Annie lifted the receiver.
“Excellent security system.”
“Maybe it’s decorative.”
“Who decorates with telecommunications?”
“The same people who put surveillance seashells in the bedroom.”
“Fair.”
She typed a reply.
“What are you telling her?”
“That I was asleep.”
“Truthful.”
“With my phone on silent.”
“Mostly truthful.”
“At the cottage.”
“Extremely accurate.”
Annie looked at me.
“I’m learning.”
She sent the message.
The phone rang immediately.
She closed her eyes.
“Do you want privacy?” I asked.
“No. She’ll behave better if there’s a witness.”
“That is a concerning sentence.”
Annie answered.
“Good morning.”
Rachel’s voice was loud enough to escape the phone.
“Are you alone?”
Annie looked directly at me.
“Yes.”
I covered my mouth.
Rachel continued.
