"They were like a unit," she said, lapsing into a faint,
reflective voice, and Alex realized that she had slipped into
her own private world. "A little club unto themselves. You
rarely saw one without seeing the other two."
"I've noticed that in candid shots in their high school
yearbooks. There are lots of pictures of the three of them."
Alex had pored over the photographs on those glossy pages,
looking for clues, anything, that might benefit her investigation.
"I didn't want Junior to get so deeply involved with them,''
Sarah Jo was saying. "Reede was a hoodlum, the son of the
town drunk, of all things. And your mother . . . well, there
were many reasons why I didn't want him to become attached
to her."
"Name one."
"Mainly because of how it was between her and Reede.
I knew Junior would always be her second choice. It galled
me that she could even exercise a choice. She wasn't worthy
of the right to choose," she said bitterly.
"But Junior adored her, no matter what I said. Just as I
feared, he fell in love with her." Suddenly, her eyes focused
sharply on her guest. "And I have a sick feeling that he'll
fall in love with you, too."
"You're wrong."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll see to it that he does. Reede, too,
probably. That would round out the triangle again, wouldn't
it? Don't you want to pit them against each other, like she
did?"
"No!"
Sarah Jo's eyes narrowed with malice. "Your mother was
a tramp."
Up to this point, Alex had carefully controlled her tongue.
But since her hostess was maligning her late mother, she
dismissed her manners. "I take exception to that slanderous
remark, Mrs. Minton."
Sarah Jo gave a negligent wave of her hand. "No matter.
It's the truth. I knew she was common and coarse the first
I met her. Oh, she was pretty, in a lush, flamboyant
f. Much like you."
Her eyes moved over Alex critically. Alex was tempted to
get up and walk out. The only thing that kept her sitting in that spindly chair was the hope that Sarah Jo would inadvertently
impart some scrap of valuable information.
"Your mother laughed too loud, played too hard, loved
too well. Emotions were to her what a bottle of liquor is to a drunkard. She overindulged, and had no control over exhibiting
her feelings."
"She sounds very honest," Alex said with pride. "The
world might be better off if people openly expressed what
they were feeling." Her words fell on deaf ears.
"Whatever a man needed or wanted her to be at the moment,"
Sarah Jo continued, "she was. Celina was an unconscionable
flirt. Every man she met fell in love with her.
She made certain of it. She would do anything to guarantee
it."
Enough was enough. "I won't let you disparage a woman
who's not around to defend herself. It's ugly and cruel of
you, Mrs. Minton." The room, which had been as fresh as
a greenhouse when she had come in, now seemed suffocating.
She had to get out. "I'm leaving."
"Not yet." Sarah Jo stood up when Alex did. "Celina
loved Reede as much as she was capable of loving anyone
except herself."
"What concern was that of yours?"
"Because she wanted Junior, too, and she let him know
it. Your grandmother, that stupid woman, was giddy over
the idea of a match between our children. As if I'd let Junior
marry Celina," she sneered. "Merle Graham even called me
once and suggested that we, as future in-laws, get together
and become better acquainted. God, I would have sooner
died! She was a telephone operator," she said, laughing
scornfully.
' 'There was never any chance of Celina Graham becoming
my daughter-in-law. I made that quite clear to your grand
mother and to Junior. He moped and whined over that girl
until I wanted to scream.'' She raised her small fists, as though
she still might do so. "Why couldn't he see her for what she
was--a selfish, manipulative little bitch? And now you."
She stepped around the small tea table to confront Alex.
Alex was taller, but Sarah Jo had years of cultivated anger
to make her strong. Her delicate body was trembling with
wrath.
"Lately, all he can talk about is you, just like it used to
be with Celina."
"I have not led Junior on, Mrs. Minton. There could never
be a romantic entanglement between us. We could be friends,
maybe, once this investigation is resolved."
"Don't you see," Sarah Jo cried, "that's exactly how it
was with her? She abused his friendship because he was
clinging to the vain hope that it would develop into something
deeper. All he is to you is a suspect in a murder case. You'll
use him, just like your mother did."
