she dialed Zeke’s lawyer and got a message machine. She left her cell phone number and a brief message, told him where Zeke was and why.
Almost out of the parking lot, Dena swung the car into another vacant spot, cursed the missing Bluetooth, and hit auto dial.
“Mom, how are you? You sound happy.”
“I am,” her mother said, and gave a short laugh. “A lady…a neighbor…popped in for coffee. How are you?”
Dena shook her head. That was a surprise. “Good. Um…I’m fine. This is just a quick call.” It was time to come clean. “I’m in the Palm Springs area, for an appointment with a new client. I’ll be home in a few days.”
“You’re in the desert?”
Dena heard the slight rise in her mother’s voice and winced. She’d known what the reaction would be but couldn’t handle any more evasions, plus she might be here for a while. She steeled herself. “Yes.”
“Your Aunt Ruth is coming to stay for a week,” her mother said in a rush of words. “She arrives tonight.”
That was interesting. Dena wondered when that had been arranged. What a piece of luck, although she knew that luck often came with problems. “I don’t want you to drive to the airport.”
“She booked a rental car.”
Fabulous! That would have been the last thing Dena would want, her mother doped up on medication driving to LAX. “That’s good. You’re happy about this? Last time you two argued and—”
“We made up. You know how sisters are.” Her mother’s voice went soft. “I fired the helper.”
“What? Why’d you do that?”
“I told you I don’t like her. Anyway, now I’ll have Ruthie.”
Dena checked her temper. “So how much do I need to pay the woman? Is there severance pay?”
“No. I gave her an extra hundred. She was glad to go.” Her mother laughed. “The woman probably danced all the way to her car—”
“Listen,” Dena said sharply, then quickly softened her tone. “I’ll be out of town for a few days but you can call anytime on my cell phone. Please, please, don’t argue with Ruthie. If you get steamed up, call me.”
“Sure, but we won’t be home much this week. Ruthie has all kinds of plans for us.”
Dena breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness her mother was doing fine, although she did sound breathless and giggly.
“Have fun. Give my love to Aunt Ruthie. I love you, Mom. ’Bye.”
Bless Aunt Ruthie. Her mother would be one less problem to worry about. She tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and eased back onto the road, deep in thought. Ruth was their only relative. How sad was that? Their family had almost shriveled up. Her mother had been spoiled by her father. Ruthie often had a problem with her sister’s self-centeredness, but deep down she loved her.
Dena figured she was more like Aunt Ruthie than her mother. But she was also a lot like her father. He’d been a big handsome man. Handsome was great for a man, but not so much for a woman. She’d always felt gawky around Carli and her mother. Not that she was that tall, she barely hit five-five, but compared to their five-two and delicate bone structure—
She ran a hand over her cheek, massaged the side of her face for a moment. Realized she had no idea where the Indio P.D. was. Next car she’d get a GPS, that’s for sure.
She laughed out loud. “Next car, hah, I’m unemployed. I’ve got a sick mother to take care of. I can’t even afford a bike.”
She pulled into a gas station and eased up alongside a Latino male who stood at the gas pump. The tires on his white truck were as tall as the top of her Mustang. He leered at her. He was the only customer.
“Excuse me,” she said. “Can you tell me where the Indio Police Station is?”
The man flashed a grin her way. “You in trouble…preeety lady?”
She didn’t have time for this, but replaced the beginnings of a scowl with a smile. “I’m picking up a friend.”
He leaned toward her window and she was thankful she’d let it down
Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy