Persephone Alcmedi 00 - Wicked Circle

there?”
    “I don’t think she has any family at all, Kurt. Just Evan.”
    “Damn. Whatever she’s doing must be important if she’s willing to ride a bus.”
    Brenda placed the serrated knife by the loaf with more force than was necessary. “Quit it. This isn’t funny.”
    Kurt pulled her into his arms again. “I just want to see you smile.”
    Brenda laid her head on his shoulder. “Kurt, have you seen her lately?”
    “No,” he admitted.
    “She looks awful. She doesn’t get her nails done anymore, and half the time she doesn’t even bother with makeup. She always used to fuss over the details, and now . . . she doesn’t. It’s not like her. She needs to go somewhere and relax. Diane and I have been telling her that for months.”
    Maybe a long, arduous bus ride would be relaxing after taking care of that kid. “Maybe that’s what she’s doing.”
    “Yeah. That’s what she said.”
    “So why aren’t you happy?”
    “I pressed her and she gave me the name of the spa she was going to. It doesn’t exist.”
    It wasn’t like Toni to lie. “So, we’re back to Vegas and embarrassment.”
    “No, Kurt.”
    He rubbed his wife’s shoulders. “She’ll tell you when she’s ready.” She arched into the impromptu back rub. “If you and Diane have been telling her she needs a vacation, why is Diane the one who gets to look after the boy?” Babysitting would do her good. Maybe it will get that mothering need worked out.
    “Because George actually likes kids. Unlike someone I know . . .”
    Kurt realized he had given her an opening to lead this into another conversation about adoption. Kids weren’t Kurt’s favorite portion of the population. Loud, spoiled, tantrum-machines. He and Brenda couldn’t have kids. For him, that was the end of the story. Not for her.
    Leaving his arms again, Brenda selected a bottle from the new little wine refrigerator, and leaned against the counter, downhearted but not sulking. “Diane asked if we would come over to their house for dinner, but I told her you would rather reschedule.”
    “Smart woman. Diane better not take her eyes off that boy.”
    “Kurt.”
    “He’s a brat.”
    “Kurt!”
    “Am I wrong?” The last time Kurt had seen the kid, probably two years ago, he’d tried to be tolerant, but the kid made him nervous. Evan was into cars, so Kurt thought seeing the flashing red light mounted to the dash of his car would be fun. The kid had been delighted, but he’d proceeded to push every button and flip every switch in the car and in the house.
    Brenda sighed but said nothing. She slid the wine and the corkscrew toward him, and then carried the meal to the dining table.
    Kurt made a mental note to check the bus schedule.
    It was well after nine when Kurt switched on his home computer. Though the evening was far from over, the world was dark, and Brenda was presently soaking out her worries in a cherry-blossom-scented bubble bath.
    He checked the online schedule and found that the local terminal would have a bus leaving tonight at eleven twenty, and, with all the stops and connections, it seemed that someone could arrive in Cleveland as early as one in the afternoon tomorrow.
    That is a long ride. It was definitely out of character for his wife’s friend.
    He opened his briefcase and plucked out a key to a certain filing cabinet. Inside, the rearmost files comprised his personal copies of a particular cold case from his days as a local small-town cop. He drew out the one marked Hampton, Elena A.
    He opened it a fraction and saw a candid photo of a positively gorgeous young woman. Black hair, long and straight and thick. He remembered how sleek her hair used to feel when he ran his hands through it.
    Guilt twisted in his gut.
    He’d cheated on Brenda. They hadn’t been married yet, but he’d still been unfaithful. After high school, he’d gone away to college. She’d stayed home to attend the local community college. They maintained their relationship long-distance. Then he’d met this girl . . . Elena. They had a math class together. Deliberating for all of August and September, he built up his nerve and asked her out. Throughout October their romance had been torrid. He’d even considered breaking up with Brenda, but resisted. Then Elena abruptly broke it off with him the day after a wild Hallowe’en party they’d attended. She said she was transferring to a college closer to her hometown in Montana and stopped talking to him.
    Kurt