“I’ll give you a moment, then you two can come in the kitchen.”
“You good?”Ryan murmured in my ear.
I took a deep breath.“No… I mean, yeah.I will be.It’s cool.I just hadn’t seen them.”
We wandered into the kitchen.
Mom’s eyes focused on my face.“Young lady, you said you got hit over the head, not in the face.”
So much for Abby’s make up techniques.Then again, I thought it was a futile endeavor, anyway.
“Mom—”
She aimed a pointed look at Ryan and then me.“You said there was more to it, but you couldn’t get into it on the phone.Spill, Ivy Felicia.”
My lips pursed.“I don’t know why you looked at Ryan that way, but he didn’t hit me.”
Mom crossed her arms.“Where is the man who did, then?”
“Dead.And that’s really all you need to know,” I said.
She leaned against the counter.“Dead?”
“Yes, Mom.That’s why we couldn’t go to the cops, because there are a lot of questions we wouldn’t be able to answer.”
“Not willing to answer, you mean.”
“Not without incriminating ourselves,” Ryan said.
Mom shook her head.“I cannot believe you’re hiding this from the law.”
“Mrs.Brummis, if I could go to the law without Ivy finding herself in trouble, I’d do it right now.But it simply isn’t feasible under the circumstances.”
“Why can’t you tell them what you did and leave her out of it?”she asked.
“Because we worked together,” I said.
Mom aimed a stern glare my way.
“We did,” I added.
“So you say,” Mom said.
Ryan shrugged.“She has a way with a frying pan.”
I choked on my laughter.
Mom closed her eyes and sighed, then meandered to the other side of the kitchen where her wine glass sat.She pulled down another glass and poured some pinot grigio for me and topped off her glass.“Do you drink white wine or would you prefer a Shock Top?”she asked Ryan.
“Shock Top works, thanks.”
Mom grabbed a beer and handed it to him.“Are you doing anything about what happened?Are you avoiding the police in order to save your pride?”
“Mom, seriously?”
Mom turned her attention to me.“My girl, it’s easy to see why he appeals to you, but murder is as serious as it gets.You could lose everything.”
“It wouldn’t be murder seeing as we were defending ourselves.Aggravated manslaughter - maybe, but her hitting either one with the skillet didn’t kill them,” Ryan said.