"That simply isn't true."
Sarah Jo swayed, as though about to swoon. "Why did
you have to come here?"
"I want to know why my mother was murdered."
"You're the reason!" she said, pointing a finger straight
at Alex's heart. "Celina's illegitimate baby."
Alex fell back a step, sucking in a sharp, painful breath.
"What did you say?" she gasped.
Sarah Jo composed herself. The suffusion of color in her
face receded and it returned to its normal porcelain hue.' 'You
were illegitimate."
"That's a lie," Alex denied breathlessly. "My mother was
married to Al Gaither. I've seen the marriage license.
Grandma Graham saved it."
"They were married, but not until after she came back
from El Paso and discovered she was pregnant."
"You're a liar!" Alex gripped the back of the chair. "Why
are you lying to me?"
"It's not a lie. The reason I'm telling you should be clear.
I'm trying to protect my family from your vengeful destruction.
Being the richest woman in this horrid, ugly little town
is the only thing that makes it tolerable. I like being married
to the most influential man in the county. I won't let you
destroy everything Angus has created for me. I won't let you
cause dissent in my family. Celina did. This time, I won't
allow it."
"Ladies, ladies." Junior came into the room, laughing
indulgently. "What is all the shouting about? See a
spider?"
His manner changed drastically when he sensed the seething
animosity between them. It was sulfuric, as real as the
ozone in the air after lightning has struck nearby. "Mother?
Alex? What's wrong?"
Alex stared at Sarah Jo, whose face was as serene and
complacent as a cameo. Alex spun toward the door, sending
the small chair toppling over. She rushed from the room and
clambered down the stairs.
Junior gave his mother a searching look. She turned her
back on him and returned to the divan, picked up her teacup,
and took a sip.
Junior raced down the stairs after Alex and caught up with
her at the front door, where she was unsuccessfully trying to
work her arms into the sleeves of her coat.
He grabbed her upper arms. "What the hell is going on?"
Alex averted her head so he wouldn't see her tears. She
tried to disengage his hands. "Nothing."
"You hardly look like you've been to a tea party."
"Tea? Ha!" Alex said, tossing back her head. "She didn't
invite me out here to drink tea." She sniffed and batted her
eyes in an effort to keep the tears from falling. "I guess I
should thank her for telling me."
"Telling you what?"
"That I was a biological accident." Junior's face went
blank with shock. "It's true, then, isn't it?" Junior's hands
fell away from her arms and he tried to turn away. Reversing
their positions, Alex gripped his arm and forced him back
around. "Isn't it?" Her tears finally overflowed her eyelids.
"Say something, Junior!"
He looked uncomfortable with admitting the truth. It was
Alex who verbally pieced together the scenario.
"Celina came back from El Paso. She'd had her fling with
a soldier and was ready to reconcile with Reede. They probably
would have, too, if it hadn't been for me, right?" She
covered her face with her hands. "Oh, God, no wonder he
hates me so much."
Junior pulled her hands away from her face and looked at
her with sincere blue eyes. "Reede doesn't hate you, Alex.
None of us did then, or do now."
She laughed shortly, bitterly. "I'll bet Albert Gaither hated
the very thought of me. He was forced to get married." Her
eyes went round, and she spoke in a rapid, short-winded,
staccato voice. "This explains so much. So much. Why
Grandma Graham was strict about my dating--who I went
with, what time I got home, where I'd been.
"I resented her for being so inflexible because I'd never
given her any reason to mistrust me. I guess her overprotectiveness
was justified, wasn't it?" Her voice rose to a near-hysterical
pitch. "Her daughter got knocked up, and twenty-five
years ago, that was still a definite sin."
"Alex, stop this."
"That explains why Grandma never really loved me. I
ruined Celina's life, and she never forgave me for it. Celina
couldn't have Reede, couldn't have you, couldn't have a
future. And all because of me. Oh God!"
