Free NAILED by Elaine Macko

me. “It’ll be nice to have dinner with some people who don’t consider members of my immediate family to be murdering miscreants.”
    I could hear the detective sigh behind me and I could tell he was counting to ten.
    “Alex,” he began as he sat next to me and scooted his chair closer. “I have a job to do. Do I think Michael is involved? Probably not, but even you must be a bit curious as to where he’s been. This is not normal Michael behavior. The guy is a straight arrow, but his daughter is being bullied and his wife is being touched inappropriately and blackmailed before their sunroom can pass inspection. Everyone has a breaking point. And the truth is we don’t know everything that’s going on with Sam and Michael.”
    I started to protest.
    “Wait a minute. I know you and your sister are close, but even you didn’t know how worried she’s been about him. Am I right?”
    I took a couple of seconds to think about this. “Okay. You’re right. I guess I don’t know everything.” I could feel tears stinging my eyes. “We tell each other everything. Or at least I thought so. And I had no idea Kendall was being bullied to the point of crying.”
    “Exactly. Let me do my job and whatever happens, we’ll deal with it. Together. So, what time tonight? Would it be better if I drive myself and meet you there? Or can you stand to be in the same car with me?” John had a slight smile tugging at his lips.
    “Be home by six. But I’m driving,” I said.
    “Fine.” He bent closer to me and kissed my cheek. “I do love you, you know. And your whole crazy family, too.”
    “You mean that?”
    He stood and touched my shoulder. “God help me.”

 
     
     
Chapter 20
     
     
    Of course he was right. I had no idea what was going on with my sister and there was no better time to find out than now. I headed my car toward the office and parked in the back next to Sam’s car. I walked into the office, said good morning to Millie and Marla, and headed straight for Sam’s office.
    “We need to talk,” I said.
    Sam straightened some things on her desk and looked at me. “Okay. What’s up? Did John tell you I’m free? I’m so happy. Mortified that I was being filmed the entire time I was acting like a fool, but at least my alibi was confirmed.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me Kendall was being bullied by Moshi? And why did I just in the last couple of days find out that you and Michael are having problems?”
    My sister had her hair pulled back into a high pony tail again, and a strand had dislodged itself from the band and hung down across her forehead. I would love to emulate this style, but with thin, very short hair, that was out of the question.
    “I didn’t know Michael and I were having problems. I’m not sure we are. He seems just fine when he comes home, almost giddy at times. I just don’t know where he is most of the day, and he’s giving me the runaround whenever I ask. As for Kendall, well, she and Moshi were close before Jenna died. As long as Jenna was around, Moshi was fine. If her father dropped her off at school, she became a brat. He let her get away with everything. Anyway, since Jenna died, Moshi’s been out of control and she’s been pushing Kendall around. And she got very angry over the part in the play. But, like I told Kendall, the girl’s mother just died. We need to give her time to come to grips with that. Afterward, I was hoping one of the teachers would be able to sort Vic out or at least Maddi, Moshi’s aunt, would step in and take control. I wasn’t condoning Moshi’s behavior, I was just giving her time.”
    “But Michael was really upset about it?” I asked.
    “Fathers and daughters. You remember. Mom was so strict and Dad, well, we had him twisted around our little fingers, didn’t we?”
    I laughed. “Yes we did. Still do.”
    “Exactly. Michael was just, well, pissed that Kendall was being mistreated, and by someone she considered a good friend. But the