Free FM for Murder by Patricia Rockwell

and forth under the desk.
    “For heaven’s sake,” said Joan, “stop dancing around over there, and concentrate.” Arliss looked at Joan with a start and quickly brought her feet together, her entire body straightening. “Now, how long have you and Bob been—dating?”
    “I don’t know,” Arliss started to reply, then added, “several years.”
    “Several years?” asked Pamela, “surely you know by now if you want to marry him or not. Do you love him?”
    “Of course, I love him,” said Arliss. “but, why should that matter? Lots of people who love each other don’t get married.”
    “True,” said Joan, nodding wisely, “but, I suspect Bob isn’t one of those. He always strikes me as very traditional.”
    “He is,” said Arliss, pouting.
    “So,” continued Joan, “you would prefer to live in sin indefinitely?”
    “Joan!” gasped Pamela, shocked at her older friend’s lack of delicacy with their younger colleague.
    “Is that so horrible?” Arliss peeked up and looked back and forth between her two friends.
    “It’s certainly fine with me,” answered Joan. Joan was probably the more “liberated” of the three of them, Pamela realized. She did not let being a widow stand in the way of her enjoyment of life.
    “It’s fine with me too,” said Pamela, “but we’re not the ones who matter, Arliss. Bob is the one who matters. He obviously wants to get married or else he wouldn’t have asked you.”
    “I know,” said Arliss, “he’s so…so….. He gave me this.” She scrounged around in the pocket of her loose trousers and brought out her fist, which she held out in front of the two women and then opened abruptly.
    “My God! It’s the Hope Diamond,” exclaimed Joan, as she admired the beautiful and very large stone on the delicate gold band. “You’re carrying it around in your pocket?”
    “I don’t feel comfortable wearing jewelry,” said Arliss. A watch is all I really need.
    “Believe me, Arliss,” said Pamela, “no one needs a diamond ring. But many of us enjoy getting them, just the same. I have one. Joan has one. Does that make either of us any less of a liberated woman in your eyes?”
    “No, of course not,” said Arliss, “I’m not opposed to rings or weddings or marriage in principle—just not for me.”
    “All right,” said Joan, “we can discuss this; we can, dear. But first, please, put that rock away somewhere safer than your pocket or put it on your finger.”
    “Okay,” said Arliss, reluctantly, placing the ring on her finger, “just until I decide what to do with it.” She put the ring on her right thumb and folded her other fingers over it.
    “Arliss,” said Pamela, “let me ask you this. Do you anticipate this living in sin relationship with Bob to continue indefinitely?”
    “I’d be happy if it did,” she replied.
    “Do you think that’s fair to Bob?” asked Pamela. “He obviously loves you and wants the two of you to be together permanently. If you reject him…”
    “I’m not rejecting him,” whined Arliss.
    “Maybe not,” added Joan, “but I’m sure it feels that way to him.”
    “What horrible catastrophe would occur if you married Bob?” asked Pamela.
    “I don’t know,” said Arliss. “But what good could come from it?”
    “Where are you living?” asked Pamela, glaring at Arliss.
    “You know where I live, Pam,” said Arliss, scowling, “you’ve been to my apartment enough times.”
    “You don’t live with Bob?” asked Joan, aghast.
    “No,” responded Arliss, “I have an apartment. You know that.”
    “And in your apartment you are not allowed to have pets,” said Pamela, ignoring Joan, “if I recall correctly.”
    “So?” replied Arliss defiantly.
    “Just a thought,” said Pamela, casually, “but if you and Bob were married, if you lived together, you might consider purchasing a house—maybe even a farmhouse—there are some nice ones on the outskirts of Reardon—where pets are not only