Free Don't Cry Now by Joy Fielding

Rod said evenly.
    â€œAre there any other policies I should be aware of, Mr. Wheeler?” the police captain asked.
    â€œI have life insurance policies on my entire family,” Rod told him.
    â€œIncluding your current wife and children?” Captain Mahoney pulled his notepad from his rear pocket.
    Bonnie’s back stiffened at the word current , as if her position was merely transitional and might shift at any moment.
    â€œEveryone,” Rod answered.
    â€œDouble indemnity?” asked Captain Mahoney.
    Rod nodded. “I believe so.”
    Sam appeared in the hallway, his guitar slung over one shoulder, the large snake wrapped across his neck and arms like a fur stole, its forked tongue flicking menacingly into the air. “I’ll need some help with the tank,” he said.

7
    B onnie stood by the side of her bed and stared at the phone for several long seconds before lifting the receiver, then hesitated again before pressing in the appropriate numbers. “Please be there,” she whispered. “It’s after midnight. I’m so tired. Where have you been all night?”
    The phone was on its sixth ring when it was finally picked up. “Yes?” the woman’s voice said clearly. Not “hello,” but “yes.” Almost as if she’d been expecting Bonnie to call.
    â€œAdeline…” Bonnie began.
    â€œBonnie, is that you?”
    Bonnie felt a wave of panic, surprised the woman had identified her so quickly, understanding it was too late to turn back now. “I need to speak to my father.”
    â€œIs something wrong?”
    â€œI just need to speak to my father.”
    â€œI’m afraid he can’t come to the phone right now. His stomach has been acting up. Do you want to tell me what this is about?”
    â€œActually, it’s really Nick I need to talk to. Is he there?”
    There was silence.
    â€œAdeline, is my brother there? Tell me.”
    â€œHe’s not here.”
    Bonnie took a deep breath. “You know I wouldn’t be calling if this weren’t very important.”
    â€œI assumed as much, since this is the first time we’ve heard from you in over three years.”
    Bonnie closed her eyes. She was too tired to go into all this now. “Look, I just need to get a hold of Nick.”
    â€œAll I can do is give him the message you called,” Adeline said.
    Bonnie pictured the woman on the other end of the phone. She was little, barely five feet tall, with soft blue eyes, short gray hair, and a will of iron. At almost seventy years old, she was still a formidable force, even over the phone. Bonnie was no match for her, never had been, she conceded, smiling sadly at Rod as he walked into the room, watching him unbutton his shirt. “Fine. Just tell my father I called,” Bonnie said. “Tell him it’s extremely important that I speak to Nick as soon as possible.”
    â€œI’ll give him your message.”
    â€œThank you,” Bonnie said, although the woman had already hung up. “Tell me this is all a bad dream,” she instructed her husband, as he came forward to wrap her in his arms.
    â€œThis is all a bad dream,” he said, obligingly, kissing her forehead, taking the phone from her hand and returning it to its carriage.
    â€œThe kids settled?”
    â€œMore or less.” He kissed the side of her cheek.
    â€œI’ll go say goodnight to them.”
    â€œI think I’d leave them be,” Rod advised gently, his voice wrapping around her ankles, like an anchor, securing her in place.
    â€œI just want them to know that I’m here for them.”
    â€œThey know,” he told her. “And they’ll come around. Just give them a little time, a little space.”
    She nodded, hoping he was right.
    â€œLet’s get to bed.”
    â€œMy father might be calling….”
    â€œI didn’t say we had to go to sleep.” Rod’s lips