“And you get I just want him to be happy?”
“I do.”
“So here’s the thing. Here’s what we came here to tell you, and I figure maybe if I say it, you’ll buy it, because I clearly don’t like you, and I honestly kind of want to punch you in the ovaries for hurting him, got it?”
“Um…”
“Alex would never have let that story slip. I know you thought he might be behind it, but you’re looking at the wrong person. All any of us has heard since he met you in February is Alice this and Alice that, and I have never seen Alex this excited about anyone. That was Olivia on the phone, I’m guessing?”
Hearing her daughter’s name out of Ricki’s mouth set Alice on edge. “Why?”
“He’s told us all about her. I think the only chick he talks about more than you is her. I never figured him for a dad type, but you should hear the way he talks about her. Man.” Ricki shrugged again. “I guess my point is, he…loves you. He loves you. And he loves that kid. And he wouldn’t do anything to fuck that up.” Alex’s sister stared at her, then recrossed her arms.
“I’m not sure what to say,” Alice admitted.
“He loves you,” Ricki repeated, like Alice hadn’t heard her. “And he wouldn’t do anything to fuck that up.”
“Okay,” Alice whispered, her voice shuddering.
“And neither should you.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Kevin was still up when Alice got home, and the look on his face told her she wasn’t done having serious talks for the night.
Before he could speak up she interrupted with, “Can it wait until tomorrow?”
“I think you might want to hear it now.”
She dumped her purse and apron inside the door. The air conditioner in her car was broken again, and even with the windows down the ride home had been hot and miserable. Her uniform shirt was sticking to her, and all she wanted to do was have a cool shower and get into bed.
“Will it make my day better or worse?”
He contemplated her question seriously. “I really don’t know. But I’m guessing worse.”
Alice heaved a sigh. “Fine. Hit me with it.” She was expecting…well, she didn’t know what to expect. That he was having issues with his meds? That the hospital had called to say the payments hadn’t gone through for the insane bills from the accident? There was any number of things he could have said to make her day worse.
“After you called, the phone rang off the hook. Lots of people asking for your comment on the whole fight.”
Alice was rankled. Her number was listed. She’d never thought about being a target for harassing phone calls before. Even after the Alex story had broken they’d petered off pretty quickly. Was she going to have to change her number now?
“That’s not it,” Kevin interrupted, probably seeing her cheeks redden in frustration. “I took the phone off the hook after the second one. Didn’t want them waking up Liv after I got her into bed. But, um…well, I listened to the messages.”
“Yeah?”
“I erased most of them, but there’s one you’re going to want to hear.”
“Why?” Was it from Alex? No, he would have called her cell. So would Matt, though the chances of him reaching out were slim to none.
“Just listen to it.” He walked her over to the answering machine where the message light was blinking with a red “1”. Once Kevin hit play, he stepped backwards, as if wanting to leave her alone with the message.
“Hi, this is Carmen Murphy from Sports Insider Daily. Misty, I’m wondering if you had any sort of insight on what happened today? We’d love to do a follow-up piece. If you had something we could use, we’d offer you the same bonus as last time. Give me a call, you have my number.”
Alice was frozen in place, her hands shaking.
“Did she…?”
“Yeah.” Kevin assured her she hadn’t imagined things, but even still, Alice hit the play button again.
“Hi, this is Carmen Murphy from Sports Insider Daily. Misty—”
Alice hit play again.
“Hi, this is Carmen Murphy from Sports Insider Daily. Misty—”
She didn’t need to hear it again. Alice had a generic voicemail—she’d long ago removed the one of her and Liv after reading a report that some burglars would target the homes of single women. Now a computer-generated voice informed callers no one was available.
There would be no way for Carmen Murphy to know it wasn’t Misty’s house she was calling.
Misty.
Alice’s own goddamn mother.
She turned to look at Kevin, and the expression on her face must have been one of intense rage because Kevin paled at the sight of her. “Jesus, Al.”