Down Home and Deadly

visible reaction to Debbie’s name. So I forged on. “You and Debbie met J.D. at the same time, right?”
    “Yes, so?”
    “What did Debbie think about him?”
    “She thought what every woman who met him thought — that he was hot. And she was right.”
    “Do you think she was put out that he chose you instead of her? I mean, y’all met him at the same time, you both thought he was attractive, but he chose you.”
    “Well, come on. I mean, I love Debbie and all, but look at her and look at me. Can you see any guy choosing her when I’m available?” She smirked. “No. J.D. was mine for as long as I wanted him. I just had to decide whether I wanted him or if I was going back to Larry.”
    She really was totally self-centered. “Speaking of Larry, ” I said. I sort of felt odd calling him Larry. I’d always hear him referred to as Lawrence, but Bob and Lisa both called him Larry, so I decided to follow their example . “How did he feel about you and J.D.?”
    “Poor Larry.” Lisa lost some of her composure. “That’s my biggest fear.” She swiped at a tear. It even looked real. Maybe there was a heart in there somewhere. “He was so jealous. What if he decided to have it out with J.D. and just lost control? I don’t think I could bear to be the wife of a murderer.” She shivered and continued. “Besides , if Larry killed J.D., it was partly my fault. He was always possessive. That’s one reason I left him. I just had to have some breathing room.”
    “Oh. I thought—” I came to a stop.
    “You thought what?” Comprehension washed over her face. “Ooh. Dad told you that story I told him. About how Larry was abusive. Well, I had to say something. Dad adores me. But he expects me to stay married unless I have a good reason not to. So I gave him a good reason.” She shrugged.
    I just shook my head. This girl was the queen of situation ethics.
    “I’m curious about something.” I hadn’t planned to ask this question, but now that I was here, I had to know.
    “What about?”
    “Rumor has it that there was a towel under your car seat with J.D.’s blood on it. Do you know how it got there?”
    She frowned. “I heard that , too, but I had no idea it was there.”
    “Wonder how it got there?”
    “Well, Sherlock, I suppose it had to be either one of two things. Either J.D. cut himself shaving or something and stuffed the towel under there himself. Or someone planted it.”
    I ignored her ‘Sherlock’ dig in favor of getting information. “Which do you think happened?”
    She shrugged. “Since someone stole my gun, my guess is the same person planted the towel in my car. I just can’t figure out who would want to hurt me like that.” She reached over and rubbed Fluffy’s head. “Or hurt my precious baby, either.”
    “They hurt your dog?” I asked, eyeing the tiny ball of fluff. Other than occasionally baring its teeth, it looked fine to me.
    She put her hands over the dog’s ears. “Fluffy’s not just a dog. She’s my baby.” I was wrong. Lisa wasn’t totally self-centered. After all, she had spared a thought for her “ baby .” “And if I’m upset, she gets upset.”
    “I understand.” I had a neurotic cat didn’t I? “Some animals are sensitive to their master’s moods.” And I’m sure if any animal was sensitive , it would be Fluffy. And Lisa probably had more moods than most.
    “I think I’ll call Dad and have him take Fluffy out to Larry. He’s the only person who loves her as much as I do.”
    Just one more errand for poor Bob to do for his princess. On the other hand, this would be a perfect opportunity for me to check out Larry in person. “Or I can run Fluffy out to Larry’s.”
    “Oh.” She gave me a measur ed look. “I suppose that would work.”
    Talk about gratitude. Not that I expected any.
    She called Larry and told him I was coming then gave me directions and stressed that Fluffy only travel ed in a cage. At least she got out of bed long enough to get all of the dog’s things together. She actually packed a suitcase for the canine.
    I lugged the suitcase to my car first then came back for the dog.
    “Remind Larry this is only temporary,” she told me. “As soon as this mess is behind me, I get her back.”
    “I’ll tell him,” I promised.
    I was almost to the top of the stairs when Lisa called me back. And to think I’d thought my days of being summoned by her were over when I quit the club. “Yes?” I said. I lugged the small