Blue Smoke

their smoke alarms ringing. I guess it’s an awful mess inside. She won’t care for that.”
    “Sorry?”
    “I only meant Ella Parker—the woman who lives there—she likes things just so. We have the same housekeeper, though I only use Annie once a month since I’m not working outside the home right now. Ella’s fussy. She’d be as upset about the mess as she would the fire. That doesn’t sound kind,” Shari added after a moment. “I don’t mean to sound callous.”

    “Do you and Mrs. Parker get along?”
    “Well enough.” Reena heard the reservation in her voice, stayed quiet. “We’re friendly without being friends,” she added after that long silence. “My middle boy plays with her oldest now and then.”
    She shifted her feet, looked uncomfortable when Reena only nodded. “Do you really think this was arson, not just an accident?”
    “We haven’t made that determination.”
    “Oh lord, oh hell. I guess I’d better say Ella and I had some words a few weeks ago. God.” She rubbed a hand at her neck. “I don’t want the police thinking I had anything to do with this.”
    “Why would we?”
    “Well, we had some strong words, and we have the same housekeeper, and our kids played together. I’m the one who called nine-one-one. I was talking to my husband about this last night, and he says I’m looking for trouble. But I can’t get it off my mind.”
    “Why don’t you tell me what you had words about.”
    “The boys. Her Trevor and my Malcomb.” She blew out a breath. “I caught them hooking school three weeks back. Idiots. It was a pretty day so I decided to walk to school and pick my youngest up, thought I’d take her to the park, let her run off some of that steam she’s always full of. And there they were, the two of them, running across the street to the park. Well, I can tell you I hauled off after them, put a bug in their ear and marched them both right to school.”
    Reena allowed herself a smile. An adult female to adult female expression. “Bet they were surprised to see you.”
    “Didn’t have enough sense to keep out of sight. You’re going to play hooky, at least do a good job of it.” She shook her head. “When Ella got home from work, I went over—with my boy—to fill her in. Before I know it, she’s saying it’s my kid’s fault, and how I didn’t have any right to put hands on her boy.”
    She spread those hands now. “All I did was take his hand and march him to school, where he belonged. I’d appreciate someone who looked after my kid that way, wouldn’t you?”

    “Yes. Yes, I would. But Mrs. Parker was upset.”
    “Pissed off is what she was. So I had words right back at her, saying next time I saw him on the street during school hours, I’d just walk right by. We said more, but you get the idea.”
    “Can’t blame you for being upset,” Reena prompted. “You were only trying to do the right thing.”
    “And got told to mind my own business. Which if I had, her damn house would’ve burned down. Boys haven’t played with each other since, and I’m sorry about it. But I can’t have Malc running around as he pleases. According to him, it wasn’t the first time Trevor had taken a school holiday, and he was scared enough to tell me the truth.”
    “He claims Trevor skips school routinely?”
    “Oh, hell. I don’t want to get that child in any more trouble.”
    “It’d be better for him, for everyone, if we had the facts, Mrs. Nichols. The more you can tell me, the quicker we can get all this put to rest.”
    “Well. Oh well. I don’t know about routine, but my boy says Trevor takes off occasionally, and talked him into joining the party this time. Doesn’t excuse what Malc did, and he’s been righteously punished for it. For the last three weeks I’ve been walking him to school every morning, picking him up every afternoon. Not much else humiliates a nine-year-old boy more than having his mama walk him to and from school.”
    “My mother did the same with my brother once. He was twelve. I don’t think he’s lived it down yet.”
    “Parents ought to be more worried about doing their job instead of being best pals with their kids, you ask me.”
    “Is that the way it is next door?”
    “Now I’m just gossiping,” Shari replied. “Not that I have anything against gossip. I’ll say I don’t see much discipline. But that’s just my opinion, which my husband tells me I express much too often. Trevor runs a little wild,