The Burnt Orange Sunrise (31 page)

Jory stuck out her bulldog chin and headed for the kitchen. Des followed her, noticing that Jory was one of those women who had two walks—wiggly for when a man was walking behind her, plain vanilla for when a woman was.

There was a loaf of sliced whole wheat bread on the kitchen table, which was crowded with sandwich fixings—a big hunk of baked ham, a wedge of Swiss cheese, sliced radishes, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, jars of mayonnaise and mustard. Jory went right to work on the ham with a carving knife, shaving off thin slice after thin slice, her movements practiced and skilled.

“It’s funny, I was
so
afraid to open the refrigerator this morning,” she chattered at Des as she worked. “I didn’t want all of the food in there to spoil. But it finally dawned on me that it’s the same temperature out here as it is in there—so what’s the difference, right?”

The girl was definitely running at the mouth, Des observed, taking a seat at the table. Major ill at ease.

“So how can I help you, Des?” she rattled on, slathering four slices of bread with mayo and mustard. “What else can I tell you?”

“Why you lied to me,” Des replied quietly.

“When did I do that?”

“You told me you never left your cottage last night. We both know that’s not true. You were in Spence’s room.”

Jory blushed, her round cheeks mottling. “I suppose he bragged to you all about his great big conquest.”

“Actually, he was very reluctant to give it up. I had to squeeze it out of him.”

“How did you manage that?”

“By threatening to take him in for questioning.”

“That would do it, all right.” Jory finished making two ham and cheese sandwiches, passed one over to Des and immediately started building two more. She offered her nothing in the way of information. Not a word.

“Jory, I’ve got three deaths to account for,” Des said, attacking her sandwich. She’d eaten nothing all day, and was famished. “I could care less about you and Spence keeping each other warm in his room last night. But I need the real deal from you. Why you lied to me. What else you didn’t tell me. And I need it right now.”

“Okay, sure. Whatever.” Jory flopped down in the chair directly across from Des, swiping at a strand of hair that had come loose from her topknot. “I was afraid you’d tell Les. That’s why I was a bit less than straight with you about it before. If Les had found out I was in Spence’s room last night, he would have fired me instantly. Me and Jase both.”

“Because of Norma’s zero-tolerance rule?”

Jory shook her head. “No.”

“Well, then why?”

“Because the old creep was hot for me, that’s why,” Jory replied wearily. “You should have seen the way that man would stare at me—day after day, night after night. He’d just keep staring at my assorted body parts with those filthy eyes of his. He made me feel crawly all over. Because I’d
never
go with someone that old, for God’s sake. Especially
him.
He was just such a lech. I’ll bet he told you what a good husband he was. How much he loved Norma. Well, he wasn’t and he didn’t. He was obsessed with me from the moment he moved in here. He’d get insanely jealous if I showed even the slightest
interest in a man—our produce supplier, the Fed Ex guy,
anyone.
Just last month he fired Franz, one of our chefs, because we went to a movie together on my night off. One lousy movie, Des.”

“Why didn’t you quit?”

“And go where? This is the only job I’ve ever held.”

“They do have such a thing as sexual harassment laws.”

“My word against his,” Jory said dismissively. “Who do you think they’re going to believe, the president of the Chamber of Commerce or the pair of tits who mops the floors?”

“Did Norma know about this?”

“Of course she did. He was so obvious it was painful. She also knew that I did everything I could to discourage him.”

“Did she ever confront him about it?”

“She promised me she’d talk to him, but she never did. She was too afraid of antagonizing him. Norma had a lot of insecurities, you see. To do with her weight and all. She couldn’t help me, wouldn’t help me. So I put up with it. I could deal. I’ve had horny guests hitting on me ever since I grew breasts. It’s an occupational hazard if you’re in the hospitality business. I just had to avoid being caught alone in a room with him.”

“When the power went out last night, you were alone in the cellar with him.”

“I know.” Jory’s plump lower lip began to quiver. She bit down hard on it.

“Jory, did something happen down there?”

“Not physically, no. He just… he told me I was in his dreams every night. And he got kind of specific about those dreams. I’d really rather not go into the details, if you don’t mind. Every time I start to think about them I feel like throwing up.”

