Frances’s reluctance to stand had less to do with them than the terrible pain in her head. “It’s so sudden.” She wasn’t sure if she meant the pain, or the cancer, or their marriage, or this heist.
“It’s wild, I know, Franny,” Joan said kindly. “But so are our plans to rob a casino. You tell me—which is the crazier idea?”
Frances forced a laugh. “You make a good point.” She came to her feet and made her way to the happy couple. “Congratulations. Next time, clue a person in, will you? Like … at the beginning. I’m happy for you both.” Frances put her arms around them and hugged them to her, then let go. “I guess some hearty thanks are in order for me, right? Because if it wasn’t for me—”
“Oh Jesus,” Irene said. “Even I can’t dispute it. Thank you, Frances Delafield.”
“Deluca,” Frances said, and kissed Irene’s cheek.
She was happy for them. Stunned, but happy that they’d found what they wanted and needed. She was truly grateful for it. And for this time in her own life.
Yes, she was eternally grateful for this very special time in the last days of her life, even with a massive headache.
Twenty-nine
The ding of Edie’s phone woke her the next morning. She pushed her eye mask to her forehead and picked it up. It was a missed call from Simon, followed by a text.
When are you coming home?
Edie pondered what the question meant. This was the second call from her husband she’d missed. He wasn’t usually this interested in her whereabouts. She and Simon had reached the stage of unfaithful marriage where they went for days out of each other’s orbit, neither communicating nor caring. They always came back together in the end. But why was he asking? Was he suspicious? Had Stephen put him up to it because he was looking for Marcy? Had Simon and Linda broken up? That would follow his usual pattern—he never lasted more than a few months in his affairs. The surprising thing was that the women in Hunterville kept pursuing him. It wasn’t as if his terrible history was a big state secret.
She got up and dressed, and when she came out of her room, she found Marcy dressed and rummaging through the box of disguises. “Where are you going?” Edie asked.
“I’m meeting Rocco.”
“This early? Where?”
“It’s not early, it’s past nine. I’m meeting him at the casino. He’s going to take me on a helicopter ride over Red Rock Canyon. We might do some hiking. And then he’s going to show me around the casino.”
“That sounds like a date. A real date,” Edie remarked.
“So?”
So? Edie didn’t have a good answer for that. This was exactly what they’d talked about, about Marcy reeling him in. “I don’t know. It’s just … it’s a lot and it’s fast. Like you’re really dating.”
Marcy found a wide-brimmed sun hat and tried it on. “I thought it was my job to reconnect with him.”
“It is. But I thought—”
“This is just the way it is with people my age, Nana. Everything moves fast. We’ve gone past the days of horse and buggy and courting once a week.”
“Okay,” Edie said dryly. “Thanks for the reminder that I’m ancient.”
“I’m just saying.” Marcy examined herself in the small mirror near the door. “I’ll take pictures of everything he shows me in the casino. Irene told me what I should look for.”
Irene. She and Joan had gotten married yesterday! Edie hadn’t dreamt it after all. As if this trip could get any crazier. “Where is the happy couple, anyway?”
“In that terrible backyard drinking coffee and making googly eyes at each other. Irene is about to head to her shift. Sorry, Nana, but I’ve gotta dip.”
“Wait—have you talked to your father lately?”
“Dad?” She paused at the door. “He’s in Panama.”
Right, right, he’d gone to Panama for business. So, Simon was calling for himself.
“Bye!” Marcy said, and sailed out the door before Edie could ask when she’d be back.
Her quick departure was followed by the sound of someonedragging a body across the floor; Edie jerked around. It was Joan, dragging the safe door they’d found into the living room. “That girl is a chip off the old block, my friend. Good job.”
