She hadn't expected that. "What about him?"
"While Celina was pregnant, they became very close. He
just about had her talked into marrying him when she . . .
died."
"Do you think she would have, eventually?"
"I don't know." He slid Alex a sardonic glance. "Junior's
quite a ladies' man. He can be very persuasive."
"Look, Reede, I told Sarah Jo, now I'm telling you,
that--"
"Shh! They're passing us off to Austin radar." He spoke
into the headset. When the formalities had been dispensed
with, he coaxed someone in the airport tower to arrange a
rental car for him. By the time he had gone through that
procedure, they were approaching the lighted runway.
"Buckled up?"
"Yes."
He executed a flawless landing. Alex thought later that she
must have been in a daze, because she barely remembered
getting from the plane to the rented car. Without having to
concentrate, she gave Reede directions to her condo.
It was located in a fashionable, yuppie neighborhood where
Evian was the drink of preference, every kitchen had a wok,
and membership in a health club was as mandatory as a
driver's license.
A line of thunderstorms hadn't hampered their flight, but
had moved in over the city by the time they reached her
street. Raindrops began to splatter the windshield. Thunder
rumbled.
"The one with all the newspapers scattered in the yard,"
Alex told him.
"You're a public prosecutor. Don't you know better than
to advertise to thieves that you're out of town? Or is that
your way of drumming up business?"
"I forgot to stop delivery."
He pulled to the curb, but he didn't turn off the motor.
Several days ago, Alex would have been jubilant at the
thought of returning home, just for a temporary respite from