Wed and Buried by Mary Daheim Read Free Book Online Page A

had given her for Christmas a year and a half ago.
    â€œWell, you don’t do anything about it,” Phyliss asserted. “Why don’t you get this place exercised?”
    â€œYou mean exorcised?” Judith sighed. She didn’t feel like dealing with Phyliss’s peculiar religious beliefs this morning. “Sweetums is a cat. No more, no less. Are you going to do the second floor first?”
    Phyliss took the hint, though with ill grace. Judith went over to the refrigerator and began taking inventory. Hillside Manor’s supplies were definitely depleted. A trip toFalstaff’s was in order. Judith headed out the back way and got into the Subaru.
    Heavy metal assaulted her ears, followed by a local grunge group gone global, and then a raucous rap song. Judith drew the line at the fourth recording, which sounded like someone dying during surgery. The thumping bass made her chest hurt.
    Judith turned the dial. On a muggy Monday morning in June, she couldn’t stand listening to Harley Davidson’s program another second. Assuming, of course, that Mike had switched back to the station that broadcast the ear-shattering DJ. Judith hardly needed to hear him shout at her to know that it was his show. Mike had driven the Subaru to the wedding while Judith and Joe had traveled in the MG. But Mike was gone now. He wouldn’t be switching radio stations anymore in his mother’s car. Judith suddenly felt sad, but she still didn’t want to listen to Harley Davidson.
    It was after ten when she returned home with six sacks of groceries. Judith wasn’t ready to dive back into her regular routine. She was at loose ends, a natural reaction after such a major life change. Halfway through putting the victuals away, she stopped and called Renie.
    â€œWhat are you doing, coz?”
    â€œHuh?” Renie never completely woke up until ten. At ten-eighteen, she still sounded foggy. “I’m staring at a mug of coffee and wondering where I am. Morning is a stupid concept.”
    â€œWould you go downtown with me?” Judith asked in an unusually humble voice.
    â€œCan’t,” Renie replied. “I mean, I have an appointment downtown at the Belle Epoch at one. I’m working on their fall catalogue. We see page proofs today.”
    â€œCould you go early and I’ll wait for you?” Judith still sounded meek. “We could have lunch.” Any task involving food usually got Renie’s attention.
    â€œLunch?” Renie’s voice brightened. “Now that’s a good concept. Where are we going?”
    Judith hadn’t yet had an opportunity to tell Renie all the details about the man and woman on the Belmont roof. Now she related the incident in full. By the time Judith finished, Renie sounded completely alert.
    â€œThat’s really weird,” Renie declared. “Especially the part about Joe not finding any sign of them.”
    â€œHe sure didn’t,” Judith replied. “And he looked all around the hotel block. I finally got him to ’fess up yesterday.”
    â€œSo what do you want to do?” Renie inquired.
    â€œSee for myself,” Judith answered, no longer meek. “I couldn’t do much Saturday night when Joe and I stayed at the Naples. It hardly seemed the time to act like I don’t trust him. And I really do, but I know what I saw. I don’t think he believes me. I guess I want to make sure there’s nothing he missed.”
    â€œHe’s a cop, he wouldn’t miss anything,” Renie said, though there was a hint of doubt in her tone. “Okay, pick me up in half an hour. But I warn you, I’ll be wearing my uniform.”
    Judith understood that her cousin was referring to her professional wardrobe, which was a collection of eight-hundred-dollar designer suits. When Renie wasn’t working in public, she wore clothes that looked as if they’d been rejected by the homeless. Judith