A Quiche Before Dying by Jill Churchill Read Free Book Online

all?”
    She took a sip of her beer. “Yes, I think so....”
     
    In the morning Katie and Cecily set off on their shopping expedition. “Operation Desert Shop,“ Jane called it. They had lists of stores to visit, and had taken a quick inventory of Katie’s clothing so that Cecily would know the gaps that needed filling. They planned to start with underwear and finish with shoes, and fit in a lunch somewhere along the line.
    Jane glanced at their itinerary. “Mom, Design Delight isn’t in the mall. It’s—“
    “A block to the west in the little strip of shops with the green roof, isn’t it?“ Cecily said.
    “Yes. How do you know that?“
    “We went there once,“ Cecily explained. “I’ll get things for the quiche and be home in time to make it.”
    Jane saw them off, sorted out a cat tiff, and took a quick tour of the house. For once, there wasn’t anything that desperately needed attention. She’d done a thorough cleaning before her mother came, and with the boys gone, the laundry situation was under control. There were hardly enough dirty dishes to justify running the dishwasher, and Katie had not only cleaned her room but, astonishingly, made her bed in honor of her grandmother’s visit.
    Smiling, Jane turned the kitchen radio to a classical music station and sat down at the table with a legal pad and pencil. “Well, Priscilla, what shall we do today?“ she said.
     
    The phone rang at one o’clock. “Yes?“ Jane said sharply, irritated at being interrupted. She and Priscilla were in the midst of an adventure, and Jane was dying to see how it came out.
    “Jane? This is Mel VanDyne.”
    Gulp! Nicely—but not too nicely—Jane said, “Oh, hello. How are you, Mel?“
    “Fine. How are you getting along?“
    “Just fine.“ God! I’m so boring! Say something fascinating! Quick!
    “ Listen, Jane—I’ve been out of town, and I wondered, that is, would you be free this evening?“
    “What did you have in mind?“ That was cool, wasn’t it? Cool, or just bitchy?
    “Dinner, a movie?“
    “I’d love t— oh, no. I can’t. I’m taking a class. It’s not out until nine-thirty.“
    “Then how about after your class?“
    “Where would we go then?“ Jane asked, then feltstupid. Just because she was usually home by nine didn’t mean the world shut down at that hour.
    “I don’t know. How about going for drinks? Maybe some dancing?”
    Dancing! She hadn’t danced for a decade! “How about ice cream and talk, Mel? I want to hear about what you’ve been doing, and bars are so noisy.“ She’d probably find out that bars were quiet these days and she’d shown herself up as completely out of touch, but she couldn’t face dancing without a couple weeks of practice. Lessons, more likely. The last dance she’d really mastered had been the twist.
    “Sounds great. I’ll pick you up from your class. Where is it?“
    “The city hall. It’s not a real class for credit. Just a community thing.“ What was she explaining that for? Get a grip on yourself Jane.
“ Good. I’ll get some paperwork caught up at the office and pick you up at nine-thirty. Jane...?“
    “Yes?“
    “I’m looking forward to seeing you.“
    “Me, too. ‘Bye, Mel.“ She hung up the phone, hugged herself, and spun around the room. Cats scattered from her path. “I’ve got a date tonight, Meow. A real, live date with a man who voluntarily asked me out!“ She scooped the orange cat up and waltzed into the living room.
    Unfortunately, she caught sight of herself as she whirled past a mirror.
    “Oh, my God!“ she exclaimed, letting Meow escape her grasp. She peered into the glass. “Hair! Clothes! Makeup!“ she said to the disheveled image.
     

6
     
    Shelley dropped by while Jane was in the midst of a facial. “Oh, you decided to try that stuff? You look like a mummified raccoon.“
    “But underneath, I’m gorgeous. Wait a minute. It’s time to wash it off. Come on upstairs and look at my closet. I need your