I took a bag of crushed ice out of the freezer and poured it into a wide bowl. Then I spooned out the caviar into a smaller crystal bowl and set it on top of the ice.
“Don’t you dare apologize,” she said. “I was pleased to receive an invitation. That’s very big of you, all things considered. I think it’s better that we address this sooner than later so we don’t have any awkwardness between us. We’re both adults.”
I found wooden serving spoons, but we hadn’t rehearsed this, so I honestly didn’t know where to put them. On a tray? In the ice? On a napkin? In the fish eggs? Up her nose? I shoved them into the bowl of caviar just as Shepherd started up a chainsaw in the courtyard.
“My apologies about the noise. I will go tell him to stop.”
“Nonsense, it’s fine,” Lenore assured him.
“There is a branch in the courtyard that is close to falling. He should not take long.”
Which was true. Shepherd was using this opportunity to create a little random noise. Not only would it make things seem normal around here, but it would be difficult for her to focus on listening to other noises in the house since the sawing was sporadic and not continual.
“You were a great loss to me,” Viktor said.
I entered the room with the caviar and crackers.
Lenore tilted her head to the side and gave me a look of annoyance, which Viktor quickly picked up on. Clearly she wanted Viktor to finish his speech.
As I set the caviar and crackers down, he said, “Raven, will you step out for a few minutes?”
This wasn’t planned. Perhaps there was something he wanted to get off his chest about their breakup, and that was understandable. Viktor was entitled to closure. Now that he no longer trusted her, he wouldn’t fall prey to her charming abilities, and that was reassuring.
“No problem.” I dusted off my hands and exited the room.
“This is quite a spread,” I heard her say.
“What I wanted to say to you was…”
As I entered the foyer, their conversation fell out of earshot. I glanced at one of the halls that led to the middle of the house, wondering what was happening between Ronald and Christian. The wine cellar tactic was a good plan on Viktor’s part since there were plenty of bottles down there to choose from and Lenore wouldn’t grow suspicious over his absence.
I moseyed to the window and looked at our circular driveway. Fletcher was leaning against Ronald’s black Mercedes, black shades over his eyes. His sinister smile made me want to tie him to the bumper and drive around town. Despite his promotion from coroner, he still looked like a vagabond in a nice jacket. His wiry beard was long and sloppily trimmed, and the lines in his forehead deepened when he raised his eyebrows and blew me a kiss.
I turned away and pressed my back to the wall. When my energy spiraled as it often did when I got upset, I leveled it down.
Keep your cool.
I hustled back to the dining room since I didn’t want to leave Viktor alone with that woman for another second. Not wanting to barge in on Viktor if he was in the middle of a private exchange, I cleared my throat to signal my return.
Lenore was busy spooning caviar directly into her gullet.
I lingered in the kitchen entryway. “Is there anything you want me to bring out before I serve lunch?”
“Nyet. We will first have drinks and enjoy this generous spread before our meal.”
The only meal being served today was revenge on a platter.
Lenore swallowed her bite. “Ronald is the one who brought an appetite. This will be enough for me, thank you.” As I turned, she said, “Raven, darling, can you be a dear and fetch me a napkin?”
I walked into the kitchen and mumbled, “Only if I can tie it into a noose.”
“Did you say something?” she called out.
“Would you like some chocolate mousse?”
Lenore knew I hated her, so I couldn’t be too nice or she’d suspect something was afoot.
Just as I walked back into the room, Christian entered with a stake in his hand.
