Practical Magic - Alice Hoffman [89]
Gillian is listening to Gary, but she’s also thinking about the way things used to be. August in Tucson can bring the desert floor up to 125 degrees. One broiling week, soon after they’d first met, she and Jimmy didn’t even leave the house—they just switched on the air conditioner and drank beer and fucked each other every way Jimmy could think of, which mostly had to do with his immediate gratification.
“Let’s not call him my friend,” Gillian says.
“Fine,” Gary agrees. “But we’d like to catch up to him before he sells any more of this garbage. We don’t want this to happen again.”
Gary stares at Gillian with his dark eyes, which makes it difficult to look away or manage a half-decent fabrication. Maybe this gal knew about the college kids dying, and maybe she didn’t, but she certainly knew something. Gary sees that inside her—he can tell by the way she stares at the floor. There is culpability in her expression, but that could be only because she was the one James Hawkins came home to on the night the history major went into convulsions. Maybe it’s because she’s just realized who it was she was fucking and calling sweetheart all that time.
Gary is waiting for Gillian to declare herself in some way, but Sally is the one who can’t keep her mouth shut. She’s been trying, she’s been telling herself not to talk, to go on following Gillian’s lead, but she can’t do it. Could it be she’s compelled to speak out only because she wants Gary Hallet’s attention? Could it be she wants to feel exactly the way she does when he turns to her?
“It won’t happen again,” Sally tells him.
Gary meets her gaze. “You sound pretty certain of that.” But of course, he knows from her letter how sure of herself she can be. Something’s not right there, she wrote to Gillian. Leave him. Get your own place, a house that’s yours alone. Or just come home. Come home right now.
“She means Jimmy will never go back to Tucson,” Gillian hurries to say. “Believe me, if you’re after him, he knows it. He’s stupid, but he’s not an idiot. He’s not going to go on selling drugs in the same town where his clientele have been dying.”
Gary takes his card out and hands it to Gillian. “I don’t want to scare you, but this is a dangerous person we’re dealing with. I’d appreciate it if you’d call me if he tries to contact you.”
“He won’t contact her,” Sally says.
She cannot keep her mouth shut. It’s simply impossible. What is wrong with her? That’s what Gillian’s glare is asking, and that’s what Sally is asking herself. It’s just that this investigator gets such a worried look when he focuses on something. He’s a man of concern, she sees that. He’s the kind of man you’d never want to lose once you’d finally found him.
“Jimmy knows we’re through,” Gillian announces. She goes to pour herself a cup of coffee, and while she’s at it she sticks an elbow into Sally’s ribs. “What’s wrong with you?” she whispers. “Will you just shut up?” She turns back to Gary. “I made it perfectly clear to Jimmy that our relationship was finito. That’s why he won’t contact me. We’re history.”
“I’m going to have to have the car impounded,” Gary says.
“Naturally,” Gillian says graciously. If they’re lucky, this guy will be gone in under two minutes. “Go right ahead.”
Gary stands and runs his hands through his dark hair. He’s supposed to leave now. He knows that. But he’s dragging his feet. He wants to go on looking into Sally’s eyes, and drown a thousand times a day. Instead, he takes his coffee cup to the sink.
“You don’t have to bother with that,” Gillian tells him warmly, desperate to be rid of him.
Sally smiles when she sees the way he places the cup and the spoon down so carefully.
“If anything does happen to come up, I’ll be in town until tomorrow morning.”
“Nothing will happen,” Gillian assures him. “Trust me.”
Gary reaches for the notebook he keeps to remind himself of details and flips it open. “I’ll be at the Hide-A-Way Motel.” He looks up and sees nothing but Sally’s gray eyes. “Someone at the rental car desk recommended