Annie grinned ruefully. “That’s exactly what did happen.”
“Uh-oh. Is everything OK out there?”
“I’m not sure. His wife didn’t come to the door, and when I went around to the backyard, she was standing in the trees where I couldn’t see her.”
“That’s strange. She’s not, um … different, is she?” Mary Beth asked. “I mean, poor thing, maybe she just has issues.”
Annie shook her head. “No, she seemed perfectly rational to me. But she was nervous about something. Didn’t you think so, Alice?”
“Yeah. Mostly about her husband showing up.”
“That did seem to make things worse.” Annie considered for a minute. “I wonder if anybody in town is actually friends with him. Maybe I should talk to Wally, since they’ve worked together and everything.”
“That’s a good idea,” Mary Beth said. “Though you know how men are. They can be friends for years and not know a thing about each other.”
Alice made a face. “And good luck getting one of them to talk.”
Annie laughed. “Now, now, you both know that’s not fair. My Wayne wasn’t that way at all. And every time I’ve been around Ian, he’s been very nice to talk to.”
Alice and Mary Beth exchanged knowing glances, and Annie rolled her eyes.
“Cut it out, you two. You know Ian and I are just friends.”
Alice chuckled. “That’s not his fault.”
“Just stop.” Annie turned to Mary Beth. “So when are the new screws for your cabinets supposed to get here?”
Mary Beth sighed. “They don’t know. Evidently there’s a problem with them at the factory, and they have to be redesigned or something.”
“But then you’ll have Tom come back, right?”
Alice’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “You’re not going back out there!”
“I didn’t get a chance to talk to Sandy. Not really.”
“Annie …”
“You saw her. Something is worrying her.”
“Maybe that something is just none of our business. Did you ever think of that? Maybe her mother is sick, or she had an argument with her sister or something. Maybe her flower beds have grub worms, or her toilet’s stopped up.”
“Her husband would fix that.” Annie grinned. “When he had time.”
“Look, he made it very clear that they don’t like visitors. Maybe we should just respect that.”
Annie put her hands up in surrender. “OK. OK.”
For now.
****
“Mom, please be careful.”
Over the telephone, Annie could hear the concern in LeeAnn’s voice and could easily picture it on her face.
“Nothing’s going to happen to me, honey. Just because Mr. Maxwell likes his privacy, that doesn’t mean he’s dangerous. It’s been three days since I went out there, and I’m still in one piece.”
“I don’t think I like you up there snooping around by yourself.”
“You just don’t like me up here at all.” Annie bit her tongue and managed a more playful tone. “The boogeyman isn’t going to get me, you know.”
“Mom.”
It was LeeAnn’s “now that Dad’s gone, you need somebody to take care of you” voice. Annie appreciated the love behind it, even if it was sometimes confining.
“Honey, I’m a big girl now. I can look after myself.”
“I know, but there are some weird people out there. You should know that better than anybody.”
“And I have a lot of good friends up here too. We all take care of each other and help when we need to. It’s only right that I try to help Mrs. Maxwell if I can.”
“If she’s in trouble, maybe you should tell the police.”
“But I don’t know that, honey. And getting somebody’s husband in trouble with the law isn’t usually the best way to make friends.”
“Mom, if they don’t want you to come around there, and you don’t think she’s actually in trouble, maybe you should just leave them alone, huh?”
Maybe LeeAnn was right, but she hadn’t seen Sandy Maxwell’s face. Behind the uneasiness, the woman had seemed hungry for a little companionship. If she and her husband had lived out there for almost a decade, keeping to themselves all that time, she must be dying to talk to someone, woman to woman, at least once in a while.
“We’ll see what happens,” Annie replied. “But you don’t need to worry about it.”
LeeAnn exhaled audibly. “OK. You’re coming home for Herb’s birthday though, right?”
“Did you get the package I sent?”