I'd better Walk up with you." He turned off the
ignition and got out, impervious to the rain. He walked with
her up the sidewalk, picking up the outdated newspapers as
he went. He tossed them into a corner of her covered porch
as she unlocked the door. "Don't forget to throw those papers
away tomorrow," he said.
"No, I won't." She reached inside and cut off her alarm
system, which had begun to hum the moment she opened the
door. "I guess that means it's safe inside."
"Do you want to meet at the airport tomorrow, or
what?"
"Uh . . ." She couldn't think beyond him driving away,
leaving her alone in her condo. "I hadn't thought about it."
"I'll drop by the D.A.'s office around noon and ask for
you. How's that?"
"Fine. I should be finished by then."
"Okay, see ya." He turned to leave.
"Reede." Instinctively she reached for him, but when he
turned, she pulled her hand back. "Would you like some
coffee before you go?"
"No, thanks."
"Where are you going now?"
"I won't know till I get there."