Hush by Karen Robards Read Free Book Online Page B

outdated appliances.
    She smiled at Bill Stengel, who was just inside the door and glanced over his shoulder as she entered. Stocky and balding, around Margaret’s age of fifty-seven, he had a florid complexion and unremarkable features, and in his expensive gray suit looked exactly like the successful lawyer that he was. He was chatting with a couple that she didn’t immediately recognize. She would have moved past with only a nod, but he caught her arm.
    â€œRiley. How you holding up?” A Texan born and bred, his accent was strong.
    Heartsick. Scared. Broke. “Fine.”
    Bill nodded like he thought she meant it, and gestured at the couple standing with him. “You know Ted and Sharon Enman?”
    If she did, she couldn’t place them, but she smiled like the answer was of course . As she engaged in the exchange of meaningless pleasantries that passed for conversation at death-­related functions, her gaze slid past them and found Emma leaning against the counter next to the sink, surrounded by some of the girls from her (tony private) high school. They were slim and pretty and fashionable, and Emma was looking at them like they were attack dogs and she was a small creature at bay.
    â€œExcuse me,” she said, moving away from the small group and heading in Emma’s direction, grimacing as she got close enough to overhear the conversation.
    â€œ. . . so awful for you,” Monica Grayson concluded in a sweetly sympathetic tone. With her waist-length black hair and big dark eyes, Monica had a slightly exotic appearance that made her look older than her seventeen years. From Emma’s confidences, Riley knew that Monica was the head mean girl. She also knew that Monica was way into boys, who were usually way into her back. “I don’t know how you can even hold up your head .”
    â€œBrent said to say hi. He said to tell you he totally would have come, but he had football practice, or something,” Tori Meddors told Emma. She had glossy brown hair that curled up on her shoulders, and a carefully cultivated tan. Like Monica and the other girl who was with them, Natalie Frazier, she was partof the popular clique at Emma’s high school. She had been frenemies with Emma since kindergarten. Riley saw Emma visibly wince at that reference to Brent, whom she had just started dating before George’s arrest and who Riley knew she still really, really liked, even though Brent had stopped calling after George’s arrest. When Brent had invited another girl to the junior/senior prom, Emma had stopped eating for days. She had ended up not going, and Margaret had worried herself sick over it.
    â€œOh, uh, tell him that’s okay,” Emma managed. She was gripping the plastic pitcher of iced tea she was holding like it was a life preserver and she was in stormy seas.
    â€œAre you really going to be going to public school now?” Natalie asked in the kind of hushed tone someone might use to inquire about the onset of a fatal disease. Emma looked even more hunted. Riley winced inwardly. George had paid Emma’s tuition for the previous year before his arrest, but now there was simply no money. Not for tuition or anything except the necessities.
    â€œShe only hopes she is. Haven’t you ladies heard? All the hottest guys go to public school,” Riley said as she reached them. “Have you checked out Pearland’s football team? Monica, you’d  die .”
    â€œOh, hi, Riley,” the girls chorused, while Emma shot her a grateful look. Meeting that look with a bracing one of her own, Riley added, “Em, your mother was wondering where you were with that tea.”
    â€œOh, gosh, I forgot she wanted it,” Emma said, then added to the girls, “I’d better get in there. Thanks for coming.”
    She slid away from her friends, and with a smile for the girlsRiley moved on toward the back door. One more reason she was sure