Those men at the funeral. They were cops, werent they? Celia asked.
I nodded.
Celia lowered her eyes. I thought Margaret said it was an accident.
An accident?
Why would homicide attend the funeral if they thought it was an accident?
That had to be wrong.
Obviously, Celia was thinking the same thing because she said, Why would the police come to her funeral?
I dont know, I admitted.
I felt her eyes on me.
I changed topics. Were you Helenes midwife?
She looked at me curiously. No. Helene didnt have any children.
No children?
I thought she founded the mommy group with Margaret, I said.
Did she? Celia shrugged. I guess she was very anxious to be a part of the group. I think she really wanted to get pregnant, but well, we dont always get what we want, huh?
That made no sense. Why hang out with a mommy group if you werent one?
I had grieved for children who I thought lost their mother last night. Turned out I was wrong.
What about her family? Parents? Siblings?
I think her parents passed away a while ago. I dont know. I dont think she had any siblings either. Maybe thats why she wanted to have kids so bad. Its hard not to have a family. Celia indicated an exit from the freeway. Thats our exit.
We pulled up to Bruces parents estate in Hillsborough, a beautiful wooded community just south of San Francisco. As I parked, Margaret emerged from the house. She rushed down the pebbled path toward my car and appeared at my driver side window.
Oh my goodness! Im so glad you have Celia! I wasnt thinking back there, Celia. I didnt mean to leave you, Margaret said.
Celia flashed a brilliant smile. No worries. Kate was kind enough to give me a lift.
Ill take you home. I promise, Margaret said.
We climbed out of the car and walked in unison on the path toward the house, then single-filed into the grand entrance. Approximately thirty people mingled about the living room. It was a catered affairno meatball sandwiches, but still a nice layout.
Celia made her way to a table that was doubling as a bar and spoke with the man serving wine.
Margaret joined her husband and Sara in a corner of the room. The three quietly balanced their plates and picked sparingly at their food.
Witnessing their grief made my appetite vanish.
I spotted Helenes husband, Bruce, hovering near the back door looking like he wanted to escape. His head hung a bit and his shoulders slumped, emanating a deep sadness.
I joined him at the doorway. Bruce, I am so sorry for your loss.
He studied me a moment, his eyes penetrating and dark, then looked out the window of the back door at the garden. I followed his gaze and watched as the wind bent branches on the willow tree in the garden.
Thank you for coming, he said.
I nodded, feeling awkward. Another guest joined us and gave her condolences to Bruce. I didnt have any more to add to the conversation, so I slipped away.
My breasts were burning and I longed to be home with Laurie and Jim. I glanced at my watch. I had now been away from home for three hours. Time to go.
I looked around for Celia to make sure she had a ride home. I watched as she sauntered up to Bruce. She held two wineglasses and offered him one. Bruce smiled widely, and when he took the glass, their hands brushed and both flushed.
Bruce looked around the room, then said something to Celia. They exchanged words in a hushed tense tone. I was out of earshot but their conversation certainly looked intimate. I glanced around. Nobody seemed to be paying any attention to them.
What was going on?
Celia looked away from Bruce. He glanced in my direction. I avoided his gaze by perusing the buffet. He reached for her elbow and drew her in closer. He whispered into her ear and, with a final look over his shoulder, guided her out the back door to the garden.
Hmmm.
Could they be having an affair?
CHAPTER SIX
Batting 100
To Do:
1. ?
2. ?
3. Find good how to book for PI business.
4. Exercise.
5. Plan Thanksgiving dinner.
6. What happened to Helene?
7. Exercise!!!
Several days had passed since the funeral, and I spent the time alternately fretting between what had happened to Helene and trying to forget about it. This morning Jim was working in our home office and I was in charge of Laurie, who was being extremely needy. Every time I put her down for a nap, she cried. Now she was overtired and as fussy as could be. I wanted to work out, but it seemed impossible to detangle myself from her.
I decided to put her into the front-facing baby carrier and do squats. Multitasking made me feel good anyway. What better way to live? Be a great mom and get in shape at the same time! Wonderful!
The phone rang, interrupting my second set of squats. Hey, I could add a third thingmothering, exercising, and talking on the phone. I was a multitasker extraordinaire.