Truth and Justice - Fern Michaels Page 0,87

into a romance. I also think it’s a given that she is attracted to Paul Montrose and he to her, but they will fight their feelings. Bella has to come to terms with what she felt for Andy. I heard her talking to Yoko the other day. She was crying and saying she knew almost nothing about the man she married and was having trouble remembering what he looked like. And then there is that business of her signing her divorce papers the same day she found out her husband was dead. That’s a lot of weight for that young woman to be carrying around on those slim shoulders of hers. I do think she’ll be okay in the end; I really do. She has a good head on her shoulders, and I think Paul Montrose is a stand-up guy,” Myra said.

Myra was stunned when Annie and Avery both said they agreed with her.

“All right then, we’ll keep this to ourselves for now. Why don’t we go upstairs and see about a late lunch. Those pancakes Maggie made were a long time ago.”

“Weenies?” Annie asked hopefully.

“Spot on, sister.” Myra giggled.

“I like hot dogs,” Avery said.

“Then let’s do it,” Annie said, rushing to the stairs. “Boiled, fried, or grilled?”

“Grilled,” Myra and Avery shouted at the same time.

“Three dogs coming right up,” Annie shouted happily.

* * *

The girls sat in the Post van outside Sara’s house in Kalorama. The rain was pounding down. “We’ll be soaked before we get to the door, which means we’ll be leaving puddles all over the house,” Kathryn said.

“I don’t think any of us care, Kathryn. Can you tell if the alarm is on? If it is, it will be glowing red. She left in a hurry, so hopefully she forgot to set it. I can pick this lock, but before we open the door, we need to know about the alarm. Look through the side window and tell me what you see,” Nikki directed.

“It’s green,” Maggie said.

“Hot damn,” Nikki said, working the pick-lock the way Annie had taught her.

“Move! Move! Move!” Kathryn shouted to be heard over the heavy rainfall. “Quick! Lock the door. Let’s split up and go over this house with a fine-toothed comb. I know that’s an old, tired cliché, but this woman is one smart cookie, and we do not want to miss anything. This house has to be at least six thousand square feet. Almost a mansion. If you let your mind jump ahead with seven or eight sperm donations, this would be a house for seven or eight kids.”

“She hasn’t furnished it all yet. It’s giving off a kind of temporary feel to me,” Yoko said.

“I’m picking up on that, too,” Isabelle said.

“Considering her life these past years, I think this is how she lives. There is no permanency to this place, at least not that I’m feeling,” Maggie added.

“Let’s branch out. I’ll take the second floor with Maggie,” Nikki said.

“Yoko and I will take the kitchen and dining room. The family room is empty, no furniture, nothing on the shelves, no carpeting to rip up. Just closed blinds on the windows. Did you all notice that all the blinds are closed?” Kathryn asked. The Sisters all said they had noticed. Sara with a million aliases was a very private person.

“I’ll take the makeshift office, which is here off the kitchen in this alcove. That’s where her computer is,” Isabelle said.

“I guess that leaves the garage for me,” Alexis said. “Let’s get to it, girls. For all we know, the urgent care facility could release her and just order bed rest. Maybe someone should turn down her bed just in case.”

The Sisters hooted and hollered to show what they thought of that idea.

It took only an hour before the girls met up in the kitchen. “Let’s hear it,” Maggie said.

“Refrigerator is full of healthy food. There’s a row of vitamin bottles on the windowsill over the sink. Prominent among said vitamins is a bottle of prenatal vitamins. Everything appears to be new. Nothing looks used. Very little in the way of pantry goods. No alcohol to be seen. Cleaning supplies under the sink. That’s about it.

“The master bedroom is all girly and fancy, lots of ribbons and doodads. To me it looked like the bedroom of a seventeen-year-old. Lots of perfume bottles, lots of jewelry, looks real to me. All kinds of clothes, designer and off-the-rack plus rummage-sale items. She’s ready for whatever comes her way. All the bedrooms are