The curse, or prayer, was cried in a wailing voice. Alex
turned away from him and yanked the door open. She ran
across the porch and down the steps toward her car.
"Alex!" He started after her.
"What the hell's going on?" Angus demanded as Alex
rushed past him toward her car.
"Leave her alone, you two." Sarah Jo was standing at the
top of the stairs, where she had watched and overheard everything.
Junior spun around. "Mother, how could you? How could
you hurt Alex that way?"
"I didn't tell her to hurt her."
'What'd you tell her?" Angus asked. He filled up the open
doorway, baffled and impatient because no one was answering
his questions.
"Of course it hurt her," Junior said. "You knew it would.
Why tell her at all?"
'Because she needed to know. The only one who can hurt
Alex is Alex herself. She's chasing an illusion. The mother
she's looking for didn't exist in Celina Gaither. Merle filled
her head with a lot of nonsense about how wonderful Celina
was. She forgot to tell the girl how devious her mother was.
It was time Alex found out."
"Shit!" Angus cursed. "Will somebody please tell me
what the hell is going on?"
Twenty-six
Angus quietly closed the bedroom door behind him as he
came in. Sarah Jo, propped against the pillows on their bed,
laid her book aside and peered at him over the rims of the
glasses that were perched on the tip of her nose. "Coming
to bed so early?"
She looked about as harmful as a butterfly, but Angus knew
that her frail appearance camouflaged an iron will. If she ever
gave ground it was out of indifference, not defeat. "I want
to talk to you."
"About what?"
"About what happened this afternoon.'
She pressed her fingers to her temples. "It gave me quite
a headache. That's why I didn't come down to dinner."
"Taken anything?"
"Yes. It's better now."
They had repeated this same exchange regarding her headaches
nearly every day of their marriage.
"Don't sit on the bedspread," she scolded as he lowered
himself to the edge of the bed. He waited until she had folded
back the quilted satin spread, then sat down close to her hip.
"My, you look so downcast tonight, Angus," she said with
concern.' 'What's the matter? Not more maniacs on our property,
I hope."
"No."
"Thank God the only horse that was injured belonged to
Reede."
Angus let that pass without comment. Sarah Jo resented
Reede, and Angus knew why. Her feelings toward him would
never change, so berating her for the uncharitable remark
would serve no purpose.
What he had come to discuss was a delicate subject. He
took a moment to choose his words carefully. "Sarah Jo,
about this afternoon--"
"I was quite upset by it," she said, drawing her lips into
a pretty frown.
"You were upset?" Angus forcibly tamped down his impatience.
He needed to hear her side of the story before
jumping to conclusions. "What about Alex's feelings?"
"She was upset, too, naturally. Wouldn't you be if you'd
found out you were a bastard?"
"No," he said with a gruff, humorless laugh. "Wouldn't
surprise me if I was. I never checked to see if my parents
had a marriage license, and it wouldn't have mattered to me
if they didn't.'' His brows drew together. "But I'm an ornery
old cuss, and Alex is a sensitive young woman."
"I felt that she was strong enough to take it."
"Obviously, she wasn't. She ran past me without even
seeing me. She was practically in hysterics when she left."
Sarah Jo's smile crumpled. "Are you blaming me for telling
her? Do you think it was wrong?"
When she looked up at him with that apprehensive, little-lost-girl
look, his heart melted. It always had. Angus took
her hand. He could have crushed it like a flower between his
rough palms, but he had learned over the years not to exert
too much pressure when he caressed her.
"I'm not blaming you for telling her, honey. I'm just
questioning the wisdom of it. I wish you had discussed it
with Junior and me before you did. It was something she
could have gone throughout her life not knowing."
"I disagree," Sarah Jo argued petulantly.
' 'What difference does it make now if her mama and daddy
weren't married until after she was in the oven? Hell, that's
so commonplace now it's not even considered a sin anymore."
"It makes a difference in the way she views Celina. Up
until now, she's had her on a pedestal."
"So what?"
"Celina hardly deserves a pedestal," Sarah Jo snapped.