“Mitch told me that Jase seemed worried when he found out Les was down in the cellar with you.”

“He knew how Les felt about me,” Jory said, nodding. “But I always told him it was okay, I could take care of myself. The old creep was basically harmless.”

“Firing a chef for taking you to the movies is not what I’d call
harmless,” Des said as she devoured her sandwich, which was delicious.

“I’m with you there, Des. All I meant was that he’d never actually try to rape me or whatever. He just wanted to imagine things about me and then … say them out loud to me. That’s how he got off.”

“Did you know that Les was seeing another woman?”

“Martha Burgess, sure. He told me all about her.”

“What did he say?”

“That the affair was all my fault. That the only reason he was having sex with Martha was because he was so aroused by me.”

“Last night you told Spence that you’re involved with someone yourself.”

Jory lowered her eyes, gazing down at the sandwiches she’d just made. “I did, that’s true.”

“May I ask who he is?”

“There’s no one,” she replied faintly. “I’m not actually seeing anyone.”

“You lied to Spence?”

“I did,” she admitted.

“Why would you do that?”

Jory shot a glance at the dining room doorway, then leaned across the table toward her. “Des, could we keep this between us?”

“If I can, I will.”

“I didn’t want to scare him off, okay?”

“Not okay. I’m still not following you.”

“God, this is
so
embarrassing to say out loud,” Jory confessed, clearing her throat. “The awful truth is that I’ve been hopelessly in love with Spence Sibley ever since high school. He was my very first, Des. When it happened, I led him to believe I was a woman of vast experience when it came to sex. I wasn’t. I’ve always tried to be the woman he wants me to be. No clinging, no promises. Nothing but good, frisky fun. For
years
I’ve been telling Spence that I’m not looking for anything serious, when the truth is that all I think about day and night is marrying him and having his babies. For me, there’s never been anybody but Spence. Someday, he’ll realize he feels the
same way about me. I believe that in my bones. But I also believe that if I pursue him too hard, I’ll scare him off. So I’ve been careful to hide my true feelings. And patient. I’ve been
so
patient.”

“And he has no idea how you really feel?”

“He’s a man. They never know how we really feel, do they?”

“Girl, you’ll get no argument from me there.” Des flashed a smile at her. “Only, Spence claims he’s mad about someone in New York.”

“Who, Natalie? She’s
nothing.
A brief infatuation. That’ll blow over. Believe me, there’s only one woman in this world for Spence, and you’re looking at her. When he called me to say that the studio was sending him up here for Ada’s tribute, I was ecstatic. We hadn’t seen each other since last summer and I’ve really, really missed him.”

“Last summer?”

“Well, yeah. Supposedly, he was coming out to Dorset to sail. But he ended up staying here with me for the whole week instead. Des, that was the most romantic, perfect week of my entire life.” Jory studied Des carefully from across the table. “He didn’t mention it to you?”

“No, he didn’t,” Des replied, wondering why Spence had purposely downplayed how deep into Jory he was. Not that she’d expected him to tell her the whole truth. No one ever actually did that. Still, this was an awfully choice morsel to omit from the telling.

“He stayed here with me for a whole week.” Jory sounded tremendously hurt now. It bothered her that Spence had neglected to mention their idyllic interlude. “Every morning we woke up in each other’s arms.”

“How did you manage to pull that off? Without Norma getting hip to it, I mean.”

“He slept out in the cottage with me. Norma hadn’t a clue. No one did.”

As Des thought this through for a moment, she realized that there could actually be
no
doubt in Spence’s mind that Jase knew all about him and Jory. Jase did share that cottage with Jory, after all. Again, Spence had been less than straight with her. Why? “How does Jase feel about him?”

“Who, Spence? He’s fine about him. He always worries, naturally.”

“About what?”

“Losing me. Not that he has any earthly reason to worry. I’ve told him a million times that no matter who I marry he’ll always have a home with us. Jase knows that. It’s written in stone. Still, he worries. Do you have a brother or sister?”

“I’m an only child.”

“Well, then it’s hard to explain. But there’s a bond between Jase and me, a blood thing. And that bond can never, ever be broken.” Jory stirred herself and transferred the sandwiches from the cutting board to the platter. “I’d better deliver these. Spence seemed awfully hungry.”

