Free The Saucy Lucy Murders by Cindy Keen Reynders Page B

better she didn’t know what her daughter had planned. The girl was eighteen. Even mothers had to let go some time. But maybe if she changed the subject, Eva would forget about the plea for cash.
    She took a deep breath. “I take it you’re not coming home this weekend?”
    “No. Zoe and I are going hiking in the mountainswith a couple of guys tomorrow. Then on Sunday we’re going to do some research at the library together.”
    “Zoe’s your roommate, right?”
    “Right?”
    “Right.”
    “And the guys are …?”
    “Just guys, Mom. They live in the same dorm.”
    “I see.” Ah, the joys of watching your baby girl go off to a co-ed dorm at college. Would wonders never cease?
    “Lighten up, Mom. It’s not like I’m gonna run away and get married. We all just figured we’d get out and enjoy the warm fall weather. Living in the dorms gets intense, you know? And it smells weird, too. Kind of stinky and moldy.”
    “You’re not dating either of these guys?”
    “No way. They’re both dweebs. But one of them has a cool four-wheel truck. So about that fifty dollars …”
    Darn. Eva, precious child that she had always been, was not so easily distracted. “I’ll get it to you in the mail tomorrow.”
    “Thanks, Mom. I’ll pay you back.”
    “Don’t worry about it, dear.” Lexie knew Eva’s part-time job at the college bookstore didn’t pay much. “Just make sure that cause of yours really is worthy.”
    “Oh, it is, Mom. It totally is.”
    Lexie replaced the phone in its cradle, wondering about Eva. The girl’s transfer from high schoolto college seemed to have gone smoothly and it appeared Eva was enjoying her higher education experience. It was just that with her being so far away, Lexie couldn’t physically see her daughter every day and gauge how things were going.
    For the first time since she was born, Lexie had to loosen the apron strings and trust Eva would make good choices. She had to trust she’d instilled good morals and provided a decent enough upbringing so the girl wouldn’t wind up doing something crazy, dangerous, or stupid.
    Right now, she wished Dan was still with her to discuss her fears and their daughter’s future. But that wouldn’t happen now. Dan’s brain had left earth and landed on a whole new planet. Planet Davina. Lexie knew he didn’t think much about Eva these days.
    Lexie’s friend back in California had sent her a card a few days ago updating her on happenings in her old neighborhood and the news that Dan and Davina’s baby girl had been born. Leave it to Dan to let his daughter learn about her new sibling through a former neighbor, rather than talk with her himself.
    Then again, maybe Dan planned on calling Eva. Did he still have a shred of human decency left in his shriveled, maimed heart?
Maybe donkeys really do fly,
a small voice told her. No, more than likely, Dan would leave the task to her. Lexie would be the one doing damage control. Eva would be hurt hearing the news second hand.
    How could a little girl who had been the appleof her daddy’s eye not be hurt? Even if she was all grown up and in college?
    Damn you Dan Lightfoot. Damn you to hell.
    Suddenly Lexie remembered she had a dinner date with the law. She glanced at her watch again, seeing she had five minutes to make it over to Mac-Greggor’s Pub for dinner with Stevenson. Mentally reminding herself to get a check to Eva in the mail tomorrow, she inspected her makeup one last time. Oops, maybe she’d overdone it a little.
    I look like Barbie on Prozac.
    But there was no time to worry about that. She put on her leather jacket and headed downstairs. Locking the door, she hustled to the garage and her truck, heels clicking like little steel nails being hammered into her coffin.
    As she started up the old wreck, hearing the strange, but familiar, rat-a-tat-tat in the engine, she hoped Otis wasn’t patrolling the streets. She’d have to step on it a little to get to MacGreggor’s by six and she