Free Innocent Murderer by Suzanne F. Kingsmill

about you,” because she went on the offensive right away.
    â€œLook at you sissies. All in bathing suits for god’s sake.”
    â€œI should point out to you,” said Martha, “that this is a coed sauna and nudity is not a bright idea.”
    Terry smirked at Martha. “Scared?”
    â€œYou bet. In case you haven’t noticed I’m not thirty-six, twenty-four, thirty-six.”
    â€œOh, I’ve noticed alright. But in case you haven’t noticed, it’s women’s night. Or hadn’t you wondered why there weren’t any men?”
    I think we all felt like taking off our suits then and there, but Terry’s smirk would have just got bigger and more carnivorous, so we didn’t.
    Terry snorted and moved over to take her place by Sally, who had to move over to make way. We were crammed like sardines and I was getting really hot. I couldn’t figure out how on earth Sally and Sandy could stand the sauna for so long. I was only staying out of curiosity. Maybe they were too.
    Terry sat on the top tier and scanned the room, look – ing at each of us in turn, as if we were insect specimens.
    As she got to Sally she suddenly recoiled. “Jesus, Sally.
    What the hell’s the matter with you?” We all looked at Sally who had managed to dry up her tears and was looking pretty normal. Sally frowned and said nothing.
    â€œYour necklace, girl. For god’s sake, can’t you feel it?”
    Sally looked down at the cross around her neck as if she had never seen it before. She picked it up and quickly dropped it, looking at her fingers in surprise. Sandy moved closer to Sally and amid some ouches and ows got the necklace off and unceremoniously dropped it on the cedar bench. There was a red cross on her skin and no one said anything, but you could feel the question on every lip: “Why didn’t you feel it?” Just showed how far gone she was over Arthur, I figured.
    â€œJesus. What kind of a person wears a bloody neck – lace into a sauna?” asked Terry. No one said anything.
    â€œTalk about dumb.”
    In response Sally looked up in despair and said, “But it’s so hard to be Sally.” She gulped, looking like she’d swallowed a big hunk of sorrow, or had quietly gone mad.
    â€œWhat I mean is it’s hard to be me, hard to be Sally when Arthur is gone. I don’t feel anything.” She looked around at the rest of us and made an effort to smile. “I just thought I’d found the right guy you know?”
    Elizabeth and Tracey exchanged glances and Terry rolled her eyes. “Oh Lord, stop crying over spilt milk.”
    Sally jerked her head up and whispered. “At least with spilt milk you can lap it up, so nothing’s wasted. This is not spilt milk.”
    â€œOkay, so it’s spilt milk on sand. What’s the difference? Your analogy stinks. If you think you’re unique, think again. We’ve all been through it.” Terry looked around at the rest of us but no one said anything, no one nodded either. It was as if we were isolating her by refusing to agree with what we all knew was the truth. I wondered why.
    Suddenly Sally stood up and lurched for the door. Terry smiled and caught her by the arm. I didn’t see what passed between them because Sandy suddenly stood up and blocked my vision.
    Martha grabbed my arm. Terry looked at Martha. “Is it possible that you have no idea what you look like in that thing?”
    Martha daintily opened the sauna door wider and gracefully walked out, calling over her shoulder, “Is it possible that you have no idea what you just said?”
    As I left I looked back at Terry, who languidly raised her hand as if giving me permission to leave. “I cannot believe that you are going to jump in the pool in your bathing suits,” she said. “Bunch of cowards.”
    â€œNow for the good part,” Martha said as we trooped out the changing