“Sure. I just have one more question.”

“Absolutely. What is it?”

Des polished off the last of her own sandwich, leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath before she said, “Who slipped the digoxin into Norma’s cocoa—was it Les or was it you?”

“E
IGHT BALL IN THE
side pocket,” Mitch announced as he proceeded to sink it. “That’s game.”

“Yet again,” Aaron grumbled sourly. “This means I must owe you … how much
do
I owe you now?”

“Well, you’d climbed your way up to a hundred sixty dollars. Double or nothing makes it three hundred twenty, unless my basic math skills went out the window when I got whacked on the head.” Actually, he felt fine, aside from the steady ache. “Mind you, that’s only if we’re playing for real money.”

“Oh, we are,” Aaron assured him, shooting a nervous glance over at Carly and Hannah, who were seated in charged silence together before a kerosene heater. The two women in Aaron Ackerman’s life were behaving very snappishly toward each other. Clearly, Aaron was concerned that a full-fledged bitchfest was about to break out.

Spence, seemingly unaware of the tension, sat there with them while he waited hungrily for Jory to bring out a fresh supply of sandwiches from the kitchen. Des was apparently asking her some follow-up questions while she made them. Mitch didn’t know what about. He did know that he sure could go for one or more sandwiches himself.

“I pay my honest debts,” Aaron insisted, opening his wallet.

“Whatever you say, Aaron.”

“But
I’m afraid I’ll have to write you a check,” he apologized, beating a hasty retreat. “I don’t have nearly that much cash on me.”

Over at the bar, Teddy let out a mocking laugh.

“Have you got something on your mind, Teddy?” Aaron demanded.

“Hardly ever,” Teddy replied, sipping his Scotch. “And when I do it usually turns out to be a dreadful idea.”

“Therein lies the secret to your success, or lack thereof,” Aaron said unpleasantly. “How about one more game, Mitch? Double or nothing?”

“Rack ’em up.” Mitch moseyed over to the bar, where Isabella lay on her back with her paws in the air, yearning for a belly rub. Mitch complied, missing Clemmie and Quirt.

Over by the window, Jase continued to stare anxiously out at the dozens of trees that had come down. Which was all he’d been doing ever since Mitch had dragged him back in, per Des’s orders. Jase hadn’t wanted to come back in. There was much work to be done, and he’d been thrilled to be out there, doing some of it. Mitch had never seen anyone have quite so much fun plowing a parking lot before. But standing there now in his wool checked shirt, stocking cap pulled low over his eyebrows, Jase seemed caged and agitated. His right knee was jiggling.

“Your break, Mitch.” Aaron had finished racking the balls.

“Blue sky,” Jase said suddenly, hunched there at the window.

Mitch went and joined him for a look. In the western sky out beyond the Connecticut River, he could make out breaks in the clouds and actual patches of blue. At long last, the storm was passing. “We did it,” he exclaimed. “We survived.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” exulted Carly. “Maybe we can actually get out of this awful place. I want to be
home”

“I’d settle for a hot shower,” Hannah said, shivering.

“What’s that?” Carly snapped at her. “What did you just say?”

“I’ve never been so cold in my whole life,” Hannah answered sharply. “I feel like every bone in my body is about to shatter. I will never be this cold again, I swear. As far as I’m concerned, this settles it.”

“Settles what?” asked Aaron, arching an eyebrow at her.

“I’m moving back to Los Angeles.”

“Oh,
are
you now?” Carly said, well aware that they were talking about something more than Hannah’s weather preferences.

“This is rather sudden, is it not?” Aaron was caught off guard, and flustered.

“I’m making the move.” Hannah’s voice was filled with resolve.
“I’m packing my bags as fast as I can, gassing up my clunker and
going.
”

“What will you do for work out there?” Aaron’s own voice had taken on a rather unappealing whiny tone.

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Hannah replied. “I’ll sling beers at a bowling alley in Pacoima if I have to. Just as long as I’m warm.
Anything
is better than this.”

“Your mind’s objectively made up?” Aaron pressed her, as Carly glared right at him.