Jayne and Steelie - 01 - Freezing by Clea Koff Read Free Book Online Page A

style?’
    Jayne smiled, pushing bits of avocado back into her sandwich. ‘I just like winding you up. Have some iced tea.’
    Marie folded some butter lettuce and speared it neatly with her fork. ‘Steelie said you’re seeing Scott.’ In went the lettuce.
    â€˜Not “seeing”, Mom – I’ve seen him. We’ve all seen him.’
    â€˜Now, just a minute. The last time I set you up with someone – that perfectly nice teacher and a Venezuelan – you stated that you’d rather spend an hour on the phone with Scott Houston than five more minutes with el profesor . I remember that quite distinctly.’
    Jayne regarded her mother. ‘Let me get the strawberries.’
    Marie called after her. ‘And now this Houston is here in LA.’
    â€˜So?’ Jayne brought out the tray holding bowls of berries and a jug of cream.
    â€˜So! I didn’t raise you to be a five o’clock fish.’ Marie fixed Jayne with her ‘severe’ look, which consisted of one arched eyebrow while she tilted her chin up. ‘You remember the five o’clock—’
    â€˜Yes, yes. The fish that’s been sitting out all day at market and no one wants to buy old fish or whatever. I told you I don’t like the commodification of women inherent in that metaphor. It’s ridiculous. I’m not a piece of seafood. Nor am I on a shelf.’
    â€˜You’re up on this deck, Jayne! Most evenings, all weekend. You’re hiding up here with I don’t know what memories from some mass grave or other haunting you, and you’ve given yourself nothing for comfort other than . . .’ She gestured wildly. ‘Than spiky cactus plants!’
    Jayne looked out at the reservoir. Its surface was rippled in its best imitation of a lake. Night was falling and she could see through the fir trees to the hills on the other side where the lights of invisible houses sparkled orange-yellow and white.
    Marie touched her hand, then began to fold and re-fold her napkin. ‘I worry about you,’ she said softly.
    â€˜I know.’
    â€˜You don’t talk to me about everything you saw when you were out with the UN and I know why: you’ve got Steelie. But even she thinks you need someone here at home, as it all falls into perspective. You both spent a decade helping to uncover war crimes, for heaven’s sake, and now you’ve gone on to do something that drains you. Maybe in a different way, but it drains.’
    Jayne shrugged, looking up at her mother. ‘It is draining sometimes. But it feeds me, too. I like what I do.’ The candles on the table flickered in the breeze, threatening to go out but then flaring back up triumphantly.
    â€˜Even if it breaks your heart almost every day?’
    â€˜Other people’s hearts are broken already, before they come to us. It’s not my heart breaking. It’s just an empathetic sort of . . . heart-stretching.’
    Marie poured cream over the berries. ‘And from what you’ve said, Scott is almost the perfect person for you to spend time with. You seem to have interests and sensibilities in common. He might not have been on the same forensic missions as you but he understands what went on over there.’
    â€˜You think I should be with someone who’s got the same fodder for nightmares as I have, is that it?’ Jayne was stacking slices of strawberry on her fork.
    Marie paused. ‘Have the nightmares started again?’
    â€˜Not really, they’re just infrequent, that’s all. Can I finish your berries?’
    Marie pushed over her half-eaten bowl of fruit. ‘Why don’t you come up to my place when things get bad?’
    â€˜That’s just running away.’
    â€˜I thought you’d say that, which is why I brought you this.’ Marie pulled a small plastic bag from under the table and handed it over. The bag was emblazoned with the