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Laura Lee emitted a nervous chuckle. “Am I that transparent?”
“Sweetheart, do yourself a favor and don’t ever play poker. You’re a stress-ball. The nervous energy radiates from you. So, when we tell your sister about the plan, let me do the talking.”
She frowned. She didn’t like that categorization of herself, but she couldn’t argue with it. And she was disgusted that he could see through her so easily. “That conversation is all yours. Although the second you mentioned anything free, she’s not going to argue about anything.”
“Then I’ll lead with that,” Garcia said with a sideways glance and a small grin.
They arrived in the low-rent, public funded apartment complex her sister Donna lived in with her three young children at zero seven twenty. Laura Lee directed Garcia to the parking area nearest to her sister’s two-bedroom apartment, which was on the ground floor.
Garcia placed a call to Burke. He was still fifteen minutes out. “Do you think your sister is up this early?” Garcia asked.
“If there is one thing Donna does responsibly, it’s that she gets her children to school on time. Her oldest is in full-day kindergarten and her middle child goes to the morning half-day head start program at the same school. The bus comes in a half-hour. They’re up.”
“Will she have a problem pulling them from school to take them out of town?”
“Are you kidding? For a free beach vacation, no, she won’t think twice about it.”
“You and your sister aren’t much alike, are you?” Garcia asked, already knowing the answer.
“I’m guessing that was either sarcasm or a rhetorical question,” Laura Lee said. “No, we’re nothing alike.”
Garcia pointed to the apartment building. “Let’s go in and get started. Burke will text me when he arrives.”
Laura Lee pulled herself from the car, dreading this discussion with her sister. She led Garcia up the short sidewalk to the front door. It opened as they reached it.
“What are you doing here?” Donna exclaimed. “Mom told me you dropped in on her yesterday. I was disappointed that you didn’t call me to come over and see you, too. Mom thought you were leaving the area entirely.”
“Hi Donna,” Laura Lee said, giving her sister a brief hug.
Donna’s eyes went to Garcia. Laura Lee saw her sister’s gaze scan him up and down. She all but drooled. Smooth, real smooth Donna, Laura Lee thought. Just wait until she got an eyeful of Rich. There was a reason his callsign was Handsome. She almost felt bad that Rich was the one being assigned to her sister. Donna would take the playing a couple role way too seriously and she’d enjoy the hell out of it, too.
“Auntie Lor,” the adorable voice that Laura Lee recognized as belonging to her nephew, Jayden, called. As usual, his speech was not clear, and it sounded as though he said ‘Whore’. She heard running feet, and then the boy pushed past his mother and bear-hugged Laura Lee’s legs.
Laura Lee picked him up and hugged him tightly. No matter how she felt about her sister and her life choices, she loved her nephews and niece fiercely. “Hello Jayden. I’m so glad I got here before you went to school.” At three years old, he attended the head start preschool program three mornings a week.
“Auntie Laura!” another voice yelled, that she recognized as her five-year-old nephew Elijah.
She set Jayden to his feet and similarly lifted Elijah for a hug. “How’s school going?” Elijah had been enrolled for two years in the head start program before kindergarten and he liked school. He was smart and Laura Lee had high hopes for him academically.
“Good, Auntie Laura. I’m on a soccer team and I’m the best one. I made a goal last week.”
Laura Lee laughed. Elijah was naturally athletic. She imagined he probably was the best one on the team and he would tell anyone that he was who would listen.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” Donna asked.
“Aren’t you going to invite us in?” Laura Lee replied.
“Yeah, sure,” Donna said, stepping back from the door. “Excuse the mess, but you didn’t call.”
Laura Lee followed her inside. As usual, the place was cluttered with toys, clothes, or papers lying on every surface. The kitchen counter was loaded with what appeared to be dirty dishes. Her niece, twenty-month-old Jeriah, sat in her highchair, covered with oatmeal. Laura Lee knew it wouldn’t matter if she’d called. The apartment would look the same.
Laura Lee scanned the table and counters, looking for wipes. She kissed the toddler’s head, being careful to dodge the toddler’s messy hands that were trying to grab her. “Hello sweetie,” she greeted. “You have some wipes someplace? I’ll wipe her up and get her out of her chair. She looks like she’s done.”
“Sorry, Lieutenant,” Donna said sarcastically. “I know the house doesn’t pass your inspection.”
“Oh, Donna, it’s not that,” Laura Lee said, embarrassed for her sister. “I’m sure after the boys get on the bus, you would have tidied up. I can’t imagine the morning chaos in getting them up and ready for school.”
“Speaking of which, this isn’t the best time for a visit. I have to get the boys out the door in about fifteen minutes.”