"I thought it was time everybody stopped *footing
around with Alex and set her straight about her mother."
"Why?"
"Why? Because she's trying to ruin us, that's why. I decided
to stop catering to her and to fight back. I used the only
ammunition I had." As usual, during scenes like this, Sarah
Jo became overwrought. "I was only trying to protect you
and Junior."
Actually, Angus thought, it had taken a tremendous amount
of courage for Sarah Jo to confront a self-assured woman like
Alex. He still thought Sarah Jo could have refrained from
telling Alex about her folks, but her motive had been unselfish.
She'd been protecting her family. Her valiant effort
deserved better than his criticism. He leaned down and kissed
her forehead.
"I appreciate your fighting spirit, but none of us needs
your protection, honey." He laughed at the thought. "How
could a little thing like you protect one of us big, strapping
boys? I've got plenty of money and plenty of know-how to
handle any little problem that crops up. A redhead that only
stands five feet six inches tall is hardly worth a second's
worry."
"If you could resurrect that odious Pasty Hickam, I'm sure
he would disagree," she said. "Look what happened to him.
Unlike you and Junior, and obviously, every other man, I'm
immune to the girl's charms." Her voice developed an edge
of desperation. "Angus, can't you see it? Junior is falling in
love with her."
"I fail to see why that's so god-awful," he said with a
beaming smile.
"It would be a disaster," Sarah Jo cried softly. "Her
mother broke his heart. Don't you care about that?"
Frowning, Angus reminded her, "That was a long time
ago. And Alex isn't like her mother."
"I'm not so sure." Sarah Jo stared into space.
"Alex isn't fickle and flighty like Celina was," he said.
"She's a tad too bossy, but maybe Junior needs that. He
walked all over his other wives, and they laid down and let
him do it. Maybe he needs a wife who'll tell him what's
what."
"Where is he, by the way? Is he still angry with me?"
she asked anxiously.
"He was upset, but he'll get over it, like he always does.
He said he was going out to get drunk."
They laughed together. Sarah Jo was the first to turn serious
again. "I hope he'll drive safely."
"He, uh, will probably be spending the night out."
"Oh?"
"Wouldn't surprise me," Angus said. "Alex needs some
time to sort herself out. Junior might be carrying a torch, but
he's not dead from the waist down. He'll find a woman who'll
give him the comfort he needs tonight."
His gaze lowered to his wife's decolletage, which was
smooth and luminescent with the body powder she had used
after her bath. "He's got a man's appetites, just like his
daddy."
"Oh, Angus," she sighed wearily, as his hand waded
through layers of lace in search of her breast.
"I could use some comforting myself."
"You men! Is that all you ever think about? You make
me--"
"You make me horny."
"Don't use that kind of language. It's crude. And I don't
want to do this tonight. My headache's coming back."
His kiss cut off any further objections. She submitted, as
he knew she would. She always put up token resistance,
but she never refused him. From the cradle, she had been
coached to accept her marital duties, just as she had to properly
serve tea.
That she responded to him out of a sense of obligation
rather than passion didn't stop him from wanting her; it might
even have enhanced his desire. Angus enjoyed a challenge.
He undressed quickly and lowered himself on top of her.
He fumbled with the buttons on her gown and finally managed,
with no assistance from her, to get it open. Her breasts
were as pert and shapely as they had been on their wedding
night, when he had first beheld and touched them.
He kissed them now with polite restraint. Her nipples were
small. His stroking tongue was rarely successful in coaxing
them erect. He doubted she knew they were supposed to get
erect, unless some of those novels she read were more sexually
explicit than he suspected.
She winced slightly when he entered her. He pretended not
to see her grimace. He tried not to sweat or make a sound
or do anything that she would consider nasty and unpleasant.
He saved all his raunchiness for the widow lady he supported
in the neighboring county. She didn't mind his crude
language. In fact, she hooted with laughter over some of his
more colorful expressions.
She was as lusty a lover as he. She had large, dark, milky-tasting
nipples that she would let him diddle with for hours