The Most Dangerous Thing - Laura Lippman [100]
Gwen can imagine the scene too well—the sleeping baby, slumped over in the seat, unharmed, while the mother runs through every nightmare that might have happened. In some ways, tragedies averted are even more terrifying than the things that actually occur.
“Jesus,” she says.
“I know,” Lori says. “And all because he’s sucking up to some woman who still didn’t like him. He shoveled her walks during snowstorms, too, put out ice melt crystals, and all she did was complain that it left pockmarks on her steps.”
“It is human nature to chase after those who don’t like us.” Although, Gwen thinks, not Karl’s nature. He’s done very little to encourage her to return home. He has spoken his piece, said he loves her and wants to continue to be married to her, but he sees no reason to repeat himself. He thinks she is acting like a child. She thinks she’s acting like a human being. They both could be right. “I bet Go-Go chased you hard during your courtship.”
“No.” Lori shakes her head, smiling at some private memory. “I pursued him. Everybody said he was no good, but I didn’t see that. I thought he was sweet and funny and a really good time. I converted for him.”
“He was still a practicing Catholic?”
“It was more about his mother, I think. I didn’t care. I loved Go-Go. Doris was part of the package.”
“But wasn’t he married before?”
“Yes.”
“So Go-Go got an annulment?”
“Apparently. Again, I think his mother pressed for it. She called in a favor, that’s how I heard it.”
“It’s just hard to imagine he would have had grounds. Or, frankly, the kind of drag one needs with the church.”
Lori shrugs. Everything she does is pretty, dainty, adorable. “All I know is Gordon’s first wife was bat-shit crazy. Violent, even, although Go-Go didn’t like to talk about that. She hit him, I mean, she whaled on him. At any rate, he got whatever he needed, and we married in the church. It was really important to Doris.”
“How’s Mrs. Halloran doing since he died?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. She’s all but put Go-Go’s death on my doorstep, said it was my fault for throwing him out. But I couldn’t go on. Whatever he was doing, he was definitely lying to me about something. I’d had enough. I wasn’t going to be made a fool of.”
“Did you ever call the number on his cell, try to find out who the mystery woman was?”
“Oh, yeah. I was on the verge of my own private Jerry Springer Show. I called the number, ready to throw down. Only the woman who answered said I had the wrong idea, she was a private investigator and really had been paid to find Gordon, although she couldn’t tell me why. When she found out I was his wife, she urged me to get him to call, said it was really important, that someone from Gordon’s past needed him.”
Someone from his past. Gwen’s stomach lurches, even as she tries to remind herself that Go-Go had forty years of life, only a scant part of which intersected hers. It could be anyone, anything. Go-Go was a mess. He must have left a lot of messes behind.
“Did you call her after Go-Go died?”
“What would be the point? If she couldn’t tell me why she was trying to find him when he was alive, she wasn’t going to tell me anything after he died.” Lori makes a sound that is supposed to be a laugh, but it is strangled, mirthless. “Someone from his past needed him. Who cares? It’s like Mrs. Payne all over again. Could anyone from his past need him as much as his girls do, as much as I did? I know it’s a stereotype, Catholics