House of Blues

trivialize it." He looked sheepish. "But about
my pathetic longings—"
    " What's pathetic about them?"
    "I only get them when things are going great."
    " So the truth comes out. Things are going great,
are they?"
    "Well, they were until the sneezes started. This
could cause real babysitting problems, do you realize that? I mean,
if I can only go over there."
    "So take the kids. They can play some of Layne's
games."
    "Oh, enough. How's your love life?"
    " You certainly have a short attention span."
    "Cough it up."
    A wave of regret broke over her. "Great, except
he's leaving in a few days."
    "Well, gather ye rosebuds and all that."
    " The other night I saw Darryl with another
woman. I had a pang, I have to admit it."
    " Hussy."
    " Hasn't it ever happened to you? Being with
somebody you love, but attracted to someone else that you know
wouldn't be right for you, and anyway the other one's the one you're
committed to, but you sort of can't resist anyway? It's like you're
hypnotized or something; or under some evil spell."
    "You terrify me, darling. My bones are
absolutely rattling with fear. No! I cannot do it again. When I think
of what I just went through with you! The way you moped for weeks
after you tossed aside your bear like a hamster—"
    " I'm not going to do anything, Dee-Dee. I'm just
talking about the way I feel"
    "Let me tell you something, Thumbelina. It's
damned dangerous talk."
    She knew it was. Darryl exerted a powerful pull on
her, she didn't know why. And he was around a lot. During that
turbulent period, he'd gotten to know the kids and they adored him.
He flirted when he came around too.
 
 
    20
    Reed heard a key in the lock. Her body stiffened.
Anna Garibaldi again. Perhaps she could talk Anna into letting her
have a minute with Sally, even letting her see Sally, just for a
moment, even a moment.
    Maybe she should offer her money.
    It sounded as if Anna was fumbling; funny, she didn't
seem the type. And then Evie, not Anna, fell into the room under a
heavy weight.
    Sally.
    The child, struggling in Evie's arms, had apparently
thrown her off balance. Evie had a hand clasped over Sally's mouth,
which meant she had had to negotiate the lock with the hand that
balanced Sally in her arms—no easy task. She closed the door
quickly by banging her butt against it.
    When she took her hand from Sally's mouth, Reed saw
that the child's face was red with fingerprints, but it seemed
trivial at the moment. Sally was here and unharmed.
    "Mama. Mama." Evie released her and she ran
to Reed, who had only one arm to pick her up, the other being
handcuffed once again to her chair.
    "Oh, baby. Baby, baby, baby."
    Evie said, "Reed, I'm sorry."
    Sorry!
    Sally was cuddling like a monkey, trying to wrap
herself around Reed tight enough to stick if anyone tried to pry her
off. But like Reed, she had only one hand right now; her right thumb
was in her mouth. And Sally didn't suck her thumb.
    " I got drunk. I'm really sorry. I can't believe
I could be so stupid."
    Reed fought down all the ready answers to that one.
She felt her hand on Sally's soft cheek, the pressure of the child's
legs around her. "Evie. Whats going on here?"
    "I don't know what happened. I just—"
    "Evie, work with me. Please!"
    Evie glanced at the door. "You're right. I don't
know how much time we have." She dropped her voice. "Anna's
on the phone—she left her keys in my room when she went to take the
call. Somethings wrong with her; shes not acting normal. When the
call came through, she kind of went berserk."
    " You're involved with these people?"
    She glanced at Reeds handcuffs. "Not really. But
they know me here, so they let me out now and then—when they need a
babysitter. Basically, I'm locked in a room most of the time, but,
see, Anna's got this thing for Sally—it's like shes some frustrated
grandma who just found something to love. I don't know—shes just
gaga over the kid—so sometimes she lets me out to take care of her
for a little while, if she has to go out for a few minutes."
    " She's let you out before and this is the first
time you've brought her to me?"
    "You don't understand. This is the first time I
haven't had somebody watching me like I was about to steal the
silver. There's these guys—these real big guys."
    " They're here now?"
    " They're always here."
    So much for any thoughts of making a break for it.
    "What is this place?"
    " My boyfriends house."
    "Well, who is your boyfriend? Gus Lozano?"
    "He's this really nice