Page 44 of Kiss Her Goodbye

Daryl dives into his plate with gusto.I mostly cut my chop into tiny pieces, which I push around my plate.I’m acutely aware that dinnertime for humans will soon be followed by dinnertime for pythons.At least I did better at throwing Petunia’s salad into her bowl this evening.Even managed to change out her water without screaming.But snakes…

A dozen babies.

One large big mama.

Why had I ever agreed to this?Except if memory serves, I never actually said yes.Bart just never accepted my sincere no.

Little shit.

Daryl is back to checking his phone.

“Booty call?”I finally press, mostly because I’m spoiling for a fight.

He stops chewing his food long enough to regard me intently.“Jealousy doesn’t become you.”

I scowl.My own mobile is tucked face up next to my plate, and not because I’m that anxious to get my next set of instructions from Bart.

“Oh, honey, just call him,” Genni advises me.“Or her.You know we won’t judge.”Genni is looking particularly happy 1950s housewife in a crisp navy-blue dress with a white Peter Pan collar and an enormous star-shaped diamond brooch that both casts glittering rainbows upon the walls and threatens to poke out an eye.She’s exchanged her red Lucille Ball wig for a blond Marilyn Monroe bombshell.They each have merits.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I reply stiffly.

She and Daryl roll their eyes.

“Twin mattresses,” I declare, remembering my commitment to Ashley the housing coordinator.“I need to get my hands on a set.The cheaper the better, though they can’t be in gross condition.Anybody have some ideas?”

“I don’t do cheap,” Genni begins, just in time for Daryl to say:

“Habitat for Humanity.They have a store in Tucson.Used furniture, appliances.Sometimes includes mattresses.”

Genni stares at him.“Well, aren’t you a fount of information?”

“Once furnished an apartment with less than twenty bucks.Learned some tricks.”

He shovels in the last bite of mashed potatoes, neatly pats his lips with his black napkin, then pushes back from the table, phone already in hand.

“My evening awaits.”He gives me a pointed look.

“Are you going dancing?Because if you see Roberta, I wantto know if her brother assigned more patrol cars to Nageenah’s apartment complex.Whether or not Zahra is still there, the other tenants deserve that much.”

Daryl doesn’t respond to my blatant fishing.

“What did you two think of the kids?”I press.“You spent the most time with them.”

“Good dancers,” Daryl supplies.

“That’s not helpful.”

He shrugs.“Interesting music.Didn’t know there was such a thing as Middle Eastern discotheque.”

“Did Zahra say anything?”

“Not a word.”

“Is it strange for such a young child to be so silent?”

“Works for me.”

I roll my eyes.“You’re not good at this game.”