Cool in Tucson (38 page)

“Dietz had no choice; they picked him out of the lineup to do their chores before he was ready, in my opinion.  But he jumped at the chance because he was so anxious to show he could still hack it.  You ought to cut him some slack, Sarah, that guy’s been through hell.”

She stared at him, stupefied
.  How did he know about—

“Anyway, why take it so personally?” Delaney folded the report form one more time and it fell apart in his hands.  “People lie because they have things they need to cover up and a lot of times it’s got nothing to do with you.”

Well, Jesus, now it’s life lessons from Delaney.  Maybe a fat lady is going to sing today. 
But
she saw that it was the closest to an apology he would ever give her, and she gave him back as much gratitude as she could manage.  She got up, said, “Thanks for your time, Boss,” and turned back toward the tapping keyboards and blinking screens of the workstations, toward the work she really had to get going on now. 

She worked on at her desk as the light on Mount Lemmon turned to amber and then rose.  Long after the mountain had purpled and gone dark, when 270 Stone was quiet and her arms ached from typing, she walked out of the building and went home.  She had called her mother once to see if she was doing all right, but she got a busy signal, turned back to work and forgot to try again. 

She was surprised to see the house dark; it was only nine-thirty.  Well, but they’d had a big day, it was good if they turned in early.  She walked in quietly, turned the light on in the living room and found a note dangling from the light by the infamous Morris chair.  In Aggie’s round inelegant handwriting it said, “Sam called and wanted to play some cards, so I told him to come and get us.  I’ll see Denny gets to school in the morning.  Rest up.”  The last two words were underlined three times. 

In a postscript crowded at the bottom of the page in tiny writing, she added, “Janine called.” 
My God, I forgot about her
.  “She said, ‘I know you and Sarah want me to go back to detox, but I’m not ready.  Will you look after Denny for awhile?  I’ve got a chance to go to Denver and I need the time alone.’  I didn’t even argue, what’s the use?  Denny wants to stay with you anyway.  I’ll help you all I can.  M.”  Underneath the signature, in even smaller letters, Aggie had written, “I know it’s asking too much but that’s what families do.” 

Sarah was still standing under the light, reading the note for the second time and thinking about calling her mother’s house, when a car pulled in behind hers and Will Dietz got out of it with his hands full of roses and wine.

            The elaborate gifts and something in his face as he walked up and rang her bell made her suddenly sure there had never been any call from Sam about card-playing.  This troubled man with two parts in his hair was conniving with her mother.  She would certainly have to put a stop to that, but not tonight.

“Sarah,” he said, when she opened her door, “I want to explain—”

Sarah resurrected as much as she could remember of the barnburner smile and swung the door wider.  “Come in, Will,” she said.  “We’re cool.” 

“You, maybe,” Dietz said.  “Not me.”