• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

“You don’t have to say it that way,” she said, knowing how ridiculous it was to defend her father at this point, but she kept on. “They didn’t think they were poisoning people. They thought they were helping their country. There was a cold war on! Anyway, I doubt he actually gave the women cocktails.”

“It was his study,” Vic said.

“Yeah. I know.”

“I’m sorry,” Vic said, finally putting his arm around her and pulling her close. He smelled like beer, but it felt good to be close to him again. When had they stopped hugging, and why, when it was such a comfort? Then he added, “Try to forget about it.”

Caroline broke free of his arm.

Her father now sat with his head tilted up, gazing at the latest gold and silver explosion.

“Those people got a settlement,” Vic said. “It’s over now.”

“But it’s not over,” Caroline said. “It’s never over.” She forced herself to breathe. “I think Nance was one of those women.”

“Really?” She finally had his full attention, although she couldn’t see his expression in the dark. “Is her name on the list?”

Caroline had to admit that it wasn’t.

“Well then,” Vic said. “Have you been talking to Billie again? You two and your conspiracy theories.”

“I think she’s using a made-up name,” Caroline suggested. “I just figured it out after support group the other night. Why Nance showed up here in Tallahassee. I knew there was something too coincidental about her coming here from Memphis and her having gone to the same clinic where Dad worked. For a while I thought she was my real mom!” Caroline made this sound like a joke and hurried through it. “But now I know why she’s here. My father killed her daughter. There was a Memphis postmark on the envelope that the papers were in. And her daughter died of bone cancer. She told Suzi.”

“Sounds pretty far-fetched,” Vic said, and before Caroline could reply, added, “Hey, isn’t that Otis?” He pointed at a family sitting on a blanket a couple of yards away.

Actually, there seemed to be a family blanket and an annex blanket. On the family blanket were Buff and Paula Coffey and their little girl, Angel, all cuddled up close. The older, black-haired, black-outfitted daughter, Rusty, sat cross-legged on the annex blanket with … Otis?

“What the hell?” Caroline said. “What’s he doing with her?”

“I didn’t know they were friends.”

“He never tells us anything,” Caroline said. “He knows we wouldn’t want him hanging out with Rusty.”

“Should I go over and talk to him?”

Caroline thought about it. She imagined Otis seeing his father, his embarrassment, his defensiveness. And herself having to talk to Paula Coffey. Being invited to join them. “I’ll talk to him later,” she said.

* * *

Nance lived in a white brick house at the dead end of Reeve’s Court. Her front porch was festooned with hanging flower baskets, and there were pots of flowers all over the small front yard. There were rows of flowers along the edge of the house with no weeds in between them. It wasn’t until Caroline was standing in front of the door, waiting for Nance to answer the doorbell, that she noticed that the red salvia in the basket nearest her were made of silk. She swiveled around. All the flowers in all the baskets were silk. She peered over the porch railing and studied the flowers down below. She’d stuck plastic flowers in the ground! Then why’d she have that garden hose snaking across the yard? And the full watering can? And she’d eagerly offered to work in their yard, saying she loved yard work! As Caroline was trying to process this, Nance, who was expecting her, answered the door with Buster at her heels, and, smiling, ushered Caroline inside.

The house smelled of ham and cookies baking. Nance, wearing a patio dress and purple tennis shoes, indicated that Caroline should sit on what looked to be a brand-new beige vinyl couch. She disappeared into the kitchen and brought out a plate of homemade peanut butter cookies and glasses of tea with sprigs of fresh mint in them.

She settled in the rocking chair across from Caroline, holding