Page 11 of Worse Than Wicked
“What took you so long?” I demand, my gaze moving from one to the other.
“We took a little drive up the coast,” Duke says with a shrug, like I wasn’t here waiting for them.
“To where?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Nowhere special,” he says. “Just to see the moon on the water.”
“I got you those breakfast drinks you like, just in case,” Mabel says, holding up a 4-pack. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want real food over the break.”
“Those are real food,” I point out. “It’s complete nutrition in a can.”
“I’m sure that’s what they tell all the old men in the nursing home,” Duke says, holding up a box of cereal that’s completely devoid of all nutrition. “But lucky for you, I also snagged this, so you can eat solid food like a big boy.”
“That’s for kids,” I point out. “And it’s nothing but sugar and dye.”
“You forgot about the artificial flavor,” he says, grinning. “That’s the best part.”
“I got eggs and toast,” Mabel says. “I’ll make everyone a real breakfast in the morning. Or we can eat in town. The coffee shop has a bakery.”
“The one where those cups came from,” I say, studying Mabel for a reaction.
“It’s the only one in town,” she says. “Havoc Harbor’s not big enough for a Dunkin.”
“Does Ingrid work there?” I ask.
“No, I don’t think so,” Mabel says, turning away after putting up a box of cereal bars. “Why?”
“How much do you know about her?” I ask, leaning back against the counter and crossing my arms.
“I don’t know,” Mabel says. “A little?”
I narrow my eyes. “How much?”
She sighs. “Not that much, okay? We worked together in the summers. Then I go back to Tennessee. The ice cream shop closes in the winter. I don’t know what she does then.”
“Does she live here all year?”
“As far as I know,” she says. “Why?”
I think about telling her what I found, but I want to research a little further, and I’m not sure if she’s lying to me. Mabel didn’t used to lie, so one might think she’d be a bad liar, but the opposite is true. She’s learned deceit, but I haven’t learned her tells, which irritates me. I should know everything about her by now, but I still can’t find anything to indicate when she’s not being truthful. I need to find out more about Ingrid before I confront her with what I know.
“There’s not much online about her,” I say, opting for my own partial truth. “I’m just trying to fill in the gaps.”
“I don’t know why it’s important, but okay,” Mabel says. “If she lives around here, she might just do odd jobs in the off-season, like furnishing the house.”
“We’ll see,” I say, turning and going back to the room I set up to work from.
It’s too cold for them to hang out on the balcony, so they settle in together in the den. I like being able to overhear, evenif I don’t join them. They make popcorn and watchDexter,and then I hear the glass door of the shower slide open and shut. They fuck, their bodies bumping and sliding against the wall, squeaking on the shower floor. I think about joining, but Duke needs more one-on-one attention than I do, so I let them have their time together. It’s important that we all get what we need, not just what we want.
When they’re done, I hear Mabel calling for Seeley Boots to show him where she put his litter box and food. A few minutes later, she comes in wearing a fluffy new bathrobe and slippers.
“Where are you going?” she asks when she sees me in my coat.
I lean in to plant a kiss on her damp, warm forehead. “I’ll be back by morning.”
“Where are you going?” she asks again.
“Out for a drive,” I say. “Like you.”
