Free Double Trouble by Deborah Cooke Page A

having loaded up the dishwasher for the day.
    And that made me mad. For better or for worse, my sister had spent eighteen years married to this guy and when she wanted out, he wouldn’t listen, because it wasn’t convenient.
    “No. No, I don’t know enough. And I don’t believe you, documentation to the contrary. It doesn’t add up. Where were you yesterday? I may not know much about law, but being a member of the Massachusetts Bar can’t get you anything in California. Where were you, really?”
    James assessed me carefully, clearly deciding how much to tell me. He evidently concluded that he’d have to cough up a bit more to get rid of me. “Not officially, but connections can help.”
    “Is that supposed to answer my question?”
    He sat back, eyes narrowed. “Did you ever meet my brother Zach?”
    “No. Wait. Isn’t he the one that Marcia didn’t want alone with the boys?”
    James nodded. “That would be Zach, the family black sheep.”
    “I thought he went off to Europe or something.” It was coming back to me now. “To be a photographer.”
    “He did. But he ran out of money, fiscal responsibility never having been one of his strengths, and came home just long enough to touch us all for a contribution. Matt and Philippa and I only realized that we’d all been hit after Zach was gone.”
    “Isn’t that what family is for?”
    “To Zach, at least. He went west and found trouble in record time. But then, that seems to be his gift.”
    There was something important here but I was going to have to do the math myself. “Why didn’t Marcia want him near the boys?”
    “Zach has a taste for pot,” James said matter-of-factly. “He’s not only a user, but he often deals in a small way. He’s done it for years but has a gift for landing on his feet. He’s unbelievably good at escaping the consequences of what he does. Marcia and I agreed about him not spending time alone with the boys.”
    “But California?”
    “An unusually close call for Zach. He was busted in a speed trap with a goodly stash. But again, he’s lucky. Turns out that the DA presiding over that jurisdiction was in my graduating class.”
    “You went to bat for him.” I was impressed by this, by the way, as I didn’t think James Coxwell did much of anything that wasn’t to his personal advantage. It wasn’t logical to do favors for your blood, it was sentimental. His next words proved my suspicions that he had mixed feelings.
    “Against my better judgment.” James sighed and frowned. “I don’t think he’ll change. In fact, one of these days, he’s going to run out of lives. But he is my brother, for better or for worse.”
    “The same way that Marcia is your wife, for better or for worse.”
    “Not for long now.” James was doubly grim and I couldn’t resist the urge to needle his sanctimonious self. Enough of the ‘surrounded by sinners’ shtick.
    “Oh, did my sister hurt your feewings, and weeve a booboo on your heart-ums? Poor Jimmy wimmy. What about her feelings? Maybe you failed her but not being the guy of her dreams, hmm?”
    I got a glare for that impertinence. “Marcia broke a covenant.”
    I raised my hands skyward. “And the divine vengeance of Coxwell & Coxwell, and the entire legal system of the state of Massachusetts, must be unleashed upon this Jezebel who dared to defy the authority of her man. How dare this witch disagree with the spoken word of her husband?” I leaned back, crossed my legs and wished I had a cigarette. It would have looked so good in this moment. “Give me a break.”
    James regarded me with displeasure. “Trust you to make a joke about something as important as this. Is there anything that matters to you, Maralys?”
    “Yes, but I can put my ego aside once in a while, unlike some people we know.” I bounced my booted foot. “You don’t like being tossed back, is that it? Hurts your pride to be chucked out like old fish? Or is it just that you always get your own