Bitter Sweets

Mistakes like that could leave her dead.

    She was getting old and sloppy...at least, complacent. Not a comforting realization.

    If she were smart, Savannah knew that she would turn on her heel and march away from the door, tell Brian O’Donnell where his sister lived, wish him luck-he would need it-and collect her money.

    But she didn’t work that way.

    Why? Because she was a compassionate, caring person.

    Or maybe just stupid. Time would tell.

    “Lisa,” she said in what she hoped was her most cajoling, soothing tone. “I’m not here to cause you trouble of any kind, really. I just-”

    “I know why you’re here. He hired you, just like he hired all the other ones.”

    “He? He who?”

    “Earl, my ex-husband. He wants to kill me and kidnap my daughter. He’s certainly threatened to often enough.” Anger blazed in her eyes, but beneath the fury, Savannah saw the fear, the pain. Lisa shook her head and for a moment, Savannah thought she might start to cry. “I don’t understand,” the woman said. “How can you people help someone like that?”

    Savannah’s heart went out to the woman, in spite of the weapon pointed at her. In Lisa Mallock’s shoes, stalked by a vengeful ex, with a child to protect, she might do the same thing.

    No “might.” She would.

    “I’m not working for Earl,” Savannah told her. “I’ve never met him, I swear. The man who hired me is Brian O’Donnell, your natural brother. He wants very badly to get in touch with you.”

    For a brief moment the woman’s eyes softened, a look of hope crossed her face, but it quickly dissolved into bitterness. “It’s Earl, all right. He lied to you.”

    “I don’t think so. He’s a fat guy with dark brown hair, blue eyes and a beard, right?”

    “No, kinda skinny with dark red hair, like yours and Christy’s, and brown eyes. No beard. Just a curly mustache. Looks like a barbershop quartet tenor.”

    For the first time, the hand that held the gun began to tremble. Savannah was immensely relieved to see Lisa lower the pistol to her side.

    “Really?” Lisa’s eyes searched hers, begging her to be telling the truth.

    Holding up two fingers, Savannah said solemnly, “Scout’s honor.”

    “Were you ever a Girl Scout?”

    Savannah shrugged and gave her a sheepish grin. “No, but I was a Blue Bird for six months in ‘62 .”

    “Close enough.” She opened the door wider. “Come on in.”

    Usually, Savannah refused any form of refreshment when conducting an investigation in someone’s home. But the fresh peanut butter and M&M cookies on the kitchen table were too great a temptation to be denied.

    “I put the candies on myself,” Christy bragged, still prancing around in her regal, fairy queen attire. “Four on each one and all different colors.”

    “I can see that. You did an excellent job.” Savannah smiled at her and once again felt the twang of loss. Dang those biological urges, she thought. “You’re almost as good a baker as you are a dancer.”

    Christy blushed with pride, but Lisa seemed less affected by her comments. Silently, she stepped over to the stove and poured two mugs of coffee. Joining them at the table, she slid onto a chair across from Savannah, pushing some piles of bills aside.

    Overdue...considering the red envelopes. But then, Savannah wasn’t going to judge the woman. Recently, her own phone had been scheduled for disconnection, and she had been granted a reprieve only by the grace of Brian O’Donnell’s retainer.

    With only a modicum of civility, Lisa shoved the mug of coffee across the table at Savannah.

    “Chris, go to your room now and play or something. This lady and I have some business to discuss.”

    Christy’s face crumpled into a pout, her bottom lip protruding to the extreme that Savannah thought pigeons might have been tempted to perch on it. “I don’t wanna play right now,” the child said, casting a curious look at Savannah.

    “Then go into my room and watch television.”

    “I’m not supposed to watch TV until I have all my homework done.”

    “So, do your homework first... in your room.”

    “But...but it’s that hard stuff... long division .. . and you said you’d help me. I can’t do it by myself.”

    “Christina Louise.”

    “Okay, I’m going. I’m going.”

    Savannah wiped her hand across her lips, trying to hide her smile as the once-graceful pageant queen stomped away to her bedroom, ruffles bouncing