“Why?” Sara’s tone told of her suspicions.
“He didn’t like her.” Kate sat up. Outside the cabinet, the others were silent. As Kate began to talk from memory, Randal put his phone on Record.
“Shhh, he’s coming,” Greer said as she closed the door and held out the box of chocolates Billy had given her. “Don’t let him find me.”
They both knew who “he” was.
In the next second, they saw his shoes: shiny, polished, and silent. “Where is that ugly girl?” he said loudly. As always, he was angry. Trailing from his arm were half a dozen shirts he wanted ironed. “She is the most worthless creature alive. Billy!” he shouted. “Where is she?” When there was no reply, he growled. “I’ll have to get that wife of mine to do it!” He stomped away.
Greer let out a sigh of relief, leaned back against the side of the cabinet, and stuck three pieces of chocolate in her mouth.
“You’re not ugly.” Kate searched for the coconut piece, the one she liked best.
Greer gave a chocolaty smile. “Only to you.”
“Reid likes you.”
Greer smiled broader. “But he’s my brother. He has to. I’d like to kill that man,” she added conversationally.
Kate nodded in four-year-old wisdom. “Nobody likes him.”
“He’s mean to Reid and all of them. He—” They heard voices so they went back down to peer through the beautiful trellising.
“It’s Uncle Roy,” Kate whispered when she saw the heavy black boots.
“Come on,” Roy said, then Barbara’s pretty shoes came into view. Greer had told her that Barbara was rich and Roy wasn’t, so that was a problem.
“What if he tells?” Barbara asked as the two pair of shoes came close together. “Harry will be ruined. How did he even find out?”
“I don’t know. Billy said that he nearly lived in that old room so maybe he read about it. Anyway, your husband will be forgiven.”
“For murder?! Of a two-bit nobody actor? Harry was only eighteen. A child.”
“Let’s get out of here before someone hears us. There are too many people in this house!”
“Afraid your wife will see us?”
Roy gave a chuckle. “That’s better. Jealousy is easier to deal with than fear. Let’s go before Dad finds me and I get stuck cutting grass all day.”
“Or making love to your wife.”
As they left, Roy’s laugh echoed down the hall.
Greer and Kate sat upright. “Uncle Roy likes her.”
“But she likes her husband’s money better,” Greer said with heavy fatality. “I have to get back to work. Reid won’t be happy with me if I miss too much. And all this candy is going to make me even fatter.” She put her hand up to the door but drew back when she heard voices.
“It’s Daddy!” Kate started to open the door.
“No,” Greer whispered. “He’s not alone.”
They snuggled back down and saw Randal’s nice shoes and Lea’s broken sandal that she’d repaired with a piece of fabric like her dress. The shoes were very close together.
“Someone will see us,” Lea said.
“Nobody knows about us.”
At that, Greer and Kate put their hands over their mouths to stifle giggles. Everybody knew her father and Lea liked each other—and Kate was very happy about that.
