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Livia’s lips tightened to such an extent he was surprised she could speak. “All I’m saying is there’s no point in non-Christians praying for peace when they don’t believe in God.”
“Non-Christians don’t believe in God? Is that what you think? Anyone who doesn’t go to your personal church and worship your personal deity is some kind of heathen? Livia, you can’t be that idiotic.”
He could tell she was offended, but he really didn’t care. Cheeks stained with indignation, she snapped his di
Livia sat down and arranged her napkin in her lap. “We’re having International Night. The first Friday of every month. Kathy prepared the dish and I think it’s lovely.”
“It’s Welch Rabbit,” Kathy said, happily, already lifting a fully loaded fork to her lips.
“Welch? There’s no such place as Welch. Are you out of your minds? This isn’t rabbit. It’s cheese goo on toast.”
“Would you sample a bite before you judge, or is that too much to ask after Kathy’s worked so hard?”
“This is shit! I can’t work a full day and sit down to a meal like this. There’s no meat.”
“Please watch your language. There’s a young lady present.”
He pushed his plate back. “Excuse me.” He left the table and went into the downstairs powder room, where he pulled out his flask and downed the remaining vodka in six swallows. It wasn’t nearly enough, but maybe he’d managed to survive the next fifteen minutes without going berserk.
He returned to the table and began to eat, trying to imagine how normal men behaved. Husbands all over America must be sitting down to di
“Who?”
“Liza.”
“Oh.” She was so intent on stuffing her face, he wondered if she’d heard.
“Whatever happened to her?”
Kathy flicked him a look. “Nothing. Why’d you say that?”
“Six months ago the two of you were like Siamese twins, joined at the hip. She dump you or what?”
“No, Dad. She didn’t dump me.”
“Then how come you don’t see each other anymore?”
“We do. All the time. She was busy today. Is that against the law?”
“She didn’t look that busy to me. Unless a fancy lunch downtown counts.”
“Liza didn’t have lunch downtown.”
“I thought today was her birthday. Didn’t you say something to that effect here at di
“So?”
“So nothing. I thought she’d be spending the whole day with you.”
“We talked on the phone. She said her mother’s been sick and might even be contagious or she’d have come right over to celebrate.”
“Ohhh,” he said, drawing the word out. “Well, maybe that explains it.”
“Explains what?”
“What she was doing all dressed up with Violet Sullivan. The two had their heads bent together over shrimp cocktails.”
Kathy put her fork down and stared. “They did not.”
“Yes, they did. Uh-hum. Yes, indeedy.”
“Where?”
“The Savoy Hotel. The tea room’s on the ground floor. I saw ‘em through the window.”
Livia said, “Chet.”
“Very fu
“She was sitting right there with a big bowl of buttered noodles she was slurping through her lips.”
“You’re just saying that to bug me because you’re in a bad mood. Liza might have gone out, but it had nothing to do with Mrs. Sullivan.”
“Why don’t you ask her and see what she says?”
“Chet, that’s enough.”
“I can’t call her again. I just talked to her. She’s taking care of her mother, who’s extremely ill.”
“Okay. Fine. If that’s the way you want to play it. I’d feel bad if things went sour between the two of you. That’s my only concern.”
Kathy retreated into silence. Meanwhile, Livia sent him dark, meaningful looks that suggested a serious dressing-down to come. Chet didn’t intend to stick around for that. He wiped his mouth on his napkin and tossed it on his plate. He got up, working to control the urge to run. He could feel the spite rising in his chest. What the hell was wrong with him? He was never going to get back at Violet by making trouble somewhere else. Why put his daughter at odds with her best friend? The pettiness of what he’d done only fueled his rage. He thought he was close to madness, irrational, erratic, out of control.
He took his sport coat from the hook and shrugged himself into it. Livia had followed him into the hall. “Are you going out?”
“Yes.”
“But I’m expecting company. This is my canasta night. The girls are going to be here at eight. You said you’d take Kathy and go somewhere.”
He walked out the front door and slammed it behind him, so choked with fury he couldn’t utter a word.
19
I went back to the motel office and borrowed Mrs. Bo
“Personally, I’m thrilled. I mean, on one hand, I’m peeved. I hate to be without transportation and buying four new tires is the last thing I need. On the other hand, it’s like hitting all three cherries on a slot machine. Three days into the job and someone’s already nervous as a cat.”
“You don’t think it was vandalism?”
“Absolutely not. Are you kidding? I grant you my car’s conspicuous in a parking lot full of trucks, but the choice wasn’t random. This was supposed to be a warning, or possibly punishment, but I take it as a good sign.”
“Well, your attitude beats mine. I’d be raising six kinds of hell if somebody slashed my tires.”
“Shows I’m on the right track.”
“Which is what?”
“I have no idea, but my nemesis must think I’m close to figuring it out.”
“Whatever ‘it’ is.”
“Right. Meantime, I need the name of a garage, if you know someone good.”
“You forget my brother’s in the business. Ottweiler Auto Repair in Santa Maria. At least he won’t gouge you on the price.”
“Great. I’ll call him. What about you? What’s your day looking like?”
“I’ll be out on the property with a couple of guys. If I were so minded, I could be clearing brush for the rest of my life. I’m meeting with a contractor at eleven thirty, but you’re welcome to come by.”
“Let’s see how long it takes me to get my tires swapped out. If everything goes smoothly, I’ll stop and pick up some sandwiches and we can have lunch.”
“Tell Steve I sent you. That’ll surprise him for sure. Better yet, I’ll call him myself and tell him you’ll be in.”
“Thanks.”
A sheriff’s deputy arrived at the Sun Bo