The Oldest Sin (16 page)

“And inside the trunk you found the diary?” asked Cindy.

Lavinia nodded.

“You know what?” said Adelle, stirring uncomfortably in her chair. “I hate to interrupt this stroll down memory lane, but I have to use the women’s room. I wonder where it is.”

“I saw it when we came in,” said Bunny.

“Great. You lead the way.” She stood.

“But —”

“Come on, Bun. I refuse to go alone. You’re the college professor. You’re used to these Hell’s Angels types. I’m not.”

“Excuse me?”

Adelle yanked on her arm.

Reluctantly, Bunny rose. “Don’t say anything else until we get back. Oh, and see if you can catch one of the wait staff. I want a Gibson. Make it a double.” All her concern about the exercise video seemed to have evaporated.

Once they’d disappeared into a wall of sweating bodies, Lavinia and Cindy fell into an awkward silence. Cindy looked Lavinia’s way once, and then looked everywhere else.

After several unsuccessful attempts, Lavinia finally flagged down the waitress and placed the orders. One double Gibson and another Ramos fizz. Cindy passed, saying she didn’t like to drink and drive.

“Didn’t you and Bunny drive over together?” asked Lavinia, attempting to break the ice that seemed to have formed between them.

“No,” she said softly. “Bunny had some D.O.S.S. business she had to take care of first. So she asked me to meet her here. She wanted my support when she talked to you about your video. I’m … ah, really sorry I didn’t get to see it this morning. I had sort of an emergency.”

Lavinia nodded. “But you do need to file your financial report with the national secretary.”

“I know.”

Lavinia suddenly remembered the phone call she’d received from Cindy right before breakfast. “Say, what did you want to talk to me about this morning?”

“Oh, well,” she said, playing with a button on her blouse, “I just wanted to tell you about the emergency.”

“No one in your family, I hope.”

“No, nothing like that. It’s just… I’ve done something … I mean —” She seemed to be searching for the right words. “Actually, I do need to talk to you, Lavinia. Only —” She smiled nervously. “This is hard. I know if you’d give me some time, you’d understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Well, you remember that awful prank Ginger played on me back in college?”

“Sure. She made you look like an idiot.”

“I know. Ginger was my friend. I hated her for what she did. As much as I tried to forgive her, I couldn’t.”

“So,” said Lavinia, realizing she was a bit confused, “you wanted to talk to me about
that?
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bunny and Adelle weaving their way back through the tables.

Cindy saw them, too, and immediately clammed up. “Not now,” she whispered. “Later. Maybe when we get back to the hotel.”

“What are you two plotting?” asked Bunny, lowering her sturdy frame into her chair. “And what’s happening back at the hotel later?”

“I’m taking a shower and going to bed,” announced Lavinia. “Wanna come watch?”

Bunny gave her a nasty look. “Okay. So, let’s get back to our conversation about Ginger.”

“I thought you wanted to attack me about the video.”

“I do. But first things first. You said something last night that I can’t let pass.”

“You mean that “Ginger was murdered, she didn’t die of cancer?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s what I believe.”

“On what basis?” asked Cindy, tilting her head back as the waitress leaned across her to serve Bunny her Gibson.

“On the basis that Ginger was in love. Her lover killed her.”

Bunny nearly spilled her drink. “Do you realize how crazy that sounds?”

“I suppose it does.”

“So what did Ginger say in her diary? Who was she in love
with
?”

“She doesn’t give a specific name.”

“This is ridiculous,” said Bunny, throwing her hands in the air. “If the diary doesn’t name a name, where’s your proof?”

“I don’t have any,” said Lavinia flatly. “I told you that last night. But I want you all to think. Think back to the weeks before she died.”

“She wasn’t feeling well,” said Adelle. “We all know that.”

“But think harder. Examine what you know. And then, even if you haven’t come to a firm conclusion, think about the night she died. What she said. How she looked.” Over the rim of her glass, she watched her friends’ reactions, wishing she could get inside their heads.

“This is ludicrous,” said Bunny finally, tossing her napkin down on the table. “Are you accusing one of
us
?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Cindy. “We’re all women.”

Bunny shot her a disgusted look. “I’m a dyke, remember? If Ginger was in love with a woman, I’m the likely candidate.”

Lavinia’s look was noncommittal. The truth was, she was getting a certain pleasure out of watching Bunny squirm.

“Well, I for one refuse to sit here and act like I’m talking to a sane woman,” said Bunny. “I’ve had about as much of this idiocy as I can stand for one night. Lavinia, I think you’ve lost your marbles. First the video, and now this. I can see that now isn’t the time or the place, but we
will
talk.” She reared back from the table, got up, and stomped out.

“If you ask me,” said Adelle, looking worried, “you two sure don’t act like good friends. You know her temper, Lavinia. What are you thinking? Somebody better go after her and calm her down before she does something stupid.” She tossed some cash next to her empty Scotch glass, grabbed her purse, and left.

Feeling her mood sour almost instantly, Lavinia stared across the table at Cindy. “So,” she said, with another forced smile, “I suppose you’re going to leave now, too.”

“Yeah, I think I better,” she said tentatively. “But I promise. I’ll think about what you said.”

“If you stayed we could have that private talk you wanted.”

“No. I don’t think so. Not now.” She got up and backed somewhat clumsily away from the table. “I think I better call it a night.”

