Free Out of the Shadow by J. K. Winn

head.
    "We’ll put a tag on one of the phones; see if we can find out anything." Sally stood. "Okay, that’s it for today. Stay where we can get hold of you if we need to. It might be a good idea to get yourself a lawyer. Your call, but it can’t hurt."
    Becca cringed. Every shred of evidence the police uncovered seemed to point in her direction. Eerie. As though fate, like the manipulative chess-playing personification of death in an Ingmar Bergman film, had stepped in to rearrange the crime scene.
    She returned to her car, wondering again whether she’d be the one to take the rap. The police had her in their sights and didn’t seem to be actively seeking out another suspect. At this thought, her head throbbed with a ringing in her ears that sounded more and more like an emergency alarm.
     
     
    Becca smoothed down the skirt of her sapphire-blue dress with painted nails, and adjusted the faux fur wrap that had shifted down her upper arm. Already reluctant to join the party on the other side of the stately carved, oak double-doors leading into her parents' house, an uproarious guffaw, followed by giddy voices, only magnified her resistance. She had failed to come up with a plausible excuse for not attending her parents' soirée, which obligated her to make an appearance, but was considering bowing out anyway when a couple started up the steps behind her. Concerned they might recognize her and report her defection to Julie - which she would never hear the end of - she opened the door as inconspicuously as possible and slipped into the foyer.
    No matter how invisible she tried to make herself, Julie still spotted her in the entranceway, and rushed over to wrap her in an unexpectedly warm hug after the recent tension between them.
    "You’re here at last! I’ve been waiting for you."
    Breaking free of the embrace, she placed her cape on an ornately carved bench.
    Julie appraised her. "You look lovely! Come. I’d like to show you off to my guests." With a hand under Becca’s elbow, Julie guided her through the family room, stopping every few feet to make small talk with a relative or an old friend.
    The reactions Becca encountered failed to surprise her, but still made her feel uncomfortable. Neither Bea nor Jay Schecter would make eye contact with her when inquiring about how she was doing. Jay shuffled from one foot to the other, while Bea mumbled a couple of questions. Equally awkward was Barney Samuels’ attempt to put her at ease, giving her a half-hug at arm’s length. He must have figured she was too fragile for the real thing.
    After another one of these bungling exchanges with her elderly Aunt Sadie, Becca was beside herself with a desire to flee. With Julie engrossed in a conversation nearby, she prepared herself to make an excuse and head for the exit, only to spot her favorite cousin approaching.
    Janet flung her arms around Becca and whispered in her ear, "I’m glad you’re here. Save me from this maddening crowd."
    Finally, someone who treated her like a real person and not like one of her mother’s expensive and irreplaceable china plates! "You’re the one who better rescue me. I can’t stand another moment of this."
    Janet glanced over at Julie, still chatting up Gail Samuels. "Think you can break free from your Siamese twin?"
    Becca shook her head. "Not for long. But while I have a moment, tell me how you’re doing."
    "You’re the one who’s been through it lately. You go first. I’m all ears," Janet said.
    "And more hugs, I hope."
    As though to prove her availability, Janet embraced her again. "I’m here for you, kiddo, and don’t you ever forget it."
    Thank goodness for Janet. She single-handedly made it possible to remain a little longer. Becca gladly shared her recent experiences with Janet, with only minor editing to minimize the gore and unpleasantness. She didn’t want to put a damper on the festive mood. She then encouraged Janet to do the same. They were in the midst of catching up