Page 112 of Feared

“Okay, love you.”

“Love you, too, honey.” Flavia pressed the button to end the call, and Mary willed her heartbeat back to normal. She didn’t know what was weirder, that Flavia was calling Nick to ask him about John’s murder or that their nicknames for each other were Baby Girl and Baby Boy.

“Flavia, I don’t know what’s going on.” Mary thought of her plan, going to hell now that their cover was about to be blown.

“What don’t you understand? I’m going to ask my son if he had Stretch kill your friend.”

“His name was John,” Mary supplied, as if they were singing the birthday song and didn’t know the name of the birthday boy. “Flavia, this is a murder case. You just can’t ask somebody if they’re responsible for murder.”

“You can if you’re his mother.”

“But I didn’t want him to know that I was onto him.”

“So?” Flavia looked at Mary directly, from behind her round bifocals. “He’s going to find that out sooner or later, if you’re going to accuse him.”

Mary had no immediate reply, since it was true. “But he’s going to lie to you. He’s not just going to admit it. He’s going to say he had nothing to do with John’s murder.”

“I can tell when he lies,” Flavia stated, as if it were a scientific fact.

“Flavia, with respect, no, you can’t.”

“Yes, I can.

“You’re not a lie detector.”

“I’m better than a lie detector. I read the newspaper. I know they’re not reliable.”

Mary thought she might have a point there too. “So you really think you can tell when he’s lying?”

“I know I can. I know him better than anybody in the world. I carried him for nine months, just like you.” Flavia gestured at Mary’s belly. “You’ll see, when you have that baby.”

“What will I see? What do you mean?” Mary’s hand went to her belly, but the baby still wasn’t kicking, so the chocolate chip hadn’t helped. She was going to call the doctor, after this debacle was over.

“Nobody knows a child better than its mother. Let me tell you something. You may not always get along with your child. You might fight with your child. You might not speak to your child for a year, maybe two. But a mother always knows her child.”

Mary couldn’t buy in. “But every day on the news, you see mothers saying what a good boy their son is, when he’s a killer. Like Conchetta thought you were.”

“But I didn’t say that about Nicky, did I?Thismother knows her son, the bad and the good.” Flavia waved her off. “And those mothers on the news, the ones you were talking about? They’re not lying to themselves. They’re lying to the camera. They know the truth, inside. They know it in their heart. They can’t bring themselves to say it out loud.”

Mary blinked, thinking Flavia was either a genius or completely delusional.

“Iknowthat boy. I raised him on my own. His father was never around. That’s why he listens to me.”

“But you said before that he doesn’t listen to you.”

“On the important things, he does. I’m the only one he listensto, and it doesn’t get more important than this. Murder is amortal sin.” Flavia leaned forward urgently, placing her wrinkled hand on the polished table. “I would never believe he could do that, or have Stretch do it, but I’m going to ask him, right to his face.”

Mary didn’t know if it was a good idea, but it was about to happen. “I guess it can’t really do any harm. He’s going to find out I suspect him sooner or later.”

“Like I said.” Flavia cocked her head. “Anyway, what is it with you and Nicky?”

“It’s like he has it in for me. He’s tried to do me in, so many times. It’s like he’s out to get me.” Mary didn’t add that Machiavelli had also tried to kiss her, in his office.

“It’s on account of he’s so confused, like his father.” Flavia shook her head.

“What was his father like?” Mary had never met the man.

“Don’t get me started. I shoulda left him so many times, but I kept the family together.” Flavia rallied. “Nicky has a crush on you. He always has, from high school. He told me. He always liked you.”