Lavinia had no more energy left to argue. She gave Cindy a dismissive wave, and then sat back in her chair and closed her eyes, allowing the boozy laughter of dozens of loud conversations to soothe her weary soul. What a mess. Not at all what she’d planned. It would be just her luck that anything else that could go wrong tonight would.

Bram closed the front door and then leaned against it, folding his arms over his chest. “You aren’t tired, are you?” he asked, eyeing his wife seductively.

Sophie started to laugh. “We should have those neighbors over more often.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, pulling her against him. “A rousing game of Trivial Pursuit always gets me in the mood.” He nuzzled her hair. “So?”

“You don’t want to try some of that chocolate cake first?”

“What chocolate cake?”

She stared up into his eyes, giving him a knowing look. “Mary Beth brought over some of her famous chocolate cake. The kind with the gooey fudge frosting. We were too full after dinner to eat it.”

“Who was too full?” he asked indignantly.

She ignored the question. “I may be wrong, but I think our pieces are still sitting on the kitchen counter.”

“You know, Soph, if you’re trying to present me with a terrible dilemma, it’s not working.”

“You’re a man who knows what he wants.”

“That’s right. First us.
Then
the cake.”

“Priorities,” she said, feeling his strong arms slip around her. Sometimes she wondered if he even knew how much she loved him. Maybe tonight was a good time to make sure. And besides, he was probably right. The cake could wait — briefly.

“Your room or mine?” he asked, whispering in her ear.

“Oh, well,” she said, warming to the proposition, “since they’re one and the same, why don’t you pick?”

“My room,” he said, smiling. He grabbed her hand and together they shot up the stairs.

As soon as he’d closed the bedroom door, the phone rang.

“Damn,” he said, sitting down on the bed and glaring at the clock. “It’s almost eleven. Don’t you think that’s kind of late for a phone call?”

Sophie’s mother instincts moved into high gear. “It’s probably Rudy. I hope he’s all right.” Instead of working on his paper tonight, he’d gone to a movie with John. She walked over and sat down on the other side of the bed, picking up the extension. “Hello?” she said tentatively.

“Sophie? Is that you?”

She recognized the voice immediately. “Lavinia. Hi. You’re the last person I expected to hear from tonight.”

Bram flopped on the bed next to her, heaving a resigned sigh. “Make it short,” he mouthed.

“I didn’t know who else to call.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“The right front tire on my rental car is flat. Wouldn’t you know? I called the company, but they said it would be at least an hour before they could get anyone out here to help me. Maybe more.”

“Where are you?”

“Well.” There was a moment of silence. “I can’t remember the cross streets, but I just came out of McDivot’s Northeast Lounge.”

“Just a sec,” she said, putting her hand over the mouthpiece. She tapped Bram on the shoulder. “Ever heard of McDivot’s Northeast Lounge?”

‘Wore/east,” he corrected her.

“All right,” she said with exaggerated patience,
“Nordeast
. Do you know where it is?”

“Sure. Is that where she is? It’s a dump. And it’s not a very good part of town. Is she alone?”

Sophie shrugged. “Are you alone?” she asked.

“Afraid so,” said Lavinia. “Adelle and I were having a drink together when Bunny and Cindy showed up — sort of unexpectedly. But they left. It’s too bad, too. If they hadn’t all taken off, one of them could have given me a lift back to the hotel.”

“Where are you calling from?” asked Sophie.

“It’s a gas station across the street. I had to park about a block and a half away from the place. Actually, this whole area’s kind of creepy. There’s only one guy in the station. To put it bluntly, I don’t think I’ll be turning my back on him anytime soon.”

‘Tell her to take a cab,” said Bram, running his hand lazily up Sophie’s leg.

She slapped it and then said. “What can I do to help?”

“Well,” said Lavinia, a hint of embarrassment creeping into her voice. “I know this is pretty pathetic, but I don’t have enough cash with me for a cab. I suppose I could make the driver wait once we get back to the hotel while I run up to my room, but the truth is, I’m kind of freaked. A couple carloads of teenagers have already driven past, honking and yelling at me. I just want to get out of here. I tried calling Peter at his parents’ house, but his dad said he was out for the evening.” More silence. Then: “I don’t suppose you’d consider picking me up. I know you live in Minneapolis, although I have no idea how far away you are.”

Quite a ways, thought Sophie. The last thing she wanted was to leave right now. “Okay, here’s what you do. Go back to your car, get inside, and lock all the doors.”

“Right.”

“It should take me, oh, about —”

“Wait.”

Sophie could hear Lavinia put her hand over the mouthpiece and shout at someone. Even though the words were muffled, she could clearly hear the delight in her voice.

“What’s happening?” asked Bram, propping a pillow behind his head.

Sophie put a finger to her lips. She was trying to hear Lavinia’s conversation, but could only pick out a word or two here and there.

Finally, Lavinia came back on the line. “Everything’s fine, Soph. But I gotta run.”

“What’s going on?”

“You won’t believe this, but I got a ride. Great luck, huh?”

“Yeah. But —”

‘Talk to you in the morning,” she said, rushing to get off. “Remember, we’re supposed to meet for brunch. Ten
A.M.
at the Fountain Grill. Just you and me, okay? I’ve got some important information we need to talk over.”

“Sure. But —”

“The light’s about to change. You’re a doll, Soph. Give my love to that handsome hunk you married.”

“I will.”

The line clicked.

“What happened?” asked Bram. He swung his feet over the end of the bed and sat up next to her.

Sophie gave a perplexed shrug. “She got a ride.”

“With who?’

“I don’t know.”

He took her hand. “You look upset.”