Page 121 of Bent Out of Shade
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My hopethat I’d sneak in, grab the kid from her sleepover, and leave was thwarted by the sight of my sister-in-law staring out her living room window. I sighed. Genevieve wasn’t an evil or bad person, but she was just so awful to deal with, and I already felt tired. Why couldn’t she be asleep like the rest of the block?
Wave, don’t wave? Which would encourage her more? I gave a halfway sort of wave, more of a finger waggle that probably couldn’t be seen in the darkness of my car.
Wrong move. The porch light snapped on and she escorted a dopey-looking Sadie in pj bottoms and a hoodie down the front steps.
Yawning, Sadie slid into the passenger seat, mumbling hello before burying her face in her sweater and curling up against the door. She had dropped her backpack onto the floor mat and a sock fell out.
I rolled down my window, braced for disapproval—and not for my ex-sister-in-law to lean in to hug me. Dear God, Eli. What did you tell her? But damn, she always had the nicest perfume. This one hinted at roses drifting on the breeze on a warm summer’s night.
“My deepest condolences.” Genevieve zipped her expensive running sweatshirt up over her slender frame.
“Thank you.” I put on a somber expression.
“Had you been working together long?”
“Long enough to become dear friends,” I said, having no clue who we were discussing.
“Obviously, if he’d been given uncle status.” Ah, okay. “That’s not just something one hands out, but I guess when you’re all alone like you are, you have to make your family wherever you can.” Genevieve patted my hand, her skin springy and supple with proper moisturization.
I surreptitiously pulled my slab of sandpaper away.
Sadie snorted and I jabbed my elbow in her side.
“Emmett was a good man. I need to…” I waved my arms around because again, no clue what I was supposed to be doing for the pretend deceased.
“Of course. Good night, Sadie.”
“Night, Aunt Gee.”
Genevieve tucked a strand of fashionably gray streaked hair behind her ear. “Hopefully her sleep disruption doesn’t impact her academic performance. I know you don’t care about that like I do, but teens need their rest.”
“Yup.” I was already rolling up my window.
She kept her hand there like she expected me to stop, only yanking her fingers back at the last second. Her tasteful diamond ring clanked against the roof.
I waved through the glass and zoomed off. I hope you choke on my exhaust. “That was nice of her to take you tonight.”
Sadie laughed, her sweater sliding off her face.
“Shut up,” I said, joining in until I remembered the real reason why I was here. “Did Dad tell you where we’re going?”
“No. I figured it out from the texts when I woke up.” She plaited her hair into braids. The smaller they were, the more anxious she was, and these were tiny. “Whose magic am I going to have to take?”
“I’m not sure. Not anyone you know.”
“Okay.” Still her leg bounced all the way to our destination.
I pulled up at the address and frowned at the funeral home.
Sadie darted a nervous glance my way.
“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation.” I drove around the back to the large garage door and texted Zev that I was here.
The door rose up and I backed into the bright space. A shiny black hearse was parked next to us, while a refrigeration unit hummed in the back corner next to stacks of long, flattened rectangular boxes.
Yoshi met us. Hello, liar who didn’t know where his bestie was.
