Killer Calories

eight younger siblings for Tammy’s privileged, but solitary, childhood for anything.
    At least, Savannah had known without a doubt that she was loved. And she had been taught life’s most important lessons by Gran’s example.
    “Tell me something, Tammy,” she said, staring up at the gaudy, flickering fixture over their heads. “Why were you so fond of Kat? Please don’t take offense. I’m not implying you shouldn’t have been. I’m just asking why.”
    Tammy was silent for a long time, thinking before answering. “I guess it sounds simple and dumb, but Kat could be really nice when she wanted to be. She was really pretty, and sometimes, when she looked at you with those big golden eyes of hers, she made you feel like you were the only person in the world.” She paused. “Does that make sense?”
    Yes, Savannah knew the pleasure of receiving someone’s undivided attention... especially important to a young woman who hadn’t received enough of that valuable commodity as a child.
    “Yes, it does,” she replied. “What else?”
    “She was really funny. She would say things that were kind of... naughty... and make people laugh.”
    Savannah nodded. “My Granny Reid is like that. That sort of woman sets the rest of us free to be our own sexy selves.”
    “That’s true! I felt more free around Kat than with anyone else. It’s like nothing shocked her.”
    Savannah recalled the infamous Royal Palms orgies back in the seventies, but decided not to comment.
    As Tammy continued to enumerate Kat Valentina’s qualities, Savannah silently noted that all her attributes fell into the category of “personality” rather than “character.”
    Kat knew how to entertain people, make them laugh, make them feel special. Those abilities were nothing more than highly developed social talents, forms of acting and interacting. Endearing as those charms might be, they said little about the Person inside.
    Long ago, Savannah had learned to look beyond those social graces to the actions that defined a person’s true character- And although Kat Valentina might have been pretty, witty, and interesting, she had also been known as a liar, a swindler, an adulteress, and a wanton, bent on self-destruction.
    Savannah ’s Granny Reid had told her that although someone might put on a charming facade, it was their actions that more clearly defined who was living inside the pretty package.
    But Savannah decided to keep this bit of homespun wisdom to herself tonight, as they lay there enjoying their slumber party. If Tammy hadn’t figured out the difference between personality and character, she would. This didn’t seem to be the time for life lessons.
    “Besides,” Tammy chattered on, “Kat had really changed the last two months or so.”
    Savannah ’s investigator’s ears perked up. “Really? How had she changed?”
    “I’m not sure, exactly, but she seemed more serious about things. She said she was changing a lot of her habits. Like drinking, for example.”
    “Drinking?”
    “Yes. She had decided to purify her body, said she needed to do it for her health’s sake. She was taking lots of vitamins and good stuff, was watching everything she ate, and she had stopped drinking completely. That’s why I was so surprised when she had that pitcher of margaritas there by the mud bath.”
    Savannah rolled over onto her side, facing Tammy. “I hate to mention this, sweetie, but Kat wouldn’t have necessarily been the first person with a drinking problem to fall off the wagon.”
    “I know. I thought of that. But I don’t think so. She seemed so determined to eat and drink only healthy stuff- h was like she was finally practicing what she’d been preaching-She seemed really motivated... almost scared, like she had to do it, or something.”
    “Hmmm.” Savannah digested that for a moment. “Did you mention this to anyone?”
    “Yes. I told Kat’s husband, Mr. Hanks, I thought it was strange that she was drinking again, when she’d been so good .“
    “What did he say?”
    “He said, ‘Nothing Kat did surprises me. I got over that a long time ago.’”
    “Maybe he’s right. Maybe you’re reading too much into something that may have been just a lapse for her .“
    “Maybe.”
    Savannah could hear the doubt in Tammy’s “maybe.” But then, Tammy was a bit too trusting with people, a bit too eager to give them the benefit of that doubt... whether they deserved it or not.
    Either way, it was something to