Page 32 of Edge of Whispers

I flinched. “Oh, for God’s sake?—”

“I said that on purpose, to give you a jolt. For Lucia’s sake. She would have wanted you to be safe. I know that for a fact. She worried about you all the time.”

I sighed. “Okay, okay. I swear it on my mother’s grave. I will stay with my sisters tonight.”

“Indefinitely. Until we know what the fuck is going on.”

“Wow. You aren’t shy about bringing out the big guns, are you?”

“Not in the least.”

“Fine.” I shut the car door, with energy. Shameless manipulator.

He knocked on my window and I rolled it down.

“Now what?” I said, with bad grace.

“Is an Irish pub in Queens neutral ground?” he asked.

I blinked at him, bewildered. “I don’t follow.”

“You said a date had to be on neutral ground. I’ll be at Malloy’s, on Queens Boulevard, tomorrow night. Ever been to a seisiún?”

He waited for her nod, then went on.

“Malloy’s is a good one. The Guinness is good, the players are good, the food’s good. Irish stew, burgers. The seisiún’s from ten until two. I’d like to see you there.”

I leaned my arms on the open window and looked out.

“This is ass-backward, you know,” I told him. “First you invite me to live with you, and then you ask me out?”

He shrugged. “I try to be original.” He sank down, his face level with mine at the open window. “You’re over the limit again.”

I gave him a jerky nod. “Sure am, buddy. What are you going to do about it?”

A grin flashed across his face. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine, and then lingered, tasting me. The burst of delight made my body clench and thrum.

We gazed at each other as he leaned back. “I’ve never felt anything like this,” I said.

“Me neither.” He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “It’s got me all wound up. You’re cold. Get the heat going. You’re going to wait in here for the investigating officer?”

“I might as well,” I said. “Since the evidence techs don’t want me in the house till they’ve finished doing their thing.”

“Okay. Tomorrow night, then. And take care.” He smiled at me as he backed away and got into his truck.

After he drove away, I touched the tip of my tongue to my lips with a delicious shiver.

I could still taste him.

Chapter Eleven

Nancy

“Once more,” Vivi said. “From the top.”

Vivi was stretched out on Nell’s sofa, her slender legs propped up on the back, gilded toenails flashing in the candlelight. She peered at her own photocopy of Liam’s transcription of Lucia’s letter with intense concentration. “So. Something very bad happened in her marriage. Something very bad happened to her father. But was it the same bad thing? And when did she come to America, anyway?”

I racked my brain as I petted the wildly purring cat curled in my lap. “Nineteen sixty-eight, or shortly after, I think. She taught art history at Beardsley for more than forty years before she retired. And that was well over ten years ago.”

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