“Of course, dear.”She shoved a hand under the sofa pillows and pulled out a couple of pieces of paper.“I have the original.”
I kept myself from snatching it out of her hand, but it wasn’t easy.But I was rewarded when she handed the papers over and I was able to flip to page two and look at the signature.In big, bold letters, nicely rounded and girlish: the name Anastasia Sokolov.
Eight
I letMs.Tucker keep the rental contract, and promised her I’d tell Detective Mendoza all about it.And encourage him to take a look for himself, so Araminta Tucker could get a good look at him, up close.She waved me off with all good cheer.I had barely cleared the door before the hockey game came back on, at the same teeth-rattling decibels.
I waited until I was in the car to pull out my phone.And while I was tempted to contact Mendoza first thing, I convinced myself that my first duty was to my client.
She picked up on the first ring.“Gina.Have you heard anything?”
I was actually calling to ask her the same thing.Now I didn’t have to.“From Steven?Sorry, no.I guess you haven’t, either?”
She hadn’t.No surprise there.
“How about we go grab some dinner?”I suggested.It was getting on for that time, or close to it, and I didn’t want to tell her about Anastasia Sokolov over the phone.
She hesitated.
“It wouldn’t have to be anything fancy.Just a quick bite and a little time to brainstorm in person rather than over the phone.”
“I suppose that would be OK…” After a second, she added, “I don’t want to stay out too long, though.Just in case Steven comes back.”
Which he might.He might show up just as usual, as if nothing was wrong.
And for that matter, nothing might be wrong.Sure, he hadn’t been at work today, and he hadn’t been answering his phone.Nobody in his life knew where he was, or if they did, they weren’t talking.But there was no reason we knew why he might not walk through the door, just like he did every other day, this evening.
“I could pick up some takeout and meet you there,” I suggested.It would give me another chance to look around.And to see whether Steven had been home since we’d been through the house earlier today.
“Yes.”She sounded like she was thinking about it.Then she came back with a stronger, “Yes, that would be good.Just in case.”
I didn’t ask in case of what.“What would you like?”
“I’ll get it,” Diana said and hung up.She probably wanted the line open in case Steven called.
I thoughtfor sure I’d be eating lettuce—we ladies of a certain age have to watch what we eat to keep our girlish figures, especially when we’re competing with women half our age for the men in our lives—but Diana must have wanted comfort food.When I walked into the kitchen in Richland, there were four different cartons of Chinese food on the counter.
I saw her car pull into the alley when I turned onto the street.By the time I’d parked in front and made my way up between the topiaries, she had the door open.“Come on in.”
I stepped across the threshold and looked around.“Steven isn’t here?”
“I haven’t looked,” Diana said.“But the garage was empty.And his car isn’t parked out front.”
No, it wasn’t.
“I’ll run upstairs and change.And see if he’s come and gone.The food’s on the kitchen counter.Make yourself at home.”She waved a hand in the direction of the kitchen.I headed that way while she started up the stairs to the second floor and the master bedroom closet.
The rooms I passed on my way to the kitchen were empty.No surprise there.The house had an empty feel to it, and looked exactly the same as it had when we left it this afternoon.Even the stack of mail on the island didn’t look as if anyone had rifled through it.And if Steven had come home while we’d been gone, wouldn’t he have been tempted to check what had arrived in the mail today?
I took a quick glance myself, too.It looked like a couple of bills, an insurance statement, something from the state, a request for money for wounded veterans, and some sort of invitation to something.That’s judging from the logos up in the corners of the envelopes, and the nice, heavy stationary the invitation came on.
The four food containers were lined up on the counter, and held, in descending order, shrimp and broccoli, chicken lo mein, fried rice, and dumplings.I was opening cabinets looking for plates when Diana walked back into the kitchen, barefoot and in a pair of leggings and a tunic.
“Over here.”She opened a cabinet and handed me three plates.
I took them.“Are we expecting company?”
“Jaime Mendoza called while I was on my way home,” Diana said.“I ordered enough food for an army, so I figured we’d be all right if I told him to stop by.”
