I had no idea what to do, whether Max would want me to answer and take a message or if maybe it was Max, calling me to tell me he was in jail because my father was a big jerk and pushed him to lose control and Mom and I had to come down and post bail for him and Steve.
As I was making up my mind, the answering machine, which was at the roll top but could be heard throughout the house, switched on. I heard Max’s voice order, “Leave a message,” there was a beep and Bitsy’s voice could be heard.
“Max? It’s Bitsy, listen, I was hoping you’d be home. You aren’t answering your cell. I wanted to talk to Nina, could you ask her to…”
I ran to Max’s nightstand and picked up the cordless, hitting the on button and I heard the noise of the answering machine beeping off.
“Bitsy?” I said into the phone.
“Oh, Nina. Hi.”
“Hi, sorry, I just got out of the shower.”
“That’s okay.” She was silent for a moment then she asked, “Is Max there?”
“No, do you want me to have him call you?”
“No, uh…” she paused then said, “really, I wanted to talk to you.”
I wasn’t sure how to react to this so I gave myself a second and walked to the railing. I looked out and saw Mom sitting outside on the front steps, her legs stretched out in front of her crossed at the ankles, her hands back behind her, body resting on her hands face tipped to the sun. It must be another warm day and the snow was fast disappearing.
Then I said, “Sure, Bitsy, what can I do for you?”
“It’s just that, uh… Harry came by. He told me about last night.”
“Oh.”
“And, uh, so did Brody. He told me about last night too.”
It must have been a busy morning for Bitsy.
“Oh. Yes, well, it was an interesting night,” I said to her.
“You should know, Shauna lied to Kami. Max never took Shauna ring shopping.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“He, well, I don’t know why he hooked up with her. She’s gorgeous, of course, and I don’t think she ever showed him her, you know, true face until, you know, they got together.”
“Bitsy,” I broke in softly, hearing her hesitation, knowing it had to be hard to talk about the woman who’d been sleeping with her husband in her bed when her husband was murdered, “you don’t have to talk about this.”
“I know,” she said softly back then she suddenly asked, “Your brother lost his legs in the army?”
This hit me hard and I sucked in breath. How she knew this, I didn’t know. Could be Max. Could be Mindy. Could be Mindy telling Brody who told Bitsy.
It didn’t matter, she knew so I said, “Yes, Bitsy, Charlie lost his legs.”
“Brody says Mindy says you looked after him.”
So it was Mindy-slash-Brody.
“Yes,” I answered.
“So, I think…” she paused then said on a rush, “you’d get me.”
“I’m sorry?”
She was quiet a moment then said softly, “No one gets me, Nina.”
I walked backwards to the bed, feeling my way with my feet and when I hit it, I plopped down.
“Bitsy, I don’t know,” I said honestly.
“I know what happened to Charlie, Nina,” Bitsy said gently. “So, I know you’d get me.”
I felt tears hit my eyes at what she was saying and I whispered, “Bitsy.”
“I had my moments, Nina, it’s terrible to admit but I understand Charlie.”
I swallowed and whispered, “Okay.”
“I’m sorry for you and for him.”
“Thanks.” I was still whispering.
“But my husband was fooling around on me,” she whispered back. “And I don’t blame him because, you know, the way I am. But I have to talk to someone about it. Someone who gets me.”
I heard the tears in her voice when she stopped talking so I said, “Oh, sweetheart.”
“And you also get what it’s like to have Shauna involved, seeing as she was after my man and she’s after yours too.”
“I’m not sure Max is my man.”
“Oh he is. Never seen him like that with anyone except Anna.”
I sucked in a silent breath and my body locked.
She kept speaking. “The whole town’s talkin’ about it. We’re all real glad. Thought Max’d never find anyone after Anna died. It’s been ten years, that’s a long time. Lord knows, I know that.”
I couldn’t think of her open talk about Anna, I had bigger things coming at me from her words.
It seemed now I was up against my own idiocy, my mother, Steve and the whole town of Gnaw Bone. My only ally was my father and right then Max and Steve were running him out of town.
I wasn’t in trouble, I was screwed.
“Bitsy –”
“Brody told me all you’ve done with Mindy and, I gotta say, I’m glad you’re nice. Anna was my best friend and I loved her. She’d want Max to end up with someone nice.”
Yes. Screwed.
“I don’t know what to say. Um… thank you.”
“Thank me for you bein’ nice?” she had a smile in her voice.
“Yes, I guess, and thank you for trusting me to talk to.”
She was quiet for long moments then she asked, “Do you think I’m crazy not to be mad at Curt?”
“I can’t say you’re crazy for anything you feel right now.”