6 - Pages of Sin

been formally invited, but still.
    Dad glanced at me. “You’re having lunch with Elaine?”
    “I assumed I was coming along.” I laughed and looked at Mom. “Am I?”
    “Of course you are.” She dabbed her lips with her napkin. “Otherwise, you’d badger me relentlessly.”
    “You know me so well,” I said with a smirk.
     
     
    After dinner, I drove up the mountain to visit my best friend, Robin, who had been living with my brother, Austin, for the past few months. I had met Robin the first day my family moved to Dharma over twentysomething years ago. We’d been instant friends ever since.
    Before moving back to Dharma, Robin lived in the Noe Valley district of San Francisco, not far from my loft in SOMA, and we saw each other all the time. But recently, during a murder investigation that hit too close to home for all of us, Austin realized how much he loved Robin. He’d asked her to move in with him and she had taken him up on it. So while I missed my best pal in the city, I was excited at the possibility of having her as a sister-in-law someday soon.
    The winding road to my brother’s house finally ended in a cul-de-sac at the top of a hill overlooking the grapevines of Dharma. It was still light out and I took a moment to appreciate how beautiful the view was up here.
    After the initial hugs and kisses, we sat around the bar that separated Austin’s kitchen from the large, open living room. Austin poured me a glass of wine and we all caught up on the latest news. Then my intelligent brother left the room so I could gossip and chat with my BFF for a while.
    “So I guess you’re happy,” I said in a mock pouting tone.
    Robin laughed. “You could say that. Austin’s more than halfway finished building my sculpting studio, and he just decided yesterday that we might as well add on two more bedrooms and a bathroom while he’s at it.”
    “Oh, my God, your cheeks are bright pink,” I said, then lowered my voice. “Did he ask you to . . .”
    Her smile was so radiant, it almost hurt to look at her. Within seconds, tears were spilling down my cheeks. I jumped up from the bar stool and looked around in a panic.
    “Tissues are on the sink,” she said, laughing.
    “Oh, my God.” I grabbed a handful and pressed them to my eyes, then blew my nose. Then I pulled her into a tight hug. “Oh, my God, I’m so happy for you.”
    “I’m happy, too. I can’t believe it.” She laughed and cried along with me. “We’re keeping it quiet for now because I know your mom will go insane with the news. We just want to keep a low profile until everything’s worked out.”
    “What’s to work out?” I asked.
    Some of her smile diminished. “My mom.”
    My smile faded, too. Robin had plenty of issues with her mother, who hadn’t exactly won any Mother of the Year awards while Robin was growing up. In fact, she was currently spending quality time talking to the federal authorities. But back in the day when her mother had been playing the world traveler, Robin had practically lived at my house. Not that I was complaining about it. We’d had a slumber party every night for years.
    “Okay, say no more,” I said. “But when you’re ready to tell my parents, be prepared for the party of the century.”
    “I know,” she said, her smile returning full force. “We’re both dying to tell them.”
    “They’re going to be thrilled.” I gave her another hug and sat down again. I filled her in on the situation at Wanda’s house, then told her about my book-repair class at the town library.
    “Is the class filled up yet?” she asked. “I want to go.”
    “Call them tomorrow. I’m sure there’s plenty of room. It’s just a book-repair class.”
    “Not if you’re teaching it. You’re legendary around here. Didn’t you know that?”
    “Oh, shut up.”
    “I’m not kidding. Ever since you solved Abraham’s murder, people have been talking about you. In a good way, I mean.”
    “You’re very funny.”
    She shrugged. “I try to tell them what a bizarre chick you are, but they don’t want to hear it. You’re their local hero.”
    I laughed. “I’ve missed you so much.”
    “I’ve missed you, too.”
    I glanced at my watch and reluctantly stood again. “I’d better get going. I don’t want Mom and Dad to worry about me driving at night.”
    “I’ll see you tomorrow night at the library.”
    “Really? You’ll come?”
    “Of course. And I promise not to make fun of you.”
    “Thank