Love Can Be Murder

flowed and a waitress brought in trays of greasy appetizers. Friends of friends arrived, some of whom Penny recognized as customers, and soon the room boomed with music and laughter. Penny made the rounds and tried to behave like a happy divorcee. Her mind kept straying to the mystery man who had crossed her path more than once today, but she reasoned that he had probably already hooked up with someone, or maybe he and Sheena had made up.
    "Someone told me you were here."
    Penny had time to school her face into a pleasant mask before turning to face her ex-mother-in-law. Mona Black was a tall, imposing woman with piercing eyes and a pile of black hair on her head, divided by a shock of white in the front. She didn't wear makeup, although admittedly she didn't need it. She was an attractive woman in her sixties, her uniform a black pantsuit, her only ornament a small silver cross at her throat.
    "Hello, Mona," Penny said cheerfully. "Welcome to my divorce party. Can I get you a drink?"
    Disgust filled the woman's eyes. "A party? Don't you have any class?"
    "Too much for your son, apparently. Or haven't you met your new future daughter-in-law?"
    Mona's jaw hardened. "What are you talking about?"
    "Haven't you heard? Deke and Sheena are engaged."
    Mona tried not to react, but Penny knew the woman had been taken by surprise.
    Penny lifted her glass. "Congratulations, Mona. Maybe Sheena will give Deke those grandkids you've always wanted, and they'll have a beautiful tan."
    Loathing glinted in Mona's eyes before she recovered. "I didn't come to discuss Deke. I wanted to warn you that the city council is going to file a restraining order to stop you from turning Mojo into a damn cornfield."
    Penny tensed as years of resentment toward the woman came to a head. "Really? Where was the restraining order, Mona, when Deke painted my house the color of a vagina?"

Chapter Nine

    Then slice with a sharp object...

    AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, her outburst coincided with a lull in the conversation. Gasps sounded, followed by laughter. The look of horrified indignance on Mona's face was worth the transgression, Penny decided.
    "You're drunk," Mona hissed, then nodded toward Diane Davidson. "I'll leave you to your misfit friends."
    After Mona left, Penny was still reeling over her own behavior. Guy gave her a thumbs-up across the room. Liz and Wendy came over and gave her high fives.
    "Well done," Liz said. "Consider that bridge burned."
    "I can't believe you said that to his mother," Wendy said, laughing.
    "It was false courage," Penny admitted, then drained her glass. "But did it ever feel good."
    Pleased with herself, she went in search of another martini, feeling for the first time since she'd seen the bottoms of Sheena's dirty feet on her white sheets that things were going to work out. That not only would she survive, but she just might thrive. She was stirring another drink when Marie came up to her. "Boss, I need to talk to you."
    "Oh, Marie, this is a great party. Thank you so much for putting it together. I wasn't so sure at first, but I'm really enjoying myself."
    "Good." Marie's smile was tight as she pulled Penny into a secluded corner. "Listen, I just found out something I think you should know."
    "That Deke's getting married? I already know."
    Marie frowned. "Deke's getting married? No—this is different...but related, I suppose."
    Penny used her teeth to pluck an olive from the martini stirrer. "What?"
    "Apparently Deke hid assets during the property settlement. He put some things in Sheena's name and some in her company's name. Cash...a boat...other things."
    Denial sprang to Penny's chest that Deke would purposely cheat her, then she remembered the investments that had allegedly gone bad, how their savings had dwindled. The strange phone call she'd received at home before this had all started about a boat she'd known nothing about and that Deke had sworn was a mistake. Suddenly his tan and designer suits made sense. Anger and dismay rolled over her in waves. "Did Steve tell you this?"
    Marie sent a worried glance his way. "Yes, but he'll be fired if Deke finds out. I thought maybe your attorney could do some research and keep Steve's name out of it."
    Penny was struck mute, but she nodded. Would the betrayal ever end? Would she ever stop feeling stupid? Had her entire marriage been a sham? She felt lightheaded. "I...need some air," she said, then walked out of the room.
    Not that the air out in the bar was clearer. A